What does the latest Open Budget Survey data mean for OGP partners?

The International Budget Partnership (IBP) recently released a fresh set of data with important updates on budget transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More practices in 102 countries.

The update is particularly relevant to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) community because it covers 50 OGP countries. Fiscal transparency has always been an important focus of the OGP and country eligibility criteria include timely publication of essential budget documents, as measured by IBP’s Open Budget Survey. Budget transparency issues are frequently included in the commitments that OGP governments make in their National Action Plans.

The update presents data on whether the governments included had published eight key budget documents on their website in a timely manner as per international standards. Documents not meeting these standards are further categorized into those that are produced for government’s internal use only, those that are not produced at all, and those that are published late or in hard copy formats only (reflecting that growing consensus that government data should be published in formats that are widely accessible). 

The update tracks changes in transparency practices up to 30 April 2016 against the Open Budget Survey 2015 findings:

• More than half the countries (56 of 102 countries, including 22 OGP countries) changed their budget disclosure practices. 
• Sixteen countries, including seven OGP countries (Albania, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and Ukraine) improved budget transparency by publishing one or more budget documents that they previously did not publish.
• Twenty-six countries, including 13 OGP countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Honduras, Malawi, Mongolia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Turkey), fell back, now publishing fewer budget documents.    
• Fifteen countries, including two OGP countries (Liberia and Papua New Guinea) published one or more budget documents that they were not publishing previously but offset those gains by not publishing budget documents that they were publishing previously.

There are at least three reasons why the IBP update is important to the OGP community. First, the data confirm a broader trend documented by IBP on volatility in government budget transparency practices. Improvements in budget transparency are often followed by regressions in subsequent years. By tracking trends in document disclosure over time, open government champions can identify where they should focus efforts, including encouraging governments to sustain their transparency practices.

Second, the data show that more governments are publishing Citizens Budgets —simplified summaries of technical budget reports issued in languages and through media that are widely accessible. The publication of Citizens Budgets can be a springboard for introducing deeper reforms that enable citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More in budgeting – an issue that can be promoted by OGP.

Finally, the IBP update identifies practical issues that OGP members can address in their next National Action Plans as commitments to improve open government. Earlier this year, IBP and civil society partners in OGP countries that were developing their plans encouraged governments to include budget transparency commitments. For example, in Sierra Leone the Budget Advocacy Network worked with the government to include the commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... “[t]o make budget data (Pre-Budget Statement and Mid-Year Report), Parliament Audit Committee Reports and taxPlacing transparency, accountability, and participation at the center of tax policy can ensure that burdens are distributed equitably across society. Technical specifications: Commitments related to c... exemptions publicly available and increase citizen participation in the budget process.”

Governments have until the end of December 2016 to take meaningful steps to improve budget transparency and accountability in their countries and thus improve their Open Budget Survey 2017 results, including their Open Budget Index 2017 scores. And, this update can help guide such transparency reforms.

IBP is adding 13 countries in the Open Budget Survey 2017, including five OGP countries (Australia, Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, Moldova, and Paraguay). Watch for our next update on budget transparency in spring 2017, when we will provide data on all 115 countries that are part of the Open Budget Survey!