Eye on Public Finances

Posted on
Belgrade, Serbia
multiannual

BIRN Serbia

BIRN Serbia’s Eye on Public Finances programme aims to increase government transparency and accountability in the sphere of public finances by generating public demand and creating opportunities for constructive debate among stakeholders, and increasing citizen participation.

Summary

In 2012, this programme ran a number of projects from its Belgrade headquarters, including the Resource Center, Social Audit, National Budget Forum, Citizens Budget, Make Your Budget Application, and Citizens Participation in the Budget Process.

The multi-year programme aims to foster fact-based debate among stakeholders, resulting in changes in attitudes and policies. It also looks to increase the transparency of state institutions and agencies and their policies while increasing the capacity of the media for in-depth analytical reporting. In addition, Eye on Public Finances seeks to improve the government’s budget planning process and develop sustainable mechanisms for citizen participation in the budget process.

With these goals in mind, the programme takes an innovative approach to communicating macroeconomic policy and public financial management to the people of Serbia, while providing know-how to the Ministry of Finance and setting the groundwork for creating a sustainable framework for communicating the budget to the people of Serbia.

Under the programme, BIRN Serbia conducts social audit research (in education and health) and develops online databases. BIRN Serbia’s journalists contribute analysis and investigative journalism reports, and the team produces and promotes a Citizen’s Budget and organises the National Budget Forum. BIRN Serbia has also developed the web application Make Your Budget.

BIRN Serbia partners with ProConcept for the Eye on Public Finances programme. The British Embassy to Serbia and the USAID BEP Programme are donors.

Information Sheet

Main Objective:
To increase governments transparency and accountability in sphere of public finances through generating public demand and creating opportunities for constructive debate among stakeholders and for citizens participation
Specific Objectives:
  • Fact-based debate among stakeholders fostered, resulting in changes in attitudes and policies
  • Increased transparency of state institutions and agencies and their policies
  • Increased capacities of media for in-depth analytical reporting
  • Improvement of the budget planning process and developing sustainable mechanisms for citizens participation in budget processes
  • To take an innovative approach to communicating macroeconomic policy and public financial management to the people of Serbia and various interest groups.
  • Providing know-how to the Ministry of Finance and set the ground for creating a sustainable framework for communicating the budget to the people of Serbia.

Main Activities: 

  • Social Audit research (in education and health) production and promotion
  • Development of on –line data bases
  • Analytical and investigative journalistic reporting
  • Production and promotion of the Citizens Budget
  • Organization of the National Budget Forum
  • Development of web application Make your Budget

Target Groups:

Expert community, public administration, journalists, general public