Call circulars

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Call circularsgender budget statements
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Introduction

• Many GRB initiatives begin with analysis.
• But ultimate aim is to change budgets (and
  related policies)
• Call circulars gender budget statements (GBS)
  can assist government officials in this task
• These tools go beyond analysis to planning,
  allocation and monitoring
• These tools most suitable to GRB within
  government
• But provide information for parliamentarians and
  civil society
• Call circular exists in all countries (but with
  different names)
• GBS is GRB-specific tool

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What are call circulars?

• Call circulars are official notices issued by
  Ministry of Finance near beginning of each budget
  cycle.
• Purpose instruct government agencies how to
  submit demands for the coming year
• (usually) gives each agency a budget ceiling
• gives other instructions how to construct
  format the draft budget
• says how to present motivations for the budget
• Format of budget submissions differs widely
  across countries.
• Some consist mainly of tables of financial
  numbers
• Others especially with performance budgeting
  include more narrative plus numbers showing
  delivery performance

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Making the call circular gender-responsive

• State explicitly that gender must be reflected in
  submissions
• State that gender will be considered an important
  criterion during negotiations
• Require all relevant indicators to be
  sex-disaggregated
• Require that gender-related indicators be
  included wherever relevant
• If separate specification of new policies
  savings, require clear statement of gender
  implications.
• Clear specifications get the best results

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Call circular in UGANDA

• Government is committed to mainstreaming gender
  and equity objectives in the planning and
  budgeting process. This involves articulation of
  the needs of special groups including women,
  orphans, elderly, youth and the persons with
  disabilities and integration of the respective
  interventions with the existing programmes as
  part of the budgeting process. The guidelines
  have been incorporated in the Terms of Reference
  for the Sector Working Groups (SWGs). You are
  therefore requested to identify these
  requirements and ensure that the cost
  implications are integrated in the budget
  estimates for next financial year 2005/06 and the
  medium term.
• Guidelines on Gender and Equity Budgeting for
  Sector Working Groups suggest steps to be taken

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Call circular in TANZANIA

• 2006/07 budget guidelines include gender
  section which is a page long
• Increased from one paragraph a few years ago
• Gender section
• explains that the Women and Gender Development
  Policy and Strategy provides overall framework
  for gender mainstreaming
• describes both achievements and constraints in
  respect of achieving the goals of the policy
• ends with 5 policy commitments and 4 priority
  areas for resource allocation to guide ministries
  when they draw up their budgets

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Call circular in PAKISTAN

• Punjab province Recently introduced MTBF
• 2006/07 call circular required all departments to
  provide sex-disaggregated information on
  employee-related expenses
• 2007/08 call circular asks that
• Gender be included in mission, vision, objectives
  as appropriate
• All indicators related to individuals be
  sex-disaggregated
• Gender-related indicators be included as
  appropriate

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Ensuring gender-responsive call circulars achieve
their aim

• Firstly, agency officials must know that budget
  submissions will be considered more favourably if
  gender issues are addressed
• include reps of national gender machinery on team
  that interrogates submissions
• ensure that MoF budget officers understand the
  gender requirements
• Secondly, ensure that agency officials have
  necessary capacity to follow gender instructions
• provide training, mentoring, etc
• Thirdly, give specific instructions rather than
  general call for gender responsiveness
• e.g. all indicators on individuals be
  sex-disaggregated
• e.g. specific gender issues, such as economic
  empowerment, to be addressed
• Fourthly, provide personal incentives for
  officials to perform well on gender
• Include in performance assessment

9
What is a gender budget statement?

• GBS is gender-specific accountability document
  produced by government
• shows the agencys intention to do something in
  respect of gender equality and
• show that the agency is putting money where its
  mouth is
• Sometimes the GBS is part of the main budget
  document.
• May not be read by gender advocates
• Sometimes the GBS is produced as a separate
  report.
• May be ignored by mainstream
• Most important Table GBS on budget day to make
  it official

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More about GBS

• GBS is prepared after government agencies have
  allocated resources (budgets) in response to call
  circular
• Preparation of GBS is therefore not part of
  process of prioritisation
• Instead, GBS is a post mortem report
• BUT.
• Reflections of government officials,
  parliamentarians civil society on what is in
  the GBS can result in changes in prioritisation
  in following years

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What does a GBS look like?

• To make it easier
• for government officials to compile the statement
  
• for parliamentarians public to read
  understand it
• use standard format across all agencies
• To make it easier for government officials
• Base format on standard budgeting approach used
  in that country
• e.g. use same concepts (outcomes, outputs,
  indicators)
• Because GBS is a summary, it cannot cover all
  activities.
• To help choose activities ask
• Where is most money going? i.e. mainstreaming
• Which programmes are most important for gender
  equality?

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GBS in INDIA

• For 2006-07 Union Budget, Finance Ministry in
  India produced GBS for 18 departments
• Two categories of allocations highlighted
• allocations targeted 100 at women or girls
• allocations where at least 30 of the allocation
  was targeted at women or girls.
• Not yet performance budgeting in India, so no
  outputs or outcomes

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GBS in France

• Yellow Budget Paper on Womens Rights and Gender
  Equality
• Produced each year since 1999 together with
  Finance Bill
• 2006 185 pages long
• France also has Yellow Budget Papers on other
  cross-cutting issues
• For the gender Yellow Budget Paper, each
  department is required to
• identify all programmes and actions targeted at
  women or girls
• identify all actions it has taken to promote
  gender equality
• describe its policy on gender equality
• present indicators that it uses to measure its
  contribution

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GBS in SOUTH AFRICA

• Since 2003, each department in Gauteng province
  produces GBS as part of main budget document.
• GBS presented in five parts
• Outcomes outputs of the 3 largest
  sub-programmes (in money terms) their
  implications for gender equality
• Outcomes and outputs which specifically target
  women and girls
• Outcomes and outputs which will benefit
  women/promote gender equality
• Outcomes and outputs which will benefit women
  employees within the Gauteng provincial
  government
• Number of male and female government employees by
  level.

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GBS in Morocco

• 2005 First GBS
• Tabled as annex to Economic and Financial Report
  which accompanies Budget Law.
• In 2005 focused on ministries considered most
  important for MDGs
• As in France, narrative rather than standard
  format
• Narrative may be easier to read for some people
• Narrative means more work for government officials

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Ensuring GBS achieves its aim

• GBS will only ensure accountability if used
  effectively more likely to happen
• if GBS easily available
• if easy to read and understand
• if not too long.
• Secondary aim making government officials aware
  of gaps. Will only happen
• if government officials take task seriously
• if officials understand what they are doing.
• Some GRB initiatives employ external gender
  experts to work on GBS
• If experts work with officials, this can help
  officials
• If experts work on their own, product may be
  better, but less likely impact on budget