The International Budget Partnership (IBP) focuses on government budgets because they are at the core of development. Budgets are the government’s most powerful tool to meet the needs of its people, especially those who are poor and marginalized. Whether it’s about health, education, or pensions, the most well-meaning public policy has little impact on poverty until it is matched with sufficient public resources, and those resources are used effectively to provide public services.
Leading the field for over 20 years, IBP has taken on the challenge of making public finance systems worldwide more transparent and accountable through its work in four interlinked areas that combine country-based civil society pressure with increased pressure from international institutions, together with efforts to generate effective advocacy for more open and responsive budgeting. These areas are:
- Building organizations: strengthening civil society organizations and networks by developing the skills and relationships needed to improve budget processes and create change in the countries where they operate.
- Opening budgets: researching, measuring, and monitoring budget transparency, participation, and accountability around the world to build an evidence base promoting greater openness.
- Establishing global norms: engaging with a wide-range of international stakeholders, including donors, government oversight institutions, and international NGOs, to play a greater role in budget issues.
- Learning what works: producing rigorous evidence, analysis, and case studies on the impact of IBP and its partners to inform more strategic and effective practices.
Priorities as a partner of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
The International Budget Partnership is committed to better understanding how public resources can be used to reduce inequality, benefit poor people, and provide public services effectively and equitably. Our research investigates the causes and consequences of greater or lesser budget transparency, participation, and accountability and examines the methods and impact of civil society engagement in promoting more inclusive and accountable budget processes and outcomes.