In the concluding decade of the 20th century Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia all underwent democratic or constitutional renewal, raising expectations of increased transparency, accountability and participation in public budgeting, stepping stones towards reduced corruption and improved spending outcomes. This book assesses the progress made against a systematic framework of internationally accepted standards. Each of the country chapters looks at transparency through the eyes of the ordinary citizen and the legislatures and asks what information they would need to assess the link between policy priorities, spending and services. Therefore while the study poses the standard codified questions on the availability, accuracy, timeliness and usefulness of information, it asks them with one yardstick in mind: is the information adequate to enable meaningful participation of citizens. In addition it asks a series of questions about participation itself. The assessments were done by in-country non-governmental organisations over a two-year period and as such offer a rich understanding of the technical and political obstacles to open management of the public purse.These and other cross-country implications of the study are captured in a synthesis chapter.

This study is the product of a comparative research project examining government transparency and civil participation in nine African countries. The project involved civil society organisations in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia, working in liaison with the Africa Budget Project of IDASA's Budget Information Service in South Africa.

This paper discusses key findings of the Fiscal Transparency Evaluation of Kenya. Since 2010, the Treasury has made important changes in Kenya’s public financial management framework, the impact of which can clearly be seen in its performance against the Fiscal Transparency Code. The prospects for quick improvements in the fiscal reporting area are clearly within the grasp of the National Treasury. Fiscal forecasting and budgeting practices are generally in line with good practice under the Fiscal Transparency Code, reflecting more than a decade of experience with medium-term budgeting and preparing and presenting macro frameworks.

The IMF’s Fiscal Transparency Code is the international standard for disclosure of information about public finances and is the centerpiece of the global architecture on fiscal transparency. The Fiscal Transparency Handbook (2018) provides detailed guidance on the implementation of the new Fiscal Transparency Code, which was approved by the IMF Board in 2014. It explains why each principle of the Code is important and describes current trends in implementation of the principles, noting relevant international standards as well. Selected country examples are also provided.

Explicates political economy factors that have brought about greater transparency and participation in budget settings across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This title presents the strategies, policies, and institutions through which improvements can occur and produce change in policy and institutional outcomes.

Public Budgeting in African Nations aims to provide usable budgeting and fiscal policy management information to development practitioners interested in improving the performance of governments in the context of good governance. It shares regional and cross-cultural experiences with international audiences and gives reflective attention to comparative budgeting and fiscal policy management. With a promising economic and fiscal forecast, such information is timely for international development practitioners and for scholars and researchers interested in advancing development management. This book adopts an interdisciplinary/pragmatic approach to analyze and present research findings on public budgeting as a sustainable development tool. The central argument is that development practice will benefit from a bottom-up, decentralized approach to budgeting and fiscal policy management, involving national, sub-national, and civil society institutions. From this perspective, a balanced budget should draw from and reflect values and priorities across the full spectrum of social and political life.