Participatory Budgeting (TN0044)

Applying a participatory approach in the State Budget drafting process
Beginning of October 2018 – End of August 2020
Lead implementing agency/actor
Ministry of Finance
Commitment description
The participatory approach has become a working methodology allowing preparing and follow-up several public projects such as drafting the budget project by public institutions. Particularly the experience was adopted at the local level by several municipalities that elaborate their budgets based on periodic meetings arranged with citizens and civil society representatives to consult them about projects that could be included within the budget draft according to Article 29 of the code of local authorities. To further reinforce this participatory approach in the budget drafting process, this commitment aims at establishing new mechanisms to apply this concept and to render citizens an active partner in determining the main axes and general orientations of the state budget, from the launching of its preparation process.
Therefore, this commitment will enable the establishment of new mechanisms or the implementation of existing ones such as :
- Activating the work of the joint committee for financial transparency created at the Ministry of Finance
according the decision of Minister of Finance dated March 1st, 2013;
- Following-up the publication of the audit reports;
- Publication of the organic law on the budget.
Problem/Background
Existing mechanisms currently adopted in Tunisia to involve citizens in budget elaboration remain insufficient and limited. Thus, citizens and civil society still require other mechanisms to enable them to contribute to State budget drafting and to the establishment of visions and strategic focus of this budget from the beginning of the preparation process. Conse- quently, this commitment will enable the establishment of such mecha- nisms following a participatory approach and through activating the role of the joint committee for financial transparency created in 2013 at the Ministry of Finance. This committee will establish a new vision for the related field and support its implementation as an active partner, alongside relevant officials of the Ministry of Finance and other stakeholders.
Identification of commitment objectives/expected results
- Establishment of efficient mechanisms to draft the State budget according to a participatory approach.
How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem?
- Providing practical and easy mechanisms that allow citizens to submit proposals and ideas concerning the State budget and to monitor the budget drafting process.
Relevance with OGP values
Participation: providing a practical and effective framework for listening and exchange of ideas with citizens and civil society concerning the State budget as well as enhancing their capacities to determine options for potential inclusion in the budget. Source of funding/
Relation with other programs and policies
Source of funding: State Budget
Steps and execution agenda
Beginning of October 2018
End of October 2018
Contact Information
Name of the responsible person from implementing agency
Mrs. Ibtissem Ben Algia
Title and Department
Director at the Ministry of Finance
E-mail address
Ibalgia@finances.tn

Other Actors involved
State actors involved
CSOs, private sector, multilaterals, working groups
Associations represented in the joint committee for financial transparency estab- lished in the Ministry of Finance

9. Applying a participatory approach in the State Budget drafting process

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:

"The participatory approach has become a working methodology allowing preparing and follow-up several public projects such as drafting the budget project by public institutions. Particularly the experience was adopted at the local level by several municipalities that elaborate their budgets based on periodic meetings arranged with citizens and civil society representatives to consult them about projects that could be included within the budget draft according to Article 29 of the code of local authorities. To further reinforce this participatory approach in the budget drafting process, this commitment aims at establishing new mechanisms to apply this concept and to render citizens an active partner in determining the main axes and general orientations of the state budget, from the launching of its preparation process.

Therefore, this commitment will enable the establishment of new mechanisms or the implementation of existing ones such as activating the work of the joint committee for financial transparency created at the Ministry of Finance according the decision of Minister of Finance dated March 1st, 2013."

Milestones:

- Activating the work of the joint committee for financial transparency created at the Ministry of Finance according the decision of Minister of Finance dated March 1^st, 2013;

- Following-up the publication of the audit reports;

- Publication of the organic law on the budget.

Responsible institution: Ministry of Finance

Supporting institution(s): Associations represented in the joint committee for financial transparency established in the Ministry of Finance

Start date: October 2018                               End date: August 2020

Editorial Note: This is a partial version of the commitment text. For the full commitment text from the Tunisia national action plan, see here.

Context and Objectives

This commitment aims to apply a participatory approach to the state’s budget drafting process. Its first milestone plans to reactivate the joint committee for financial transparency, formed in 2013. This committee of CSO and government representatives was tasked with supporting and accompanying the endeavors of the ministry of finance to ensure compliance with fiscal transparency and participation requirements, and to submit the proposals and recommendations that it considers appropriate in this regard. The committee’s mandate includes promoting civil society consultation, preparing the citizen’s budget, as well as monitoring the publication of budgets and data on the budgetary implementation of revenue and expenditure operations. ^[40] The commitment’s second milestone is about the publication of an audit report. However, it does not provide sufficient information about the related sector where audit is conducted and it also does not specify the timeline when this audit must be carried out and delivered. The third milestone intends to publish the organic law on budget. ^[41] Overall, this commitment is specific enough to be verifiable.

The commitment is relevant to the OGP value of access to information, since it includes a milestone on publication of the audit and budget law. The commitment is also relevant to the OGP value of civic participation, as the mandate of the joint committee for financial transparency indicates that the committee should engage CSOs in the decision-making process in the area of public finance.

This commitment could offer significant progress on enhancing public participation in the budget process. Sources indicate that the inactivity of the joint committee has been a challenge. The website of the ministry of finance published the minutes of the committee’s meetings, but the last published meeting was in January 2016. ^[42] Under this commitment, reactivating the committee would represent a significant step towards giving the public an effective platform to voice opinions on transparency in public finance and other budgetary issues. However, beyond the committee, this commitment does not provide significant opportunities for citizens to participate actively in decision making and budget monitoring, or offer strong, independent, institutionalized oversight. Additionally, publication of the audit report and the law on budget are important steps toward making the budget process more transparent. Improving the audit process and the quality of audit report in Tunisia has been identified as a significant need by donors such as the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). ^[43] However, the commitment’s scope is limited by its intention to publish only one audit report.

Next Steps
Ongoing efforts in this policy area can include strengthening the joint committee through the following measures:

• To institutionalize the joint committee and revise its composition as well as its responsibilities and operating procedures;
• To ensure a clear and precise agenda focused on priority themes;
• To make the structure and leadership of the committee more representative and inclusive and committee to be co-chaired with civil society representation;
• To establish the necessary mechanisms to allow input from the general public.

In future action plans, commitments can also improve the audit process on a wider scale. The International Budgetary Partnership recommends publishing the audit report online in a timely manner, ensuring its review by an independent agency, and providing opportunities for the public assist in developing the audit program, contribute to audit investigations, and testify during parliamentary hearings. ^[44]

9. Applying a participatory approach in the State Budget drafting process

Limited:

The IRM researcher could not establish whether the joint committee for financial transparency, created at the Ministry of Finance, has been reactivated. The ministry’s website contains minutes of meetings of the joint committee up to 2016. [74] Hence, there is no evidence available for the implementation of the first milestone. In turn, even though the other two milestones saw significant progress, the overall level of completion is limited. The Court of Auditors published an audit of the 2017 state budget in June 2019 [75] and an audit of the 2018 state budget. [76] The Parliament and President of the Republic adopted and published in early 2019 Organic Law No. 2019-15, related to the Organic Law of the State Budget. [77]