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Training
on "Budget process and civil society"
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Association
of Young Economists and the Association of Journalist Economists
along with the Center for Budget Policies and Priorities,
undertook a three-day applied budget training program in Baku,
Azerbaijan within the International Budget Project. Training
took place at the Crescent Beach Hotel and the training was
funded by the Open Society Institute and the Eurasia Foundation.
The training, which took place on May 16-18, was attended
by 25 participants selected for their interest in the program
and capacity for improving civil society's involvement in
the budget process.
The
training included the following components:
·
Background information on macroeconomic conditions in Azerbaijan,
including facts on poverty and economic trends.
· A presentation on the Azerbaijani budget, providing
details on where the budget dollars go and how this has
changed in recent years.
· A briefing on the important oil and gas sector,
and on the oil fund, with information on revenue projections
for future years.
· Four case studies of Azerbaijani organizations
that have experience in budget work.
· Small group discussions on the opportunities and
obstacles for applied budget work, as well as an opportunity
to design and discuss project proposals for future work
in Azerbaijan.
· A quick tour around the world, with examples of
different types of budget work underway and the factors
that increase the chances of organizational success.
· An analytic exercise showing how budget analysis
can be used to tell a useful story about fiscal policy.
· Networking opportunities for local organizations.
· A new simulation game to give participants an opportunity
to do their own budget analysis and then use that analysis
in an advocacy format.
At
the end of the workshop, it was apparent that there was broad
interest among most of the participants to engage more deeply
with government expenditure and revenue issues in Azerbaijan.
Participant's interactions and the proposed follow-up projects
showed that the workshop was well-timed and that this is indeed
a fertile period for budget work in Azerbaijan.
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