Improving quality and quantity of public spending

Budget analysis and advocacy are critical tools for ensuring progressive realization of human rights, advocating alternative policy choices and prioritization, and ultimately for strengthening the accountability of duty-bearers in the fulfilment of their obligations. In view of this, parliament, with technical and financial assistance from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and NANGO organised a capacity building workshop for committee secretariat and the Parliament Budget Office (PBO) whose objective is to equip participants with budget analysis and advocacy techniques which they can use to support their respective portfolio and thematic committees. The workshop was held pursuant to output 1.1 on Increased Budget Transparency and Openness for Zimbabwe of the adopted cooperation framework between parliament and UNICEF.  The two-day workshop was held on 15 and 16 August 2018 in Kwekwe.  31 participants comprising of 14 committee clerks, five researchers, five PBO staff, two parliament management representatives (assistant clerk and principal director finance), two NANGO representatives, one director from Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and 1 protocol officer attended the workshop.

The primary objective of budget analysis was to ascertain progress, challenges and opportunities for improving the quality and quantity of public spending. It generates the evidence required to engage effectively with policy and budget makers and is also a tool for various advocacy strategies. In view of this, the capacity building workshop on Budget Analysis and Advocacy was convened with the following objectives in mind: to equip participants with skills for budget tracking and analysis; to foster an understanding of the budgeting process in Zimbabwe, main actors and policy making process in relation to the budget; to outline the existing legal/policy framework guiding budget process; to foster understanding of the common approaches in budget tracking and advocacy techniques; and to develop Action Plan on budget tracking and advocacy so as to entrench and sustain accountability work.

Key points

• In budget analysis, there is need to broaden the scope of analysis to the efficiency of expenditure rather than just focusing on relative amounts. Focus of budgets analysis should therefore be on efficiency, effectiveness and equality rather than figures.
• In order to get meaningful output parliament and civil society should have concerted efforts towards raising public awareness on the budget before undertaking public hearings especially on technical issues like gender and child friendly budgeting.
• Committees of parliament should prioritise high impact expenditure priorities in the wake of competing needs.
• Parliament must monitor line ministries’ performance through quarterly and annual reports so as to improve efficiency and effectiveness. In that regard, allocations must match results hence budget bids must be supported by performance justifications.
• Budget analysis should also focus on the effectiveness and efficiency of development partner support so as to get a holistic picture.
• Budget analysis work must be evidence based hence there is need to back recommendations and policy proposals with evidence rather than just rhetoric.
• Parliament must build alliances with CSOs, business, academia in order to enhance access to information.
• Public funds should be allocated on the basis of evidence of program effectiveness and in furtherance of the priorities of government.
• During budget execution, adherence to the budget by line ministries ensures that government keeps track of set macro and fiscal targets.
• Effective legislative participation in the budget process establishes checks and balances that are crucial in a transparent and accountable government thus ensuring efficient delivery of public services.
• Effective budget advocacy should combine two key elements; (i) budget analysis which is the capacity to secure budget information, analyze it, and explain its implications in clear and compelling ways and (ii) strategic advocacy which is the ability to get the word out about a campaign, mobilising the public and reaching out to policymakers and other stakeholders.

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