Open Budget Survey 2017

Open Budget Survey 2017

by | Jan 31, 2018

January 2018 | by International Budget Partnership

The International Budget Partnership’s Open Budget Survey (OBS) is the world’s only independent, comparative assessment of the three pillars of public budget accountability: transparency, oversight and public participation. The Open Budget Survey 2017 evaluated 115 countries across six continents, adding 13 new countries to the survey since the last round in 2015. Independent researchers in each country evaluated:

  • Budget transparency: the amount, level of detail, and timeliness of budget information governments are making publicly available. Countries are given a score between 0 and 100 that determines their ranking on the Open Budget Index. After 10 years of steady progress by countries, the 2017 survey shows a modest decline in average global budget transparency scores, from 45 in 2015 to 43 in 2017 for the 102 countries that were surveyed in both rounds.
  • Budget participation: the opportunities governments provide to civil society and the general public to engage in decisions about how public resources are raised and spent. The 2017 survey revealed that most countries fail to provide meaningful opportunities for the public to participate in the budget process.
  • Budget oversight: the capacity and authority of formal institutions (such as legislatures and supreme audit institutions) to understand and influence how public resources are being raised and spent. The 2017 survey found that only 32 countries’ legislatures (28 percent) have adequate oversight practices.

Jump to: Full Reports | Open Budget Index Rankings | Executive Summaries | Key Findings | Country Summaries | Infographic | Methodology | Questionnaire and Guidelines | Datasets | Other Resources

Full Reports

The Open Budget Survey 2017 full report is the most comprehensive resource available on the findings and recommendations of this global assessment of budget transparency, participation, and oversight. It includes detailed information on the key findings, country rankings, research methodology, and more.

Open Budget Index Rankings

The Open Budget Index is the world’s only independent and comparative measure of budget transparency. The Open Budget Index scores each country from 0 to 100, based on the average responses to the 109 indicators the Open Budget Survey uses to measure budget transparency. These indicators are used to assess whether the central government makes eight key budget documents available to the public in a timely manner and whether the information contained in these documents is comprehensive and useful.

Executive Summaries

Adapted from the complete report of the Open Budget Survey 2017, the executive summary brings together the survey’s global findings with recommendations for governments, and civil society, and donors to improve budget transparency, participation, and oversight in budget processes around the world.

Key Findings

This short summary focuses on key findings from the Open Budget Survey 2017.

Country Summaries

Country Summaries

Individual Open Budget Survey country summaries are available for download on each country’s results page.

Infographic

Key findings from the Open Budget Survey 2017, visualized.

Methodology

Learn more about the research methodology used for the Open Budget Survey 2017.

Questionnaires & Questionnaire Guidelines

The results for each country in the Open Budget Survey 2017 are based on a questionnaire, comprising 145 scored questions, that is completed by independent researchers typically based in the country surveyed. Almost all of the researchers responsible for completing the questionnaire are from academic institutions or civil society organizations that have a common interest in promoting transparent and responsive budgeting practices in their countries.

Datasets
Media Resources

Related

Full reports, rankings, and other publications from previous rounds of the Open Budget Survey can be found at the links below:

Open Budget Survey 2017 Guide and Questionnaire – English

Open Budget Survey 2017 Guide and Questionnaire – English

by | Aug 31, 2016

August 2016 | by International Budget Partnership

The Open Budget Survey 2017 questionnaire and guidelines are currently being used by researchers to complete the 2017 Open Budget Survey, the results of which will be released in late 2017. Compared to the Open Budget Survey 2015, the 2017 version of the questionnaire includes revisions on sections 1, 4, and 5. Since IBP has not yet decided whether to include all of the indicators in the calculation of the country scores, this questionnaire should only be used as a reference for the collection of information on budget transparency, public participation and role and effectiveness of oversight.

Downloads

Open Budget Survey 2017 Guide and Questionnaire – English

Open Budget Survey 2017 Guide and Questionnaire – Spanish

by | Aug 31, 2016

August 2016 | by International Budget Partnership

The Open Budget Survey 2017 questionnaire and guidelines (Spanish) are currently being used by researchers to complete the 2017 Open Budget Survey, the results of which will be released in late 2017. Compared to the Open Budget Survey 2015, the 2017 version of the questionnaire includes revisions on sections 1, 4, and 5. Since IBP has not yet decided whether to include all of the indicators in the calculation of the country scores, this questionnaire should only be used as a reference for the collection of information on budget transparency, public participation and role and effectiveness of oversight.

Downloads

Open Budget Survey 2017 Guide and Questionnaire – English

Open Budget Survey 2017 Guide and Questionnaire – French

by | Aug 31, 2016

August 2016 | by International Budget Partnership

The Open Budget Survey 2017 questionnaire and guidelines (French) are currently being used by researchers to complete the 2017 Open Budget Survey, the results of which will be released in late 2017. Compared to the Open Budget Survey 2015, the 2017 version of the questionnaire includes revisions on sections 1, 4, and 5. Since IBP has not yet decided whether to include all of the indicators in the calculation of the country scores, this questionnaire should only be used as a reference for the collection of information on budget transparency, public participation and role and effectiveness of oversight.

Downloads

Open Budget Survey Guidelines on the Public Availability of Budget Documents

Open Budget Survey Guidelines on the Public Availability of Budget Documents

by | Aug 26, 2016

August 2016 | by International Budget Partnership

Guidelines on the public availability of budget documentsInternational good practice on public financial management recommends that governments produce eight key budget documents throughout the budget process.

To be considered publicly available and accepted by the Open Budget Survey, these documents must meet a set of minimum standards on content, availability, and timeliness.

This guide provides direction and additional resources to determine the public availability of the eight key budget documents evaluated in the Open Budget Survey. It also helps in identifying which fiscal years should be included in the Open Budget Survey 2017.

Downloads

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