From 2021 to 2023, with funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Fiscal Transparency Innovation Fund (FTIF), FSVC implemented a program to assist the Government of Algeria (GoA) in increasing budget transparency and oversight on the use of public resources, and citizen participation in the budget process.
FSVC structured practical, demand-driven activities designed to equip the GoA to undertake reforms on its own. FSVC’s program tackled the following two objectives:
1) Build the capacity of the Algerian Supreme Audit Institution (Cour des Comptes or CdC) to implement audit policies and procedures.
FSVC conducted an in-depth needs assessment of the CdC’s institutional capacity to identify its current needs and capacity. Based on this assessment, FSVC designed and implemented a series of training activities to help the CdC adopt international standards in public expenditures oversight, including performance and infrastructure project auditing, and publishing audit results.
2) Strengthen the GoA’s budget disclosure, and accounting and reporting capability.
FSVC supported the GoA’s efforts to boost public participation in the budget process by implementing the International Sector Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), and publishing several key budget documents and ensuring that they are accessible to citizens. FSVC also worked with the GoA to create an avenue for constructive engagement on citizens’ needs and priorities.
Program Impact
- Trained over 250 GoA officials, including at the Ministry of Finance and line ministries, in fundamental skills in accounting, budgeting and economic analysis. 75% of GoA staff trained showed improvement in budget transparency or accounting best practices thanks to FSVC’s technical assistance.
- Enhanced the oversight capabilities of the CdC through targeted trainings for staff on the key principles of infrastructure, IT and performance audit and how to perform thorough audits in line with international standards in these spheres. 85% of CdC staff showed improvement in auditing practices thanks to FSVC’s technical assistance.
- Organized two study tours, for the Ministry of Finance and CdC, to Albany, NY and Washington, DC to help them exchange with American state- and federal-government level budget-making institutions on fiscal transparency, accountability and reporting practices
- Helped the GoA adopt results-based budgeting and IPSAS standards
- Initiated 11 policies, procedures and tools that were adopted by the GoA to increase transparency. Among these, FSVC helped to strengthen the country’s Citizens Budget and collected CSOs’ feedback on the new version of this budget document.
- Enhanced the communications capabilities of the CdC’s Communications Unit, including through support in social media, drafting press releases and conducting press conferences and the development of a communications strategy.