The newly established Public Finance Management Experts Network (PFM Experts Network) in Peru met in the capital Lima this week, in yet another demonstration of bottom-up momentum in improving long-term Public Finance Management capacity in Peru.

The Network is an initiative of the graduates who completed the Diploma in Management and Public Finances in 2018 with financial support from Switzerland. It is hoped that it will foster dialogue in the management of public finances at the three levels of government, academia and civil society. The initiative, which already has 200 members across Peru, is supported by the Swiss Cooperation - SECO in Peru and Basel Institute on Governance - Peru.

In the words of its members, the Network seeks to be a space for reflection on the challenges and progress made in improving resource allocation and macro-processes around public sector spending. It also seeks to promote concrete and sustained change based on international best practices.

The meeting brought together the Network’s regional coordinators and experts from the Peruvian regions of Apurímac, Cusco, San Martín, La Libertad, Lambayeque and Piura. The discussion was enhanced by the presence of international experts such as Bruno Giussanni, who participated in the production of 43 Public Expenditure and Accountability (PEFA) evaluation reports, and the director of the PEFA Secretariat, James Kromann, who flew in from the USA.

Bruno Giussani expressed his appreciation for the way in which the subnational PEFA assessments, undertaken in 2017, are now being utilised to prepare and execute action plans for Public Finance Management reform in the regions and municipalities in which they were applied. He also – and perhaps more importantly – praised the progress being made to include civil society organisations and other relevant actors to support PFM capacity building at the local level. He sees great potential for this initiative to be replicated in countries around the world.  

For his part, James Kromann congratulated the vision of the Subnational PFM Programme, which has focused the attention of PFM experts on the specific reforms needed in each region. "Knowledge management and innovation are undoubtedly key factors in ensuring strategic resource management and operational efficiency. I congratulate the Swiss Cooperation - SECO forr continuing to emphasise PFM reform as a means to ensure better provision of services to the population," he said.

The delegation also held meetings at the Swiss Embassy with the Swiss Cooperation – SECO’s National Programme Officer Jenny Valencia, who praised the initiative. She commented: “There is so much experience to share in this group of people. The aim is to debate and analyse PFM issues, and ground them in concrete procedures for improving the management of public finances. At SECO, we praise these fine professionals who make up the Network, who are willing to contribute a significant amount of their time and experience for the sustainable development of Peru.”

The event was also attended by the Director of the Subnational PFM Program and Manager of the Basel Institute on Governance’s Peru office, Oscar Solórzano. Dr. Solórzano commented on the importance of promoting such a “bottom-up” knowledge network, in which development is focused on people with initiatives to bring real change in decisions and priorities and who have real involvement with the problems in their regions. The activities in Lima were coordinated by the Leader of the Sustainability component of the Subnational PFM Programme, Limberg Chero, who is helping to guide the initiative.

See the original news item (in Spanish) and photos from the Network's meeting in Lima.