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on Project, Program and Portfolio Management |
| By: | Detros, Keith C.; Navarro, Adoracion M.; Napalang, Ma. Sheilah G.; Agatep, Pia May G. |
| Abstract: | Road funds like the Motor Vehicle User's Charge (MVUC) Fund in the Philippines are a kind of earmarked funds. Though without shortcomings, earmarking funds through the MVUC continues to be relevant as it is able to ensure a stable flow of resources for public road expenditures. The study identifies the shortcomings and areas for improvement. In assessing the different stages of the MVUC process, the study finds that transparency and efficiency in collection have to be improved through automation and accurate recording. It also finds that project identification and investment programming need to adhere to the recommended procedures in the operating manual. As there are indications of fund underutilization, the study recommends accelerating the utilization of funds through advanced project development and investment programming. After examining five MVUC-funded projects, the authors find that an impact monitoring system is present in only one case that is recently finished, and the sparse data available are not enough to quantitatively establish impacts. Nevertheless, findings from field visits and interviews with beneficiaries reveal that there are positive benefits from the MVUC mechanism. An examination of successful cases in other countries also reveals good practices that are worth looking into, such as ensuring that the road fund administrator is strictly an administrator rather than project implementer, advanced preparation of long-term vision and medium- to short-term road investment programs, and variations of the reimbursement-basis payment system that is supported by strong audit systems. |
| Keywords: | Philippines, public finance, road fund, earmarking |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:rpseri:dp_2016-26&r=ppm |
| By: | Manasan, Rosario G. |
| Abstract: | Bottom-up budgeting (BUB) is a government program that is envisioned to institutionalize and incentivize grassroots participation in local planning and budgeting in all cities and municipalities. This study aims (i) to examine how the key steps in the planning and prioritization of projects that will be funded under the BUB for the fiscal year (FY) 2016 planning cycle are implemented in terms of extent of participation of civil society organizations (CSO), local government unit (LGU)-CSO engagement, and the integration of BUB processes in the mainstream local planning processes; and (ii) to report on the pace of implementation of FY 2013 and FY 2014 BUB subprojects and to identify the bottlenecks affecting the same. Based on the BUB experience in the 12 case study sites, this study argues that CSO participation in the BUB may be characterized on the basis of how the LGUs actually operationalized the key features of the BUB. The study then juxtaposed the extent of CSO participation in the BUB in the 12 study sites. It measured the share of CSO-identified or proposed projects in the total project cost of all BUB subprojects against the actual conduct of the CSO assembly and Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP) workshop in these LGUs to gain a better understanding of the relative importance of the various aspects that comprise CSO participation in the BUB. On the other hand, the evaluation of the pace of implementation of the subprojects prioritized and included in the LPRAPs of the 12 study sites for FY 2013 and FY 2014 shows mixed results. While the implementation of FY 2014 BUB subprojects is faster than the implementation of FY 2013 BUB subprojects in terms of project completion, procurement, and provision of national government agency feedback to LGUs, some deterioration in the downloading of project funds is evident between these two years. |
| Keywords: | Philippines, bottom-up budgeting (BUB), participatory budgeting, civil society organizations (CSOs), accountability, LGU-CSO engagement, local governance, basic sector organizations |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:rpseri:dp_2016-23&r=ppm |
| By: | Kris Bachus (HIVA, KU Leuven); Kristine Van Herck (HIVA, KU Leuven); Lize Van Dyck (HIVA, KU Leuven) |
| Abstract: | This research paper provides an overview of the main international climate finance and governance bodies, such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), where Belgium was a Board member in 2015. The specific objectives of the study are to provide a comprehensive overview of the financial instruments that a donor can use to make contributions to the GCF taking into account the aim of the GCF and the institutional context (“upstream financial instruments”), the financial instruments that the Board of the GCF and national and regional intermediaries can use to mobilize private finance (“instream financial instruments”) and the financial instruments that the Board of the GCF can use to finance projects (“downstream financial instruments”). |
| Keywords: | Green Climate Fund, climate finance, climate flows, climate-related development finance, climate change, UNFCCC |
| JEL: | F35 |
| Date: | 2015–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nam:befdwp:0108&r=ppm |
| By: | Isaksson, Ann-Sofie (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University); Kotsadam, Andreas (Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research. Oslo, Norway) |
| Abstract: | Considering the mounting criticisms concerning Chinese aid practices, the present paper investigates whether Chinese aid projects fuel local-level corruption in Africa. To this end, we geographically match a new geo-referenced dataset on the subnational allocation of Chinese development finance projects to Africa over the 2000-2012 period with 98,449 respondents from four Afrobarometer survey waves across 29 African countries. By comparing the corruption experiences of individuals who live near a site where a Chinese project is being implemented at the time of the interview to those of individuals living close to a site where a Chinese project will be initiated but where implementation had not yet started at the time of the interview, we control for unobservable time-invariant characteristics that may influence the selection of project sites. The empirical results consistently indicate more widespread local corruption around active Chinese project sites. The effect, which lingers after the project implementation period, is seemingly not driven by an increase in economic activity, but rather seems to signify that the Chinese presence impacts local institutions. Moreover, China stands out from the World Bank and Western bilateral donors in this respect. In particular, whereas the results indicate that Chinese aid projects fuel local corruption but have no observable impact on local economic activity, they suggest that World Bank aid projects stimulate local economic activity without fuelling local corruption. |
| Keywords: | China; aid; local corruption; Africa |
| JEL: | D73 F35 O10 O55 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0667&r=ppm |
| By: | Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB) (Office of Cofinancing Operations, ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB) (Office of Cofinancing Operations, ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB) |
| Abstract: | The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) Annual Report 2014 is the 14th such report and covers the period 1 January–31 December 2014. It presents JFPR’s background and rationale, implementation progress, and achievements. Established in May 2000, JFPR provides direct grant assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in developing members of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) while fostering long-term social and economic development. The grants target poverty reduction initiatives with the direct participation of nongovernment organizations, community groups, and civil society. In 2009, the Government of Japan and ADB expanded the scope of JFPR to include provision of support to developing members through capacity development, policy and advisory, research and development, and project preparatory technical assistance. |
| Keywords: | poverty reduction, grant assistance, economic development, technical assistance, capacity development, JFPR, civil society, nongovernment organizations, annual report |
| Date: | 2016–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:asd:wpaper:rpt167912&r=ppm |