1. The Phases of Public Financial
Management Reform
David Nummy, Executive Director, Grant Thornton
FreeBalance International Steering Committee
Cascais, Portugal
January 30, 2008
2. Current PFM Reforms
Initiation
• Started in the early 1990s
• Collapse of communism
• Over 20 countries need to transition from
command economy to market economy
3. Current PFM Reforms
Influence of IFIs
• Coincides with predominant view that
macroeconomic stability is paramount
• IMF need to grasp national accounts to support
monetary stability
• World Bank determines lack of basic governance
expertise is more urgent than traditional
development focus
4. Current PFM Reforms
• Focus on PFM and resources available to support
reform efforts draws expertise
• Focus on PFM moves outside of eastern Europe
and FSU
• Over 15 Years, a pattern of phases of PFM reform
has evolved in numerous countries
5. A Series of Questions Evolve
Phase 1 -- How much money are we spending?
Phase 2 -- What are we spending money on?
Phase 3 -- Why are we spending money?
Phase 4 -- How are we spending money?
6. Phase 1 – How Much Money Are We Spending?
• Single Account Treasury
• Unified budget
• Eliminate extra-budgetary accounts
• Customs and tax
• Organic budget Law
• Commitment accounting
7. Phase 2 – What Are We Spending On
• Unified accounting classification
• Unified chart of accounts
• Accounting standards
• FMIS
8. Phase 2 – What Are We Spending On
• Macro-economic forecasting
• Multi-year budgeting
• Cash management
• Debt management
• MTEF
• Auditing
9. Phase 3 – Why Are We Spending This Money
• Program definition
• Further refinement of chart of accounts
• Development of analytical capacity
• Greater explanation of spending in public
documents
• Performance budgeting
• Decentralization
10. Phase 4 – How Are We Spending Money
• Procurement
• Civil Service Reform
• Human Resource Management
• Budget Support
11. Most Difficult Challenges to Overcome
• Resistance to closing Ministry bank accounts
• Donors inability to provide timely and usable
information on their activities
• Getting beyond cash rationing
• Performance measures