Members' News

Here you will find the latest information on assignments currently being undertaken by our consultants or which have recently been completed.

Public Investment Management Reference Guide (Multi-country reference): Simon Groom assisted the World Bank in drafting a good practice reference guide for PIM, covering: definitions and concepts; roles & responsibilities; legal & regulatory framework; quality-at-entry procedures; integrating strategic planning, project and budget cycles; designing an appraisal methodology; capital budgeting; monitoring & adjustment; and asset management & ex post review.

Public Investment Management Assessments (Ireland, Ghana): Simon joined teams from the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department to undertake diagnostic assessments of PIM systems in Ghana and in Ireland, using the Fund’s PIMA assessment tool. Ireland was the first advanced country to apply the tool.

PIM procedures and methods assessment (Belarus, Vietnam): Simon is lead consultant on World Bank teams carrying out assessments of PIM procedures and methods. The assessments have used the Bank’s diagnostic tool, which identifies eight key functionalities of a minimally effective PIM system.

PIM framework (Armenia): Mary Betley joined an IMF mission to provide advice on a framework to strengthen PIM, following recommendations made in Armenia’s PIMA report. With a comprehensive PIM process still being established, and responsibility for PIM split between the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance, the mission provided advice on the appropriate functions, roles and responsibilities for the two institutions, improving project appraisal and selection processes, and strengthening the budgeting for, and monitoring of, capital investment projects.

Reform of PFM systems (Nigeria, State-level): Karl Livingstone is providing support to States to strengthen PFM systems and develop strategic expenditure planning tool kits as part of the Governors' Forum State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Technical Assistance Project.

Support to donors for PFM programmes (Liberia, Bangladesh): Ann Bartholomew has been working as a PFM Consultant on a long-term assignment with the Swedish Embassy in Liberia providing advice and support for their PFM interventions.

Use of IT in budget preparation (Kyrgyz Republic): Mary Betley was a member of an IMF mission to assist the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to strengthen its use of automation for budget preparation. The mission provided advice on introducing a rolling baseline to improve the credibility of medium-term expenditure planning, as well as ways to strengthen programme-based budgeting and automation, including improvements to the current IT system used for budget preparation.

Results Management (Western Balkans): Ann is currently working as the Knowledge and Learning lead on a long-term project for the FCDO’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CCSF) in the Western Balkans. 

Strengthening Programme Budgeting (Armenia): As part of a number of IMF-regional missions, Mary has been assisting the Government of Armenia to complete its introduction of full programme-based budgeting and strengthen the process. This has involved introducing a rolling baseline, strengthening the strategic phase of budgeting, and introducing changes to the MTEF and budget documentation to make them more strategic, streamlined and publicly-accessible. She also provided advice related to the government’s COVID-19 budget response, focusing on budget process issues within its programme-budgeting framework.

Macroeconomic brief (Bangladesh): Ann Bartholomew has recently been the Lead Author for the preparation of a Macroeconomic Brief on Bangladesh for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Macro-fiscal Advisor (Palestine): Ann has been working on a long-term assignment in Palestine for FCDO as a Macro-fiscal Advisor in the Ministry of Finance.

Macro-fiscal Advisor (Palestinian Authority, Oman): Karl Livingstone is helping to develop Medium-Term Fiscal Frameworks (MTFF) as well as providing capacity building for the production of credible and timely macro-fiscal projections.

Strengthening sectoral strategic budgeting (Ukraine, MAFP): On a recent two-year assignment, Karl Livingstone worked as PFM Component Lead with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food (MAFP) to develop its capability for medium-term budget planning, including better linkage of its Agricultural and Rural Development Strategy to the budget.