|
Budget Advocacy
Monitoring
earthquake budgets in NWFP is
the focus of the first 18-month
pilot phase of the Foundation’s
five-year programme: “Putting
Money Where the Needs Are:
Matching Money with People’s
Priorities.” Initiated in
January 2007, this programme
supports “demand side” budget
work and enables citizens (a) to
identify their needs and express
them in village-based, union
council and district action
plans, (b) to engage with
decision-makers and examine the
extent to which these needs are
catered for in standard
government budgets and budgets
for earthquake relief, (c) to
monitor the implementation of
the provided budgets and
associated activities, and (d)
to negotiate for better
inclusion of identified needs in
future budgets as well as for
changes in policy and
implementation of related
budgets so that they more
adequately meet identified
needs. The programme is
supported by International
Budget Project, the Open Society
Institute, and the Civil Society
Budget Initiative. This includes
technical assistance from Ms.
Debbie Budlender who has
extensive experience in budget
advocacy.
In its 18-month
pilot phase beginning in January
2007, the following are key
programme updates:
Village
Rehabilitation Action Plans (V-RAPs):
In 22 villages of District
Abbottabad, local activists
trained and supported by the
Foundation have facilitated
analysis, dialogue and prepared
a V-RAP for their village. It
provides an analyzed list of
priority needs and wants of
local women and men living in
the village. Special focus has
been given to including the
marginalized in this process.
The same process has been
initiated in Districts Mansehra
and Battagram.
Citizen Report
Cards:
In 51 Union Councils across
District Abbottabad data on
public perceptions on
devastation and budget priority
has been collected in the form
of Citizen Report Cards. The
data has been compiled and
analysed .It forms an integral
part of the budget advocacy
work.
Analyzing
Government Priorities:
Government rehabilitation
plans and allocations have
been analyzed. Dr. Kaiser
Bengali has worked with the
Foundation on this aspect of
the project. It gives a
comparison of government
allocations and compares them
with citizen priorities
expressed through the V-RAPs
and the Citizen Report Cards.
The work has also compared the
devastation caused in the
district and the union council
wise allocations in the Annual
Work Plan.
More Programme Highlights
 |
