Energising & Empowering Civil Society Engagement with Public Budgets and Expenditure in Southern Africa

Centre for Economic Governance and AIDS in AfricaOpen Governance Partnership – 12 July 11

CEGAA is an NPO that empowers citizens and civil society structures to engage with their governments’ budget and expenditure with regards to HIV/AIDS, health and other development issues, and to monitor the outputs of the spending – ie. The quality of services rendered, at the community level.

In South Africa CEGAA also undertakes budget monitoring, costing, expenditure tracking and training of public officials in budgeting & financial information systems.

Tools we support partners to use• Budget analysis & expenditure tracking tools• Citizen Report Card• Citizen Satisfaction Survey• Public hearing and accountability forums with

citizens and public officials• HIV/AIDS expenditure tracking software

(UNAIDS: Resource Tracking Software)• Excel - presentation of impactful findings• Training for public officials in costing, budgeting,

financial management, improving financial information systems

NANGO and members of the Zimbabwean Budget Coalition are trained in analysing their government’s budget

The Zimbabwe Budget Coalition work on developing community monitoring tools of various services

In Zimbabwe, members of the Community Working Group on Health engage the Ministry of Health on issues of access to health services

Zimbabweans demand their right to health.

In South Africa, the ART patients reported long queues for their drugs

TAC & CEGAA present the evidence at public hearings in SA

Public Hearing in SA – officials listen to the people

CEGAA’s assessment of total spending on HIV/AIDS and TB in SADC countries

CEGAA’s assessment of the per capita HIV/AIDS spending by region/ area can identify issues of equity and efficiency in delivery

CEGAA’s comparison of regional HIV prevention spending – assists countries determine if they are targeting effective prevention interventions

CEGAA examined the cost drivers and efficiency of the delivery of ART by region -variations showing need for improved efficiency

In forward projecting the impact & costs of an expanded response to HIV/AIDS in South Africa, CEGAA found a potential funding shortfall – data which should mobilise govt & donors & business sector to collaborate more transparently in the future development of their new Strategic Plan and resource mobilisation

Projecting the impact of expanded spending on HIV incidence

Projecting the costs of an expanded response to HIV in SA

Estimating the Funding Gap – Mobilising Resources

Requirements for Civil Society engagement• Online access to timely budgetary and expenditure data, linked to

performance indicators. e.g. South Africa OBI rating & People’s Budget• All development partners giving funds to Africa should declare and

align their intentions, spending & longer-term commitments with the national priorities.

• District level budget/ development committees, involving citizens and public officials – to determine their district’s needs, set priorities, budget for these, and monitor spending on them.

• HIV/AIDS multi-sectoral co-ordinating structures with political power & commitment, to which all actors must report regularly - activities and spending.

• Innovative technology can transform citizens’ access to information – but key is the individual’s experience for their motivation for involvement

Enhanced Budget Monitoring and Expenditure Tracking• Empowers citizens to understand what their governments are

doing with public funds• Helps them identify the key challenges with the financial

information systems, which are limiting sound economic governance

• So as to demand increases in efficient spending• Also to call for improved financial data systems that will enhance

transparency and accountability• It is not enough for citizens to be empowered with these tools –

government officials responsible for priority setting, costing, budgeting, and spending according to plan require skills and enhanced financial information systems, esp. at local levels

• All partners need to be transparent and accountable for their activities and spending, especially development partners

South African Efforts• Public Finance Management Act – governs all levels of public finance• Presidential Hotline where public can lodge their complaints about

service delivery• Know Your Service Rights Campaign, launched 2007• Integrated Financial Management System being developed• Operation Clean Audit 2014 – all municipalities & provincial depts

have achieved clean audits of their financial statements• Financial Management Capability Maturity Model – to ass capacity of

public institutions• Money Bills Amendment Procedure Act (2009) – Allows Parliament to

hold govt accountable, to interrogate their deployment of resources, & gives them power to amend the budget

• Integrated Development Plans at district level engaging communities• National key performance areas (KPAs) for local govt and all Ministers

sign collaborative Delivery Agreements• National Framework for Ward Funding• Municipal Infrastructure Grants• Local Economic Development Plans

Thank You• For further information, contact:• Nhlanhla Ndlovu or Teresa Guthrie• CEGAA• nhlanhla@cegaa.org teresa@cegaa.org • Tel: +27-21-425-2852• www.cegaa.org