Preparation of a Layperson’s Guide to the Budget Process

The assignment is part of the Protection of Basic Services project. The overall aim of the project is to protect and promote the delivery of basic services by sub-national governments while deepening transparency and local accountability in service delivery. The project has four components: Component 1 on the Basic Services Sub-Program , Component 2 on the Health MDG Performance Facility Sub-Program, Component 3 on Government Systems on Financial Transparency and Accountability Sub-Program delivery and Component 4 on Social Accountability. The preparation of the Preparation of Layperson’s guide to the Public Budget Process is part of Component 3 – Financial Transparency and Accountability.

The main objective of the assignment to significantly improve citizens’ understanding of the public budgeting process (budget formulation, budget expenditure reporting, and audit processes and outputs) at the Regional and Woreda administrative levels. The work to be undertaken requires the following:
1. Preparation of a very simplified, yet accurate, “layperson’s” guide to the public budget process for citizens at the Regional level. The guide should be understandable by the average Regional citizen with minimal assistance. The guide should detail:

• the formal procedures and timelines Regional administrations follow in preparing and finalizing an annual budget and in reporting on expenditures made under that budget;
• the procedures and timeframes followed in transferring budget monies from Federal to Regional administrations; © what opportunities exist for citizens to offer input to the budget preparation process and during what time period this can be done and how; and
• regulations and requirements concerning public disclosure of budget information at the Regional level.

2. Preparation of a very simplified, yet accurate, “layperson’s” guide to the public budget process for citizens at the Woreda level. The guide should be understandable by the average Woreda citizen with minimal assistance. The guide should detail:

• the formal procedures and timelines Woreda administrations follow in preparing and finalizing an annual budget and in reporting on expenditures made under that budget;
• the procedures and timeframes followed in transferring budget monies from Regional to Woreda and from Woreda administrations to point of service delivery;
• process and timeframe governing the allocation, transfer, management, and expenditure of budget resources other than block grant receipts at the Woreda level;
• what opportunities exist for citizens to offer input to the budget preparation process and during what time period this can be done and how; and
• regulations and requirements concerning public disclosure of budget information at the Woreda level.

3. Development of a Plan of Action and a Directive, that explains the Plan of Action, which can be utilized by the Federal government for broad dissemination of the Regional Guide and the Woreda Guide via Regional, Woreda and kebele administration officials and via Regional Council members and Woreda Council members.

4. Development of a Plan of Action for dissemination of the Regional and Woreda guides to interested civil society groups represented at the Federal, Regional and Woreda levels to foster further knowledge of the guides, their content, and their utility, and of the dissemination that is to occur via the BOFEDs, WOFEDs, kebeles and Councils.

5. Submission of a report that explains the process and suggests different supporting information dissemination methods for effective dissemination of the guides, including text that could be used on posters.