News

Monday, February 5, 2018 - 15:45

The Institute of Internal Auditors Russia signed an agreement with the Internal Audit Community of Practice (IA COP) of PEMPAL (Public Expenditure Management Peer Assisted Learning), a network supported by the World Bank and implemented with financial support from the Ministry of Finance and Federal Treasury of the Russian Federation and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland. 

The Institute of Internal Auditors Russia and IA COP agreed to establish a mutually beneficial exchange of information, materials and products on internal audit and organize joint activities. In addition, the Institute of Internal Auditors Russia commits to review draft Russian translations of IA COP knowledge products to ensure consistency of Russian professional terminology, provide expert comments based on the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF). The IA COP products are widely used by its member countries to improve their public sector financial management, risk management, internal control and internal audit systems.

The IA COP brings together 23 countries of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and holds regular meetings where participants exchange knowledge and seek solutions to the most pressing issues related to public sector internal audit reforms. The IA COP offers approaches to address priority challenges and generates knowledge based on best practices. The practices are used by member countries to inform their internal audit reforms and to guide the development of relevant documents.  

The PEMPAL network facilitates exchange of professional experience and knowledge transfer among public finance management (PFM) practitioners across the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region.

The PEMPAL comprises three Communities of Practice: Budget (BCOP), Internal Audit (IA COP) and Treasury (TCOM).

The not-for-profit partnership “Institute of Internal Auditors Russia” was registered in 2000, and unites more than 4,000 internal auditors, internal controllers and other controlling units’ personnel from Russian firms and organizations.

The IA COP knowledge products are available at: https://www.pempal.org/ru/knowledge-product-list

For more information on the IAA please visit: https://www.iia-ru.ru/

Thursday, December 21, 2017 - 09:30

SAFE Trust Fund - Call for 2018 Proposals

 

 

The invitation for new SAFE Trust Fund applications is now open until 9 February 2018

 

What is SAFE?

SAFE means Strengthening Accountability and the Fiduciary Environment. It is a Trust Fund program administered by the World Bank and was established by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the European Commission with the aim of improving public financial management in the Europe and Central Asia region. This Trust Fund program provides support for activities to assess public financial management (PFM) performance, identify and implement actions to achieve improvements and share knowledge and good practices across countries in the region.

Who can apply?

This round of applications is open to projects from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Project proposals should be presented by Bank task teams and accompanied by a formal request from the beneficiary countries.

Additional details on the SAFE Trust Fund application
Click here.
 
Proposal Form
Click here to download the proposal form.  
 

Further Information

Xiomara Morel or Jamie Lazaro
Secretariat, SAFE
The World Bank
1818 H Street NW
Washington DC 20433, USA
Tel: +1 202 458-0643 (Xiomara) or +1 202 473-1799 (Jamie)

 

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 - 11:15

>The PEMPAL members are invited to participate in PEFA short questionnaire for updating the PEFA indicators.

The Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Program, launched in 2001, has created a credible and comprehensive framework for assessing PFM functionality, which has been applied in a large number of countries since 2005 - countries with different income levels, different administrative heritages, and in different geographical regions.

The PEFA Framework continues to be relevant and applicable in a wide range of contexts; however, after 9 years with only limited changes, it is time to update it. The PEFA Partners have no intention of changing the purpose of the Framework; rather, the update is intended to reflect the various developments in the PFM landscape over the past decade, strengthen several areas of acknowledged weakness, and extend coverage to new areas such as fiscal strategy, use of performance information, public investment, and public asset management.

The PEFA Partners are pleased to present the draft updated PEFA indicator set for public consultation, along with a note that uses a question-and-answer format to describe the background of and process for the update. To provide feedback — a crucial element in finalizing this important work — please complete the short questionnaire (attached) and/or provide more general comments and suggestions, by October 31, 2014.

More about the PEFA consultations can be found here.

Monday, November 11, 2013 - 10:15

Applications are invited for grants to support public financial management in Europe and Central Asia under the SAFE Trust Fund.

The deadline for proposals is 18 December 2013.

The SAFE Trust Fund group includes two pools of funds to provide support for activities led by governments to assess public financial management (PFM) performance, identify and implement actions to achieve improvements in public financial management and share knowledge and good practices across countries in the Europe and Central Asia region:

Pool 1 - is a multi-donor trust fund established by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) which is open to projects from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Pool 2 - is a single donor trust fund established by the European Commission through the multi-beneficiary instrument for pre-accession (MB IPA) which is open to projects from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo.

The Project Steering Committee will decide which Pool will be used to fund individual projects approved under the programme. The SAFE trust fund group is administered by the World Bank.

Objectives for the SAFE Trust Fund

 

The SAFE trust fund group seeks to improve the status of PFM in participating beneficiaries in a systematic way through:

      i.        improving understanding of PFM status in target beneficiaries;

     ii.        supporting design, implementation and management of the PFM reform agenda by governments, particularly on reform activities that are being undertaken simultaneously across the region;

    iii.        developing shared knowledge and experience on PFM reform to strengthen reform effectiveness and focus development partner support; and

    iv.        improving coordination between donors and their relationships with governments; towards limiting overlaps, and concentrating declining donor support in the region.

 

Eligible activities

There are three Pillars for SAFE funded projects. Pillar I: Assessment of PFM status, Pillar II: Support for PFM reform management and Pillar III: Expanding PFM knowledge and capability. The current SAFE Trust Fund grant seeks for highlight Pillar III:

Pillar III: Expanding PFM knowledge and capability

·         Analysis of progress and outcomes in specific beneficiaries as well as cross-cutting perspectives;

·         Benchmarking and comparative analysis, involving studies of progress against specific indicators or groups of indicators, facilitation of working groups across beneficiaries to explore differences and identify practical actions to address weaknesses in one or more location;

·         Wider experience and knowledge sharing, including provision of forums for exchange of information and experience, and joint activities to address common development priorities in PFM across the region.

 

Project selection criteria 

  • Consistency with SAFE objectives and program outcomes;
  • Activities are within the scope of the Pillars and within available funds. Minimum project size for SAFE is $50,000 and maximum is $200,000;
  • Demonstrable improvements in understanding, standards or capability in relation to one or more dimensions of the PEFA framework or associated aspects of PFM and accountability;
  • Consistency with potential recipient development priorities, policies and strategic development plans and, where appropriate, donor strategies and agreements;
  • Do not duplicate, conflict or overlap with projects financed through other programs;
  • Have potential benefits for one or more country in terms of knowledge or experience sharing or scope for comparative assessment where possible and ideally have a regional benefit; and
  • Project expenditures must be incurred within the timeframe of SAFE operations, which at present is until 30 June 2015.

 

Deadline for applications

 

Applications for projects commencing in 2014 will close on 18 December 2013. Decisions on successful proposals will be made in February 2014 and funds will be available shortly thereafter. A new window for applications will be opened approximately every six months until funds are fully committed or the trust fund closes, whichever comes first.

 

Where to obtain application forms

 

SAFE_project_proposal_Form_13.10.31.docx

 

 

Invitation_for_proposals_13.10.31.docx

 

Further information

 

Lewis Hawke

Secretariat, SAFE

The World Bank MSN MC7-714

1818 H Street NW

Washington DC 20433 USA

Tel: +1 (202) 473-6746

Email: lhawke@worldbank.org

Thursday, January 31, 2013 - 10:15

Improving the quality of public expenditures has become a central issue for many countries around the globe because of its importance for economic growth and living standards. PEMPAL (Public Expenditure Management Peer Assisted Learning), a network of practitioners in 22 countries in Europe and Central Asia, was launched in 2006 to help advance public financial management (PFM) reforms and improve practices. 

PEMPAL is about contributing and exchanging different perspectives, through discussions and resource materials, in three official languages: English, Russian, and Bosnian. Its three communities of practice, for budget (BCOP), internal audit (IACOP) and treasury (TCOP), meet from time to time in events, study visits, and on-line. The World Bank, OECD/SIGMA, and external experts contribute global knowledge and act as knowledge brokers. Several donors provide welcome financial support. The Center of Excellence in Finance has since 2008 acted as PEMPAL Secretariat. 

In 2012, PEMPAL brought together 434 participants from its member countries in eight regular and five smaller events in 11 countries. Overall, an additional 125 experts and speakers attended these events. This compares to 481 participants attending one plenary, six regular, and three smaller events in six countries in 2011. 

Going forward, the agenda remains busy, and preparations for the 2013 spring events are in full swing. BCOP is planning a plenary to address selected aspects of program budgeting, and two study visits will discuss IT systems for budget planning and per capital budgeting in education. IACOP will convene twice, once in a plenary session, to discuss risk assessment, financial inspection, and quality assurance in internal audit. TCOP plans to discuss financial management and control in a plenary meeting, and learn from Estonia’s experience with public sector accounting and reporting in a study visit. 

The discussions among practitioners mainly focus on implementation and how to improve it, because implementation has proved to be the real challenge in the daily life of practitioners, more so than reform design and adopting legislation. Besides, implementation takes time and political will, which are often missing. Evidence suggests that exchanging experience about what works well in practice is what practitioners consider especially valuable. 

In 2012, discussions in PEMPAL addressed various PFM topics, including reform progress in treasury and external financing; program budgeting practices; risk assessment, quality assurance, and training and certification in internal auditing in the public sector, as well as relations between internal audit, external audit, and financial inspection; strategies for treasury modernization; financial accounting and reporting; and fiscal policy and measures to combat the crisis. Participants also learned from the experience of other PFM systems. Resource materials and a rich depository of national legislation have been exchanged and made freely available through the PEMPAL Virtual Library and Glossary of Terms. 

Promoting peer-learning calls for leadership and accountability. Each of the three COPs has been led by an Executive Committee that devises the annual work agenda based on the countries’ needs. The three committees are also entrusted with managing their annual budgets and making sure they stay within the limits set by the multi-stakeholder PEMPAL Steering Committee. Total event expenses in 2012 amounted to EUR 1 million. 

A framework for monitoring the value of PEMPAL for the participants has also been set up. It became a valuable tool for monitoring PEMPAL’s performance through a set of qualitative and quantitative indicators as well as success stories, and is aimed to demonstrate good governance, transparency, and accountability of the program (See Progress and Annual Reports for performance indicators. 

About PEMPAL
Public Expenditure Management Peer Assisted Learning (PEMPAL) is a World Bank–supported program that creates a network of public financial management professionals in 22 countries in Europe and Central Asia (ECA). The aim is to benchmark the PFM systems of participating countries against one another and pursue opportunities for peer learning, which increasingly understood to enhance knowledge transfer. The PEMPAL Secretariat is located at the Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) in Ljubljana, Slovenia. 

About the Center of Excellence in Finance
The Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) was established in January 2001 by the Slovenian Government on the initiative of the Slovenian Ministry of Finance and in close cooperation with ministries of finance of other countries in South East Europe. The initiative to establish the CEF was framed in the context of the Stability Pact for the region. The CEF recognizes the urgent need for capacity development in public financial management and central banking to help countries of the region cope with the challenges of implementing much needed reforms.

 

Friday, April 6, 2012 - 09:00
Applications are invited for grants to support public financial management reform projects in countries that are intended beneficiaries under the SAFE Trust Fund. The deadline for proposals is 31 July 2012.
 
 
The SAFE Trust Fund group includes two pools of funds to provide support for activities led by governments to assess public financial management (PFM) performance, identify and implement actions to achieve improvements in public financial management and share knowledge and good practices across countries in the Europe and Central Asia region:
Pool 1 – is a multi-donor trust fund established by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) which is open to projects from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
 
Pool 2 – is a single donor trust fund established by the European Commission through the multi-beneficiary instrument for pre-accession (MB IPA) which is open to projects from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo .
The Project Steering Committee will decide which Pool will be used to fund individual projects approved under the programme. The SAFE trust fund group is administered by the World Bank. 
 
Objectives for the SAFE trust fund
The SAFE trust fund group seeks to improve the status of PFM in participating beneficiaries in a systematic way through: 
(i)    improving understanding of PFM status in target beneficiaries; 
(ii)    supporting design, implementation and management of the PFM reform agenda by governments, particularly on reform activities that are being undertaken simultaneously across the region; 
(iii)    developing shared knowledge and experience on PFM reform to strengthen reform effectiveness and focus development partner support; and
(iv)    improving coordination between donors and their relationships with governments; towards limiting overlaps, and concentrating declining donor support in the region.
 
Eligible activities
There are three separate Pillars for SAFE funded projects:
 Pillar I: Assessment of PFM status
•    Support to government-led reviews of PFM arrangements using standard international PEFA measurement framework or related diagnostic and analytical tools; 
•    Analysis of PFM status by skilled professionals using PEFA or related methodology;
•    Preparation and dissemination of reports on financial management performance. 

Pillar II: Support for PFM reform management
•    Research, analysis and design of PFM reform action plan by government, in consultation with other development partners;
•    Developing networks within governments to implement reforms relating to one or more aspects of the PEFA framework; 
•    Research to obtain deeper understanding of the results of diagnostic assessments, as well as identification and design of actions required to address weaknesses;
•    Detailed analysis of specific PFM areas of importance or concern and development of action plans to address concerns or build on achievements. 

Pillar III: Expanding PFM knowledge and capability
•    Analysis of progress and outcomes in specific beneficiaries as well as cross-cutting perspectives;
•    Benchmarking and comparative analysis, involving studies of progress against specific indicators or groups of indicators, facilitation of working groups across beneficiaries to explore differences and identify practical actions to address weaknesses in one or more location;
•    Wider experience and knowledge sharing, including provision of forums for exchange of information and experience, and joint activities to address common development priorities in PFM across the region. 

Project selection criteria
•    Consistency with SAFE objectives and program outcomes;
•    Activities are within the scope of the Pillars and within available funds. Minimum project size for SAFE is $50,000 and maximum is $200,000;
•    Demonstrable improvements in understanding, standards or capability in relation to one or more dimensions of the PEFA framework or associated aspects of PFM and accountability;
•    Consistency with potential recipient development priorities, policies and strategic development plans and, where appropriate, donor strategies and agreements;
•    Do not duplicate, conflict or overlap with projects financed through other programs; 
•    Have potential benefits for one or more country in terms of knowledge or experience sharing or scope for comparative assessment where possible and ideally have a regional benefit; and
•    Project expenditures must be incurred within the timeframe of SAFE operations, which at present is until 30 June 2014 for Pool 1 and 30 November 2014 for Pool 2. 
 

 
Deadline for applications
 
Applications for projects commencing in 2012 or 2013 will close on 31 July 2012. Decisions on successful proposals will be made in September 2012 and funds will be available shortly thereafter. A new window for applications will be opened approximately every six months until funds are fully committed or the trust fund closes, whichever comes first. 

Where to obtain application forms
Application forms can be obtained from the SAFE Secretariat (address below). The forms will also be available on the World Bank ECA website in the near future.

Further information:
Lewis Hawke
Secretariat, SAFE
The World Bank MSN MC7-705
1818 H Street NW
Washington DC 20433 USA

Tel: 1 202 4736 746
Email: lhawke@worldbank.org 

Thursday, December 23, 2010 - 11:30

Dear PEMPAL members,

We are sending you warm greetings of the  Season and our best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year.

We are looking forward to new opportunities to work together in the year ahead! 

PEM PAL Secretariat

Friday, December 17, 2010 - 11:45
PEMPAL events are an essential component of the PEMPAL network. Meetings, video conferences, exchange visits, report sharing, web-based exchanges, and other informal contacts strengthen relations within the community and help officials receive real-time feedback from their peers.

 

Members of the Steering committee have confirmed the guidelines for PEMPAL events andstudy visits. The rules incorporated in these documents cover the standard procedures as well as areas of responsibilities of the PEM PAL network members.

We hope that this information will be a useful reminder to you of your responsibilities. Guidelines are available on our website at http://www.pempal.org/activities/. 

We thank you for your attention to this important matter.

PEMPAL secretariat

Monday, December 6, 2010 - 11:30

Deanna Aubrey has recently joined the PEMPAL team as Community Facilitator and will take up the one year position, based in the CEF Ljubljana, from early next year.  

She has 22 years professional experience in public expenditure management specializing in budget planning, preparation and execution.  Her 15 years at the national and sub-national levels of Government in Australia included contributing to the preparation of the Australian Government Budget and advising Ministers on policy options and recommendations in health, social welfare and mining related sectors.  For the last seven years, she has coached and advised Ministries of Finance for USAID and DFID funded projects in Kosovo, Afghanistan and currently Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

She sees the PEMPAL network as an extremely valuable approach to sharing, learning and progressing public financial management reforms and would like to position and brand the network as the lead peer assisted learning provider for the European and Central Asian region. 

“ The position of PEMPAL Community Facilitator is my dream job as it will enable me to continue my passion for learning and to use my public financial management skills acquired in Australia and overseas  to assist the PEMPAL CoP Leadership Teams, Steering Committee and Secretariat  to achieve their vision and mission. Outside of this passion I practice yoga to keep fit, enjoy good conversation, and entertaining people with my guitar and songs.”

Deanna will have formal contact details established early next year. However, she encourages people to contact her on her personal email deanna_aubrey@hotmail.com or + 387 62 807 533if they have any questions or if she can help in anyway.   As for next steps, she will shortly circulate a draft action plan for her new role to gain input and feedback and she looks forward to meeting everyone at the Plenary meeting in Zagreb.

Friday, November 26, 2010 - 14:00
Members of the Steering Committee will meet again on December 15 , 2010.

The meeting will be held via Adobe Connect. The main topics to be disscused are:

  • Plenary Meeting 2011
  • Rules of Operation
  • Secretariat Report
  • Overall Budget PEMPAL 2011 / BCOP
  • Evaluation
  • Community Facilitator