Few would argue that a country’s development trajectory is not crucially influenced by its government’s ability to manage public resources. The stability of the economy, the delivery of basic services such as education and health - even the legitimacy of the state itself - all greatly depend on effective and equitable public finance management. In fragile and conflict-affected states, public finance reforms have been high on the agenda for both donors and governments alike -- and a key part of the picture has been how aid is delivered and managed. But what kinds of reforms and what kind of instruments have proved the most successful? And how can the international community best support the governments of fragile states?

This seminar will explore these questions from the perspectives of both research and practice. Marcus Manuel and Alastair McKechnie will talk on the lessons emerging from ODI’s Budgets Strengthening Initiative, a project which provides ‘arms-length’ support to the governments of fragile states to build better budgets through a team of international experts and in-country advisors. Edward Hedger will present the findings of a major Overseas Development Institute (ODI)/World Bank study into public finance reforms in post-conflict countries.

This seminar was presented by the Development Policy Centre at the Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University. The seminar was moderated by Crawford School Senior Lecturer and Devpolicy Research Associate Bjoern Dressel.

Presentation slides are available from the Devpolicy events page: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolicy/events

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