Call circulars & gender budget statements

1. Call circulars&gender budget statements

2. Introduction • Many GRB initiatives begin with analysis. • But ultimate aim is to change budgets (and related policies) • Call circulars & gender budget statements (GBS) can assist government officials in this task: • These tools go beyond analysis to planning, allocation and monitoring • These tools most suitable to GRB within government • But provide information for parliamentarians and civil society • Call circular exists in all countries (but with different names) • GBS is GRB-specific tool

3. What are call circulars? • Call circulars are official notices issued by Ministry of Finance near beginning of each budget cycle. • Purpose: instruct government agencies how to submit demands for the coming year • (usually) gives each agency a budget ‘ceiling’ • gives other instructions how to construct & format the draft budget • says how to present motivations for the budget • Format of budget submissions differs widely across countries. • Some consist mainly of tables of financial numbers • Others – especially with performance budgeting – include more narrative plus numbers showing delivery performance

4. Making the call circular gender-responsive • State explicitly that gender must be reflected in submissions • State that gender will be considered an important criterion during negotiations • Require all relevant indicators to be sex-disaggregated • Require that gender-related indicators be included wherever relevant • If separate specification of ‘new’ policies & savings, require clear statement of gender implications. • Clear specifications get the best results

5. Call circular in UGANDA • Government is committed to mainstreaming gender and equity objectives in the planning and budgeting process. This involves articulation of the needs of special groups including women, orphans, elderly, youth and the persons with disabilities and integration of the respective interventions with the existing programmes as part of the budgeting process. The guidelines have been incorporated in the Terms of Reference for the Sector Working Groups (SWGs). You are therefore requested to identify these requirements and ensure that the cost implications are integrated in the budget estimates for next financial year 2005/06 and the medium term. • Guidelines on ‘Gender and Equity Budgeting’ for Sector Working Groups suggest steps to be taken

6. Call circular in TANZANIA • 2006/07 budget guidelines include “gender section” which is a page long • Increased from one paragraph a few years ago • Gender section: • explains that the Women and Gender Development Policy and Strategy provides overall framework for gender mainstreaming • describes both achievements and constraints in respect of achieving the goals of the policy • ends with 5 policy commitments and 4 priority areas for resource allocation to guide ministries when they draw up their budgets

7. Call circular in PAKISTAN • Punjab province: Recently introduced MTBF • 2006/07 call circular required all departments to provide sex-disaggregated information on employee-related expenses • 2007/08 call circular asks that: • Gender be included in mission, vision, objectives as appropriate • All indicators related to individuals be sex-disaggregated • Gender-related indicators be included as appropriate

8. Ensuring gender-responsive call circulars achieve their aim • Firstly, agency officials must know that budget submissions will be considered more favourably if gender issues are addressed: • include reps of national gender machinery on team that interrogates submissions • ensure that MoF budget officers understand the gender requirements • Secondly, ensure that agency officials have necessary capacity to follow gender instructions • provide training, mentoring, etc • Thirdly, give specific instructions rather than general call for gender responsiveness • e.g. all indicators on individuals be sex-disaggregated • e.g. specific gender issues, such as economic empowerment, to be addressed • Fourthly, provide personal incentives for officials to perform well on gender • Include in performance assessment

9. What is a gender budget statement? • GBS is gender-specific accountability document produced by government • shows the agency’s intention to do something in respect of gender equality; and • show that the agency is putting money where its mouth is • Sometimes the GBS is part of the main budget document. • May not be read by gender advocates • Sometimes the GBS is produced as a separate report. • May be ignored by ‘mainstream’ • Most important: Table GBS on budget day to make it ‘official’

10. More about GBS • GBS is prepared after government agencies have allocated resources (budgets) in response to call circular • Preparation of GBS is therefore not part of process of prioritisation • Instead, GBS is a “post mortem” report • BUT…. • Reflections of government officials, parliamentarians & civil society on what is in the GBS can result in changes in prioritisation in following years

11. What does a GBS look like? • To make it easier: • for government officials to compile the statement & • for parliamentarians & public to read & understand it • use standard format across all agencies • To make it easier for government officials: • Base format on standard budgeting approach used in that country • e.g. use same concepts (outcomes, outputs, indicators) • Because GBS is a summary, it cannot cover all activities. • To help choose activities ask: • Where is most money going? i.e. mainstreaming • Which programmes are most important for gender equality?

12. GBS in INDIA • For 2006-07 Union Budget, Finance Ministry in India produced GBS for 18 departments • Two categories of allocations highlighted: • allocations targeted 100% at women or girls • allocations where at least 30% of the allocation was targeted at women or girls. • Not yet performance budgeting in India, so no outputs or outcomes

13. GBS in France • Yellow Budget Paper on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality • Produced each year since 1999 together with Finance Bill • 2006: 185 pages long • France also has Yellow Budget Papers on other cross-cutting issues • For the gender Yellow Budget Paper, each department is required to: • identify all programmes and actions targeted at women or girls • identify all actions it has taken to promote gender equality • describe its policy on gender equality • present indicators that it uses to measure its contribution

14. GBS in SOUTH AFRICA • Since 2003, each department in Gauteng province produces GBS as part of main budget document. • GBS presented in five parts: • Outcomes & outputs of the 3 largest sub-programmes (in money terms) & their implications for gender equality • Outcomes and outputs which specifically target women and girls • Outcomes and outputs which will benefit women/promote gender equality • Outcomes and outputs which will benefit women employees within the Gauteng provincial government • Number of male and female government employees by level.

15. GBS in Morocco • 2005: First GBS • Tabled as annex to Economic and Financial Report which accompanies Budget Law. • In 2005 focused on ministries considered most important for MDGs • As in France, narrative rather than standard format • Narrative may be easier to read for some people • Narrative means more work for government officials

16. Ensuring GBS achieves its aim • GBS will only ensure accountability if used effectively: more likely to happen • if GBS easily available • if easy to read and understand • if not too long. • Secondary aim: making government officials aware of gaps. Will only happen: • if government officials take task seriously • if officials understand what they are doing. • Some GRB initiatives employ external gender experts to work on GBS • If experts work with officials, this can help officials • If experts work on their own, product may be better, but less likely impact on budget