From the Open Budgets Blog
Mexico’s Budgeting for Sustainable Development
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the centerpiece of the 2030 Development Agenda — the next phase of the global effort to address human and economic development challenges. Of course, success on achieving the SDGs will be determined in countries. To gain a clear picture of how Mexico’s current investments and development plans align with the SDGs, its SDG Specialized Technical Committee teamed up with the United Nations Development Programme to more effectively link the budget with the 2030 Agenda.
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The Rise of the Activist Auditor
Supreme audit institutions (SAIs) are mandated with checking whether public funds are being managed properly, but their findings seldom receive the level of popular scrutiny they deserve. Fortunately, SAIs are increasingly recognizing the need to engage with citizens, which has the potential to transform the way in which the public views their work — and their impact on accountability.
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Participatory Budgeting: Democracy in Action
Participatory budgeting is the process by which citizens deliberate and negotiate directly the distribution of public resources. This post outlines the state of participatory budgeting in 2017 and the many opportunities that exist to evolve the practice.
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New IBP Publications
Building Power, Demanding Justice: The Story of Budget Work in the Social Justice Coalition’s Campaign for Decent Sanitation
In this account and reflection, former Social Justice Coalition Deputy General Secretary Dustin Kramer discusses the use of budget work within a mass-based campaign for decent sanitation in informal settlements in South Africa, how the campaign unfolded, and the lessons learned.
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Taking Stock of the Volatility of Budget Transparency
“Volatility” in the publication of budget documents — when the public availability of documents containing key budget information changes repeatedly over time — is a common occurrence across countries included in the Open Budget Survey. To better understand the extent of the volatility problem and some of its possible causes, this Budget Brief looks at how budget transparency has changed over time and at characteristics of the countries most affected.
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Further Reading From the Field
- Budget Transparency Toolkit (OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
- The Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index: A New Global Ranking of Governments Based on What They are Doing to Tackle the Gap Between Rich and Poor (Oxfam Policy & Practice)
- Budget Oversight and Accountability in Nigeria: What Incentivizes Digital and Non-Digital Citizens to Engage? (Making All Voices Count)
- Open Up Guide: Using Open Data to Combat Corruption (Open Data Charter)
Deliberating Budgets in Kenya: Tools and Examples
Public budgets primarily represent the often difficult choices between spending scare public funds on some things but not others. “Budget deliberation” is an approach to public engagement with budgets that emphasizes the importance of giving and debating reasons for these types of budget trade-offs. IBP Kenya has been investigating what this concept would look like in practice by organizing demonstration sessions in three Kenya counties.
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Job Announcements
View current job openings at the International Budget Partnership here.