Between 2013 and 2015 FSVC completed a highly-successful program funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) to strengthen open budget policies in Jordan. The program focused on building the capacities of the Jordanian Budget Alliance (JBA), the General Budget Department (GBD) and Ministry of Finance (MoF), as well as those of the Audit Bureau and the Finance Committee of Parliament, to implement open budget reforms. Specifically, FSVC executed 14 activities to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the budget process and improve the transparency of the budget.
FSVC has developed outstanding relationships with key reform leaders from public and private organizations in Jordan, all of which greatly value and appreciate FSVC’s approach to technical assistance. FSVC has been able to build trust with local counterparts, as demonstrated by the significant results of its program in Jordan. Among others, FSVC helped establish the JBA and has helped to develop the association’s strategic plan. FSVC has also worked with the GBD in improving the Citizens Budget (CB) for 2015, and assisted the MoF in designing the first Mid-Year Review (MYR) draft for Jordan, which was published in September 2016. The CB is a non-technical representation of the Budget Law to ensure that it can be understood by the general public. The MYR provides a more detailed explanation of the state of the budget six months into the budget year to ensure that programs are being implemented effectively against set targets and to identify any emerging problems.
Program Impact
- 14 activities completed
- 15 CSOs receiving USG assistance engaged in advocacy interventions
- 15 target private sector organizations engaged government to advocate for improved environment
- 10 government staff trained and demonstrated increased knowledge of key components and best practices in preparing and presenting the Citizen Budget and Mid-Year Review
- 8 new policies/technologies adopted by government to increase access to government budgeting and expenditure information
- Published first Citizen Budget in cooperation between civil society and the Government of Jordan
- Published first Mid-Year Review for Jordan in cooperation with civil society
- 7 public private forums held enabling private-public dialogue on promoting government budget transparency
- 31 citizens participating in public forums (disaggregated by gender and region)
- 5 policy recommendations presented at public forums that are incorporated into the Citizen Budget
- 38% increase in public confidence regarding budget process
- 4 articles published in local media by civil society organizations on open budget
- JBA members assisted the GBD in disseminating 3,500 hard copies and 3,175 soft copies of the CB. These efforts quadrupled the dissemination of the 2015 CB compared to the 2014 CB, including in governorates outside Amman.