The extent to which parliaments and parliamentarians are able to carry out their legislative, oversight and representative functions in ways that engender good governance values of accountability, transparency and participation is of paramount importance. The budget process – preparation, approval, implementation, monitoring and evaluation – is a key component of parliaments and parliamentarians’ functions.

This is because government budgets are about the allocation of scarce resources that affect the lives of the citizenry who parliamentarians in a democratic state represent. It is therefore important that parliamentarians are equipped with the necessary tools to perform their role in the budget process, particularly, understanding the significant issues in the budget process that are of direct relevance.

The May 16-24, 2009, budget training workshop which took place in Accra, Ghana, is part of an ongoing training programs organized by Parliamentary Centre in partnership with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) for Legislators and Parliamentary Committee Staff across Africa. The theme of the workshop was The Role of Parliamentary Staff and Parliamentary Committees during the Budget Process.

The five countries who participated in the Budget Oversight training workshop included Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Rwanda, and Tanzania. A total number 18 participant of whom 8 were female and 10 male took part in the workshop.

The objectives of the training workshop were to:

• Strengthen capacity of parliamentary staff to provide professional support to parliamentarians in their performance of financial oversight functions;
• Equip parliamentary staff with tools with which to undertake critical analysis of government budgets and other policy papers which have significance to the work of parliamentarians in their legislative and oversight responsibilities; and
• Provide a platform for parliamentary staff to interact and share country experiences and best practices.

Report: training on budgetary oversight
"Role of Parliamentary Staff and Parliamentary Committees during the Budget Process"
16-24 May 2009
Accra, Ghana
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Report: training on budgetary oversight
"Financial Oversight Function of Parliamentarians: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Government Budget Analysis"
16-20 March 2009
Accra
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Training on the role of parliamentary staff and parliamentary committees during the budget process
29 September - 3 October 2008
Kampala, Uganda
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Report: training on budgetary oversight
"Financial Oversight Function of Parliamentarians: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Government Budget Analysis"
3-7 March 2008
Accra
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