Study formed part of the on-going monitoring of the PEFA framework. For a selection of country case studies, the study analysed how both governments and development partners have used the results of their PEFA assessments and then went on to identify the factors behind these effects and what lessons may be learnt. The report is available here. (Mary Betley)

Facilitation of an inter-ministerial task group in charge of identifying bottlenecks and proposing both short- and medium-term improvement measures for the execution of the budgets of the communes (the lowest level of government administration in Cambodia) (Catherine Dom)

Mokoro recently completed an important study (Putting Aid On Budget Study, for SPA/CABRI) which has developed good practice guidelines for using country budget systems. (Stephen Lister). See project website: http://www.mokoro.co.uk/aob.htm.

Provided a member (Mary Betley) of a multi-donor team undertaking a regular external review of public expenditure management. Responsible for analysing recent public expenditure trends and assessing improvements in the PFM system, including procedures for public investment management.

Consultant (Stephen Lister) gave PFM presentation at the Environment, Infrastructure and Livelihoods Retreat.

Consultant (Stephen Lister) participated in a joint preparation and delivery of 4-day training course in Maseru, focusing on Public Financial Management and aid effectiveness.

Member (Mary Betley) of a team assisting the Government to undertake a PEFA assessment.

Consultant (Mary Betley) joined a World Bank team regularly assessing progress on the Government’s Public Expenditure Review and Rationalisation Programme (PERR). Responsible for making recommendations for improving financial management and re-focussing the PERR programme on financial management.

Provided three-person for (including Stephen Lister and Alta Fölscher) 3½ day course on Public Financial Management and public expenditure analysis, focusing on general principles and the specific issues that arise in Ethiopia. Delivered to 25 DFID and other donor staff based in Addis Ababa and the region.

As part of a wider World Bank External Review of PFM (ERPFM) team, consultant (Mary Betley) assisted the Government of Ghana to undertake a baseline PEFA assessment of its public financial management system.

Four-person team (Andrew Bird, Ann Bartholomew, Mary Betley and Mauro Napodano) assisted in the preparation of the Public Expenditure and Institutional Review.

Member (Ann Bartholomew) of a team carrying out the Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (PEIR), with specific responsibility for reviewing the medium-term macro and expenditure frameworks.

Provided a consultant (Mary Betley) to a World Bank team assisting the Government to undertake a PEFA assessment, as well as providing an independent review of the Government’s current public financial management reforms.

Member (Mary Betley) of a Zambian Government team assisting the Government to carry out a baseline Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessment, in order to improve the prioritisation of the Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability PFM improvement programme.

Provided a team of six short-term international consultants (Andrew Bird (leader), Mary Betley, Ray Purcell, Alta Fölscher, Simon Groom and Larry Seale) and a full-time team of five national consultants. The purpose of the support was to establish the MTEF as the primary decision-making tool for linking government policy objectives with budgetary resource allocation consistent with a sustainable medium-term macroeconomic framework.

Two consultants (Andrew Bird) and (Ray Purcell) provided assistance in the development of the Medium-Term Budgeting Framework (MTBF) as part of this programme.

Consultant providing (Andrew Bird) high-level advice on the development of the Medium-Term Development Framework and designed the related component of the multi-donor financed Public Sector Finance Management Reform Support Project.

Provision of intermittent technical assistance to the Ministries of Education in Namibia to develop a medium term expenditure strategy, improve financial and performance management and build capacity for policy development, budgeting and financial and performance management. (Alta Fölscher)

Consultant (Catherine Dom) was member of a 3 person team, advising the Ministry of Economy and Finance in preparing a medium to long term comprehensive PFM reform programme, involving a SWAp-like approach to the next phase.

Consultant (Simon Groom) assisted the Ministry of Finance and Economy to examine ways of improving the accuracy of the development budget and its integration with the recurrent budget.

Consultant (Andrew Bird) carried out an assessment of the feasibility of DFID supporting the Government of Serbia in introducing a more strategic policy-led approach to budget planning that was proposed in the 2002 Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (PEIR).

Consultant (Mary Betley) prepared a Project Memorandum for a 3-year project to strengthen capacities for medium-term budgetary planning in the Serbian Ministry of Finance.

Team (Mary Betley, Ann Bartholomew, and Alta Fölscher) worked with Ministry of Finance and line ministries to deepen understanding of medium term budget frameworks, build capacity and develop and test strategic and expenditure planning methodologies linking PRSP objectives with expenditure. Work with health, education and agriculture sectors to prepare expenditure strategies

Review of the support provided by the Asian Development Bank to Public Financial Management reforms in Cambodia and especially, reviewing progress made and constraints faced by the government in its efforts to introduce an MTEF. (Andrew Bird)

Consultant (Alta Fölscher) carried out a review of the Jordan Public Investment Programming institutional arrangements within context of medium-term fiscal and expenditure frameworks.

Mokoro recently completed an important study (Putting Aid On Budget Study, for SPA/CABRI) which has developed good practice guidelines for using country budget systems. (Led by Stephen Lister). See project website: http://www.mokoro.co.uk/aob.htm.

Facilitation of the session on ‘Effects of Poverty Reduction Budget Support on social sector results’ at the DFID retreat for Africa Human Development Advisers, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Catherine Dom)

Consultant (Andrew Bird) provided support and advice to the Donor Economists’ Group on the preparation of a new JBSO. The assignment involved the preparation of a number of guidance papers.

Four-person team (Alta Fölscher, Ann Bartholomew, Peter Oates and Tony Barnett) carried out a strategic evaluation of the Irish Aid South Africa Country Strategy Programme (CSP) 2004–2006, to provide Irish Aid with an assessment of the CSP 2004–2006 to inform strategic decision making for the period 2007–2009. Areas covered included aid management issues, health sector programmes, local economic development, governance and education.

The evaluation was of Denmark's support to Uganda from 1987 to 2005. A short summary and the final reports is available from the Danida website. The evaluation team was led by Stephen Lister and included Martin Adams, Wilson Baryabanoha, Lawrence Bategeka, Poul Buch-Hansen, Rebecca Carter, Richard Johnson, Charles Lwanga-Ntale, Milton Ogeda, May Sengendo, Trish Silkin, Brian Van Arkadie and Veronica Walford. Quality support was provided by Andy Batkin, Catherine Dom and Adam Pain.

Team carried (Ann Bartholomew, Catherine Dom and Stephen Lister) out a review of the PRSC 1-5 cycle in Vietnam to assess the extent to which the PRSC has contributed to development outcomes in the sectors highlighted in the three pillars of the policy matrix and lessons learned for the design of the PRSC 6-10 cycle and experience of the budget support process.

Consultant (Catherine Dom) carried out analytical work to assess opportunities and risks arising from a potential joint Budget Support Operation with the WB (preparing for a PRSO). The work included an assessment of fiduciary risks and development benefits, and the preparation of a strategy for budget support in Cambodia, generally and more specifically for DFID.

Mokoro provided the team leader (Trish Silkin) for review of donor engagement with civil society.

Consultant (Stephen Lister) prepared a paper on sector programmes, plus general introduction, for OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) volume on good donor practices with special reference to aid and Public Financial Management issues.

Two consultants (Stephen Lister and Catherine Dom) advised DFID, the donor community and the Ministry of Education, on various issues related to financing of the education sector in the current context of shifting aid modalities towards increased provision of Direct Budget Support.

Evaluation covering: clarification of concept of aid modalities; review of institutional environment in Ethiopia with special attention to recent developments and to factors affective aid delivery; analysis of the aid modalities and instruments employed by the programme in Ethiopia and the way it has evolved in the past few years; overall assessment and recommendations for future aid modalities. (Stephen Lister and Peter Oates)

Support to DFID in developing project document for support to the EFA-FTI Catalytic Fund, including advice on appropriate implementation modalities for the Catalytic Fund. (Stephen Lister)

Advice on appropriate aid modalities for Finnish aid to the Education sector. (Stephen Lister)

Consultant (Stephen Lister) jointly prepared a discussion paper on the relevance to Middle Income Countries of the partnership approaches and aid instruments that are increasingly deployed in Less Developed Countries.

The International Development Department, University of Birmingham and Mokoro team (Stephen Lister and Ann Bartholomew) reviewed the appropriateness of different aid instruments in different country contexts in Asia, with Mokoro responsibility for Vietnam case study. Other case study countries were India and China.

Review of aid coordination and management since the commencement of the Al Aqsa Intifada. (Stephen Lister)

Team carried (Stephen Lister, Peter Oates, Liz Bjornstad and Milton Ogeda) out evaluation covering: underlying concepts that have driven donor approaches in Uganda; Uganda 's past performance and the institutional context for aid management; summary of programme objectives and strategy, comparison of actual expenditures to those originally planned; evaluation of Ireland's shift towards more programmatic aid in Uganda; consideration of main sectors and cross-cutting themes within the programme; review of overall management of the programme and conclusions and recommendations.

Review of research programme providing analysis and policy recommendations in relation to inter-ethnic and pastoral-sedentary conflicts. (Trish Silkin)

Agri-business specialist on an employment and income generation identification mission for “Kosovo Employment Generation through Business and Skills Development”. (Ray Purcell)

Consultant (Catherine Dom) led a team of 61 members, drawn from government, donor and non-governmental organisation agencies involved in the education sector and also including other international consultants, carrying out the annual joint review of the Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP).

Consultant (Ann Bartholomew) involved in preparation of the macroeconomic framework for the planning process, over a number of visits, through supporting a local economist network and working group, to work on the macroeconomic framework and to link with and integrate the work of the sectoral/cross cutting strategy working groups.

Consultant (Catherine Dom) responsible for carrying out a study to identify financing options to support the Education Sector Development Programme. The work then developed into providing inputs to the design of complementary budget support instruments for support to decentralized basic service delivery, for consideration by the Government and development partners.

Consultant (Ray Purcell) undertook preparation of the detailed Policy and Action Plan as a management tool for coordinating the implementation of the Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Consultant (Stephen Lister) provided advice on institutional arrangements for implementation of Palestinian Recovery Programme.

Provided a team (Andrew Bird (leader), Mary Betley, Ray Purcell, Alta Fölscher, Simon Groom and Larry Seale) of six short-term international consultants and a full-time team of five national consultants. The purpose of the support was to establish the MTEF as the primary decision-making tool for linking government policy objectives with budgetary resource allocation consistent with a sustainable medium-term macroeconomic framework.

Consultant (Andrew Bird) providing high-level advice on the development of the Medium-Term Development Framework and designed the related component of the multi-donor financed Public Sector Finance Management Reform Support Project.

Modules on public expenditure management and aid modalities for joint donor training courses on PRSPs, held in Tirana, Copenhagen and Stockholm for aid agency HQ staff. (Stephen Lister and Mary Betley)

Support to DFID in developing project document for support to the EFA-FTI Catalytic Fund, including advice on appropriate implementation modalities for the Catalytic Fund. (Stephen Lister)

Consultant (Andrew Bird) delivered a presentation on Institutional Framework for Policy Formulation and Budgeting and briefed DFID on issues arising from sessions on Public Policy Priorities.

Consultant (Stephen Lister) prepared a paper on donor alignment in LAC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries ( Bolivia, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua).

Call-down contract that involved the following assignments: Public Finance Support Programme Scoping and Assessment Study; Public Financial Management Performance Report and Performance Indicators; Economic and Financial Analysis of the Rural Roads and Water Components of a Rural Poverty Reduction Programme; Mid-term Review of EC/Sida Support to Education; Design of a Capacity Building for Non-State Actors Support Programme; and Review of Rural Roads and Rural Growth Centres Projects Proposed for Millennium Challenge Account Financing. (Andrew Bird, Ann Bartholomew, Ray Purcell, Charles Harvey, Richard Johnson and Mary Betley)

Team (Stephen Lister and Trish Silkin) prepared draft country strategy paper for Development Cooperation Ireland in consultation with the Irish Representative Office in Ramallah and the Palestine Assistance Desk in Dublin.

Consultant (Simon Groom) assisted the Ministry of Finance and Economy to examine ways of improving the accuracy of the development budget and its integration with the recurrent budget.

Review of progress with Zambian PRSP at national, provincial and local level, and across government and stakeholders outside of government. Review of institutional arrangements for participation, implementation and monitoring and evaluation. Input into World Bank Poverty and Vulnerability assessment. (Alta Fölscher)

Team (Stephen Lister and Catherine Dom) updated the Education Sector Programme Implementation Manual. This describes the partnership framework for the sector and the planning, budgeting, disbursement, procurement and M&E implications and procedures for different forms of support to the education sector.

Provided short-term PRSP advisor to the Ministry of Economy. Prepared draft guidelines for and commented on the draft final Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (EGPRSP). Assisted with editing of final version of the EGPRSP and drafted sections on public sector administrative reform, agriculture and rural development. (Ray Purcell)

Review of Oxfam’s rural development intervention in Deder and Metta Districts, E. Harerghe and recommendations for the future. (Martin Adams)

Advice on proposal on meeting data needs for PRSP monitoring. (Stephen Lister)

Major contributor to a regional World Bank study on the implications of weak budget management capacity for the implementation of PRSP processes in countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) preparing and implementing Poverty Reduction Strategies. (Mary Betley)

Team (Mary Betley, Ann Bartholomew and Alta Fölscher) worked with Ministry of Finance and line ministries to deepen understanding of medium term budget frameworks, build capacity and develop and test strategic and expenditure planning methodologies linking PRSP objectives with expenditure. Work with health, education and agriculture sectors to prepare expenditure strategies

Two person team (Andrew Bird and Murray Macrae) assisted the Namibian education ministries to prepare the joint annual review of a multi-donor supported sector support operation in the education sector.

Two consultants (Ray Purcell) provided support to the Rwandan Ministry of Finance on the MTEF, including assistance to the preparation of the annual Budget Framework Paper, on integrated budgeting, and on the linkages between the MTEF and the PRSP.

Consultant (Stephen Turner) providing inputs as Food Security Component Adviser, Priority Support Programme for Poverty Reduction Strategy over a series of repeat visits.

Consultant (Trish Silkin) reviewed seven Country Governance Analyses from Africa to identify key governance trends and challenges.

Mokoro consultants (Trish Silkin and Richard Johnson) provided inputs for the appraisal of Concept Notes and Proposals for funding from civil society organizations for the DFID £100 million Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF). The Fund is designed to help citizens hold their governments to account, through strengthening the wide range of groups that can empower and support them.

Two-person team (Catherine Dom and Mohammed Mussa) carried out decentralisation studies, including sample surveys in sentinel woredas. This provided a deeper understanding of regional, woreda and local dynamics (intra- and inter-government level relationships; role of and government relation with communities etc.) and how this affects the operationalisation of the Ethiopian government country-wide policies and programmes.

Government of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Rural Travel and Transport Programme, support to develop Monitoring and Evaluation systems for decentralized rural travel and transport initiatives to improve the livelihoods of poor rural communities. (Trish Silkin)

Consultant (Ray Purcell) provided multiple inputs as Organisational Development Strategy Adviser for work in the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs.

Consultant (Ann Bartholomew) assisted State Owned Enterprises to transfer social obligations as part of a restructuring process.

Provided a member of a team (Adam Pain) undertaking an appraisal of Danida’s support to DACAAR (Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees).

Consultant (Mary Betley) carried out an assessment of the likelihood of Cambodia and Tajikistan’s meeting the Health MDGs as case studies in a larger multi-donor study for the High Level Forum on the issues surrounding the alignment of Government strategy-setting, planning/budgeting and donor support processes with the MDGs. Involved discussions with authorities in Cambodia. The case study for Tajikistan was a desk study.

Review of institutional capacity building in a public administration reform project supporting the decentralisation process in Macedonia, as part of a larger exercise. (Peter Oates)

Team Leader support (Trish Silkin) to the Government of Ethiopia Ministry of Capacity Building in the design of a programme of support to the development of civil society over several inputs.

Consultant (Ray Purcell) undertook preparation of logical frameworks and three-year budgets to link objectives, activities, inputs and indicators, and preparation of three-year forward budget.

In an advisory capacity, consultant (Robin Palmer) supporting research on the New Resettlement Areas of Zimbabwe with the Centre for Rural Development, Zimbabwe.

Consultant (Martin Adams) providing inputs to a team supporting the land reform process.

Consultant (Martin Adams) reviewed a paper on the land policy process, as part of a larger review exercise.

Team of four consultants (Martin Adams, Stephen Lister, Patrick McAuslan and Lala Steyn) provided support and assistance in preparation for the Land Act.

Two consultants (Stephen Lister and Lala Steyn) provided advice on integrating land tenure issues into food security policy.

Technical adviser (Martin Adams) to the Kenya National Land Policy Formulation Process over a number of visits between March and December.

Consultant (Martin Adams) carried out a review of DFID’s engagement with land reform.

Consultant (Martin Adams) drafted a working paper on land issues as part of a series dealing with agriculture and natural resources.

Five consultants (Martin Adams) undertook desk review of case studies in Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa involving outside investment in community-owned land resources.

Consultant (Martin Adams) conducted a review of the work of the Kenya Land Alliance and prepared proposals for further assistance. Advised DFID and government on options for support to the Government of Kenya on the development of a national land policy.

Provided Land Policy Adviser/Team Leader and Land Law specialist for a team tasked with the preparation of a national land policy, the harmonisation of land laws and a land sector strategic plan as part of the PRSP. (Martin Adams)

Provided Land Policy Adviser on the appraisal of national land policy with particular reference to the role of civil society and options for support to community land delimitation. (Martin Adams)

Consultant (Martin Adams) undertook a study of land issues as part of a PRSP and agricultural sector review.

Consultant (Ray Purcell) provided advice on appropriate approaches to development in agriculture, with particular reference to sector programme support.