Public financial management reform in the Middle East and North Africa : an overview of regional experience

PART I: OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY; Executive Summary; Introduction; MENA PFM Practices Compared Against Global Averages; Figures; Figure 1. MENA PEFA Averages Compared to Global PEFA Averages for Comparable Lower-Middle-Income Economies; The Substantive Reform Agenda; Figure 2. Reforms at Different Stages of the Budget Cycle; Implementing Public Financial Management Reforms in MENA: An Emerging Set of Promising Practices?; Tables; Table 1. Breakdown of Successful and Challenging PFM Reforms in MENA; Boxes. Box 1. Ten Principles of Implementation for PFM Reforms in MENA1. Introduction: Public Financial Management Reform in MENA and Beyond; The Importance of Public Financial Management; Beyond MENA: The Lessons from Global Experience; What Is "MENA"? Selecting the Economies for This Study; Table 1.1. Basic Statistics on MENA Economies Selected for PFM Analysis; Using the PEFA Ranking to Evaluate PFM in MENA; Table 1.2. PEFA Scores for the MENA Economies in the Study; Where MENA Has Ranked Consistently Higher. Figure 1.1. MENA PEFA Averages Compared to Global PEFA Averages for Comparable Lower-Middle-Income EconomiesWhere MENA Has Ranked Consistently Lower; MENA Economy Templates and Case Studies on PFM Reform; 2. The Substance of Public Financial Management Reform: What Reforms Are Needed and Which Are Working?; Strategic Budgeting; Figure 2.1. Reforms at Different Stages of the Budget Cycle; Table 2.1. Relevant PEFA Scores for Strategic Budgeting; Budget Preparation; Table 2.2. Relevant PEFA Scores for Budget Preparation; Resource Management. Table 2.3. Relevant PEFA Scores for Resource ManagementInternal Control and Audit; Table 2.4. Relevant PEFA Scores for Scope of Budget; Accounting and Reporting; Table 2.5. Relevant PEFA Scores for Accounting and Reporting; External Accountability; Table 2.6. Relevant PEFA Scores for External Accountability; 3. Implementing Reforms in Public Financial Management: An Emerging Set of Promising Practices in MENA?; How Important Is Implementation to the Success of MENA's PFM Reforms?; Table 3.1. Breakdown of Successful and Challenging PFM Reforms in MENA. Lesson 1: Know the Value--and Limitations--of Political Economy AnalysisBox 3.1. Ten Principles of Implementation for PFM Reforms in MENA; Lesson 2: PFM Reform as Means and Not Ends; Lesson 3: Context Matters, So Swim with the Current; Lesson 4: The Wisdom of "Muddling Through"--Grand Strategy versus Incremental Change; Lesson 5: Establish Basic Systems before Contemplating More Advanced Reforms; Lesson 6: When Possible, Keep Reforms Quick, Simple and Mutually Reinforcing; Lesson 7: Be Wary of Large Financial Management Information Systems; Box 3.2. History of the Iraq IFMIS System