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Testimonial

"I attended a program organized and carried out by professionals with years of field experience in developing as well as developed countries. Staying with these highly qualified personalities for three weeks, and having the opportunity to hear their points of view about budgets in our countries remain the most valuable benefits I received during my stay at Duke. I came back home with the skills the Planning and Budget offices were waiting for: a comparative view on the different budgeting systems, and a system for designing a medium-term expenditure framework for Mali."

Dr. Nouhoum Ganaba
Economist at the German Technical Cooperation, Mali
Budgeting and Financial Management in the Public Sector, 2003

Budgeting and Financial Management in the Public Sector

The Program

The Duke Center for International Development (DCID) will conduct the program on Budgeting and Financial Management in the Public Sector (BUDGET) at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, U.S., July 22 – August 10, 2012. The three-week program is organized around four modules—budget and the national economy, budget processes and frameworks, budgeting and financial management techniques, and public sector reform. The program is a combination of theoretical concepts and techniques, and practical applications based on experience in the field.

Download a 2012 Budgeting and Financial Management in the Public Sector training course brochure

Budgeting and financial management have been at the core of economic, financial management, and public sector reform programs in most nations around the world. These have also been the principal instruments of transformation and restructuring of the public sector in several countries. With the growing pressures for enhanced service delivery and the challenges of budgetary crises and fiscal shocks, the need for improved budget processes and innovative financial management techniques is increasingly felt in developing and emerging economies.

The training workshop on Budgeting and Financial Management in the Public Sector was formerly offered at the Harvard Institute for International Development by the Public Finance Group (PFG). The professionals in the group have been involved in some of the best-known fiscal and budgetary reforms around the world and have a combined experience of more than 50 years of research and advisory work in this field.

The PFG and the program moved to DCID at Duke University in 2001. Drawing upon the practical experiences and expertise of the group, DCID offers this unique program focusing on the various aspects of budgeting and different instruments of financial management in the public sector. The program will be in its tenth year at Duke University in 2012.

• The inter-relationship between the government budget and the national economy
• Alternative conceptual approaches to resource allocation and budget formulation
• Analytical techniques and tools such as cost-benefit analysis of projects and programs, revenue forecasting, costing of public services, input, output, and outcome-oriented budgeting techniques
• The role of improved and novel budget processes in enhancing the efficiency of public expenditures
• Evolving approaches to control and management of public expenditures
• Issues and challenges in promoting budget and financial reform
• Budgetary aspects of fiscal decentralization

The study method is a combination of class lectures, case study presentations, discussion and negotiation sessions, individual assignments, and hands-on computer exercises. In addition, you are expected to complete a major case study related to the budgeting process directly applicable to your country or organization. It is recommended that you have a basic understanding of personal computers, spreadsheets, and word processing. During the program, you will have the use of a laptop computer and access to the internet and the university network resources. The program is conducted in English.

• Budget and macro-economy
• Financial programming
• Public finance and economic growth
• Financing the budget and budget deficits
• Revenue forecasting techniques
• Management and organization of budget processes
• Alternative budget frameworks including MTEF (medium-term expenditure framework)
• Input-control and output-oriented performance or results-based budgeting techniques
• Balanced scorecard approaches to budgeting and management
• Budget as an instrument of managerial performance
• Negotiation techniques and conflict resolution
• Capital budgeting, cost-benefit, and cost effectiveness analyses
• Budgeting and poverty reduction strategies
• Debt management
• Role, budgeting, and management of foreign aid
• Fiscal aspects of external and domestic debt management
• Fiscal decentralization and budgeting
• Indicators of budget policy, institutions, and processes
• Fiscal transparency standards and assessment
• Monitoring and evaluation of budget performance
• Budget implementation, cash management, and budget monitoring techniques

Local housing accommodations and a daily shuttle to and from campus are included in the program. Group extracurricular activities are organized to offer you the opportunity to socialize with your classmates and enjoy area attractions. Taxis, buses, and other transportation options are available for hire to provide individual access to local destinations.

Instructors include Drs. Graham Glenday, GP Shukla, Richard Hemming (formerly of the International Monetary Fund), and Roy Kelly; other faculty members from Duke University; and senior practitioners dealing with issues of budgeting and instruments of financial management in the public sector.

In past years, workshop faculty included: Dr. Malcolm McPherson, Dr. Richard Goldman, and Dr. Bruce Bolnick from Harvard University; Mr. Paul Cramer from Accenture Negotiation Center of Excellence; Mr Terry Barnett, President, Conflict Management Inc., Washington/Carolina; Prof. John L. Mikesell of Indiana University; Dr. Schiavo-Campo of the World Bank; and Mr. Tej Prakash from the International Monetary Fund. The 2012 Program will include many of the same faculty members.

The Budgeting and Financial Management in the Public Sector training course is designed for middle- and senior level managers with a substantial record related to public service such as budget analysts, administrators and officials in ministries of finance and planning, managers of public enterprises, professionals in aid agencies, economists, and accountants and auditors. A candidate’s professional experience is taken into consideration. A first degree (bachelor’s or other undergraduate equivalent) is preferred. The program is conducted in English. Interested candidates should complete the online application form. We strongly recommend that application be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to obtain a visa for the United States.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and qualified applicants will be admitted on a rolling basis until all available positions are filled. You should contact the DCID office if you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your application within 5 working days. Applications received after June 22, 2012 may be placed on a waiting list and admitted on a space-available basis.

Tuition for the program is $9,500, which includes housing, emergency medical insurance, course materials, use of a laptop computer for the duration of the program, and access to the Duke University Libraries and computer facilities. Tuition does not cover airfare to and from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), meals, or incidental expenses, which vary for each participant. Expenses for meals and incidentals are estimated at $50 per day. Additional expenses that may be incurred can include: taxis, other local transportation costs, and excess baggage and/or shipping charges.

Participants are typically sponsored by their employer or a funding organization. Candidates should approach their current employer or other funding organizations as soon as possible in order to arrange financial support. Examples of agencies that offer financial assistance for training include the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, regional development banks, bilateral donors such as the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and development-oriented foundations.In most cases, participants’ employers should apply to the branch or mission of the funding agency in their country (not in the U.S.) for training funds.

For the 2012 program on Budgeting and Financial Management in the Public Sector, scholarships and financial aid are not available from Duke University or DCID. Discounts are available for organizations sponsoring three or more participants in the program. Please contact DCID for more information regarding group discounts.

For more information about Budgeting & Financial Management in the Public Sector, please contact us.