Economics, public finance, domestic revenue mobilisation & budget support

1. Practical Information

The course is intended for Commission staff, notably for DG Devco in HQ and Delegation. The course is also open to collegues from the European Institutions, notably DG ECFIN, ELARG, TRADE, ECHO and the EEAS.

For further information, please contact the DEVCO Training Team.

1. Background/Context

In October 2011 the Commission adopted a Communication on 'The Future Approach to EU Budget Support to Third Countries'; this approach was transposed into revised guidelines, mandatory for all Budget Support programmes as of 1.1.2013. These guidelines were updated in September 2017 and entered into force in January 2018. The policy adopted through the Communication presents a number of political and operational aspects, which have to be understood and implemented by staff in Brussels and in Delegations.

1. Objective(s) and Scope of the assignment

The objective of this assignment is the delivery of a series of training events, based on two pre-existing learning paths, over the course of the period September 2019 – February 2020 in Brussels, for DEVCO staff from HQ and Delegations.

Budget support is an aid modality, which is subject to four eligibility criteria relating to (i) macroeconomic policies; (ii) public finance management, including domestic revenue mobilisation; (iii) budget transparency and oversight; (iv) a relevant and credible national or sector policy suitable for budget support. Whatever the sector or policy field they may cover, the design and implementation of budget support programmes always require a background in economics and in public finance. Thus, learning paths for economists (including colleagues with a background in public finance) and colleagues not familiar with economics or public finance have different starting points. An introductory e-learning course exposes the trainee to the basic concepts of budget support. This course is mandatory before attending the residential course, if the trainee has no relevant prior experience with budget support.

Learning path 1 is aimed at colleagues not familiar with economics, public finance and budget support, to gain a functional knowledge of budget support, and covers at minimum:

• Budget Support face-to-face residential course (3 days)
• PFM I - Public Finance Management: Systems and Principles (4.5 days)

This learning path is meant for colleagues such as geographical coordinators for budget support countries or thematic specialists who would be in charge of a sector reform contract but with the support of a budget support specialist. These colleagues need to understand what eligibility entails, how a file should be presented and what topics need to be covered in a policy dialogue. Thematic specialists have to be able to link sector policy to the larger economic context, including public finance management and fiscal policies.

Learning path 2 is aimed at economists and colleagues with a background in public finance, to gain an in-depth knowledge of budget support, and covers at minimum:

• Budget Support face-to-face residential course (3 days)
• MACRO I - Macro for development (3 days)
• MACRO II - Fiscal analysis for development projects, budget support and debt sustainability (2 days)
• PFM II - Public Finance Management Reform (3 days)
• Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) (2 days)
• DRM - Domestic Revenue Mobilisation (3 days)

This learning path is meant for budget support specialists who would manage or coordinate budget support operations and support colleagues. These colleagues would typically be economists having a good understanding of all matters relevant to budget support operations. Budget support specialists may also need trainings on specialized topics and latest policies, which can be organized ad-hoc.

Agenda and Course Materials

pefa_course_-_agenda.pdf