Overview of the 2011 Programme Budget Resolution

1. Overview of the 2011 Programme Budget Resolution Nicola Virgill-Rolle Alternate Representative Bahamas Chair Working Group on the Draft 2011 Programme Budget Resolution

2. Approach to the Resolution • 2010 budget resolution • Financial information • Issues of a financial and budgetary nature • Strong emphasis on reporting throughout the document • 21 reports contained in the 2010 resolution • Changes contemplated in this report • Organizing these reports (grouping reports/ removing reports that had already been presented); • Ensuring that member states received timely information, presented in a manner that is clear to both member states and to the General Secretariat; • Recognizing that each report has a cost.

3. Changes in Preamble • Inclusion of statement on the budget ceiling for 2011 which was set by AG/Res.2613 (XL-O/10); • Removed from the resolves section. • Explicit mention of the 3% increase; and • Explicit mention of the review to update the percentage assessment for the 2012-2014 period.

4. Budget Appropriations Section • Renaming of budget lines to match recent changes; • Figures to be presented at the conclusion of the work of the WG to Review the Programme Budget.

5. New Section II – Accountability to the Member States • Accountability theme of the resolution; • Text approved in the 2010 budget but located within another section; • Requires the General Secretariat to present a schedule of the deliverables emanating from the resolution • Ensures transparency and accountability; • Open Issue: • Timeliness of information (i.e. 1 week before a meeting to discuss the issue); and • Format of certain reports to enhance their usefulness.

6. Changes to Section III: Provisions of An Administrative and Budgetary Nature • Programme budget for 2012 • Revisions to the text reflect the current 2-step process (regular GA/ Special GA); • A new deadline of 31st October has been proposed for the special General Assembly; • Maintains the 64.38% limit on personnel expenditure; • Discussion issue – statement linking budget with the WG on Programme Review deleted as it is mentioned in the strategic planning section.

7. Changes to Management Reports section • Goal is to ensure that more useful information is provided in the quarterly reports and to streamline the resolution; • Reporting requirements from other parts of the 2010 resolution included in this section: • Human resources details (new) • Addresses: travel expense control, rental income, external contributions, IPSA implementation; losses from conferences; foundations and civil societies; • Maintained • Showing progress on “attaining austerity, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and prudence in the use of the Organization’s resources”; • Progress reports on recommendations of the Board of External Auditors.

8. Indirect Cost Recovery/ Fundraising • ICR - Same as 2010 Resolution • Open Issue – however, given the shortfalls is there a need for a study/ review of the management of indirect cost recovery and the performance to date? • Fundraising • Combination of two paragraphs on a comprehensive strategy which includes buildings issues.

9. Changes to Payment of Quotas • Review/ Study of revisions to the prompt payment credit and possible measures for late payment of quotas. • Inclusion of text on the revision to the assessment percentage scales using new data (2012-2014).

10. Changes to Strategic Planning and Evaluation • Chapeau on “austerity, efficiency”… mentioned elsewhere in preamble and resolves (deleted); • Introduced new wording to highlight an annual reporting process that linked results and resources structured by pillars, Secretariat, object of expenditure. • Issue: 4 pillars or broader “pillars” • Requirement for a strategic planning process and results-based management process extended to all areas of the OAS (i.e. elimination of exception for FEMCIDI etc.) • Linking the budget process to the strategic planning process; • Open Issue – how would member states prefer this to be done (presentation of annual work plans, etc)?

11. Human Resources Policies • Instructing the Secretary General to present an HR strategic plan building from the Action Plan which was presented earlier this year: • Merit, transparent hiring process, personnel management and performance evaluation, trust appointments, non-discriminatory measures, gender and geographic distribution. • A review of the General Standards, by 31st January, 2011.

12. Offices in The Member States • Streamlining the text: • Highlights improving management, oversight and internal controls. • Highlights better co-ordination between the General Secretariat and the National Offices; • Revising the reporting to incorporate the Offices in Member States into the quarterly reporting of results and annual operational planning process. • Removed text on “Austerity, efficiency, etc”. This text is included 2 places within the document and applies to all OAS organs.

13. Fellowships • Request from DHDEC to appropriate $250,000 to use to fund Fellowships which require a 20/80 OAS funding mix; • $250,000 generates multiples of this in consortium scholarships; • Necessary given the substantial cut in the fellowships budget.

14. Conferences and Meetings • Changes contemplated to this section: • Periodic reports on Department of Conferences and Meetings Management; • Proposes study on new methodology for formulating budgets of all conferences and meetings (duration, frequency, number etc).

15. Structured Budget Process • Changes contemplated to this section: • Report on the feasibility of advancing the delivery date of the Audit Report by 1st December, 2010. • Feasibility study for a multi-year budget process • Open issue - report deadline?

16. International Public Sector Accounting Standards • Changes contemplated to this section: • New Start Date – 1 January, 2012; • Inclusion of text to make clear that some reports cannot be prepared using IPSAS because the standard is not currently in place

17. Thank You Comments