All countries have a finance ministry. If one organisational feature defines what makes a state a state, it is a central unit that handles income and expenditure – or aspires to. No government will be able to implement its development agenda or make progress towards the SDGs without a finance ministry that is capable at its job. Yet despite their almost self-evident importance, there is a curious lack of finance ministries as objects of study.

How do finance ministries go about performing their tasks, what do they look like as organisations, and does it matter how they are organised? What makes a finance ministry capable of doing its job? Is it a group of highly trained, well-managed and dedicated people who keep the rest of the public sector as much in awe as in check? Or is it a powerful minister who commands respect in cabinet and can overrule colleagues?

This discussion builds upon a new report that investigates the capabilities of finance ministries. It explores the experience of countries strengthening their finance ministries and what lessons we can draw for the future of public finance management and development practice.

It follows a roundtable meeting hosted by the Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the UK, at which senior finance ministry officials and leading academics discuss how to build world-class ministries of finance.

Places at this event are limited. To register your interest, please contact Richard Hughes ([email protected]).