A country’s national budget never fails to attract attention. For good reason – it is one of the most tangible expressions of how a government aims to govern. It ostensibly sets the political, economic and development agenda for the whole of the nation.  Or does it? In practice, the difference between what’s on paper and how budgets are actually made and spent can be stark.

This disconnect can be rooted in a range of factors – the reality of how politics and policy mingle in the allocation of funds; shifts in the global economy that confound expectations; and unplanned spending that substantially alters stated intentions of the budget as planned.

The 2013 CAPE Conference will look at how budgets actually work in the real world and explore the latest thinking on how they can deliver better development outcomes.  Bringing together a distinguished array of global leaders and thinkers, the conference aims to shed light on two overarching questions:

• How does budgeting and public financial management really work in practice?
• What can reformers do to strengthen budgets to improve development outcomes?

The conference will be live streamed on both days and you can register for this via the 'register' tab above. Should you wish further information about the event please contact Elizabeth Barnes ([email protected]).

Downloads:

• Agenda and speakers
• Budgeting in the real world: framing paper
• Budgeting in the real world: the 2013 CAPE Conference report