Context

Context, SCOPE-PFM

The Royal Government of Cambodia’s (RGC) Public Financial Management Reform Program, launched in 2004, has strengthened Cambodia’s public financial management (PFM) systems, particularly at the central level. Key achievements have included revenue collection reaching over 20% of GDP in 2023. Modern systems, such as the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), have streamlined the management of the state budget and assets and treasury processes, such as facilitating electronic salary payments for civil servants, further improving financial management. Cambodia has made progress in budget transparency over the past decade. The 2023 Open Budget Survey (OBS) transparency score stands at 43 out of 100, a modest improvement from 33 in 2021 and a significant rise from 15 in 2012. 

Despite such progress, considerable gaps remain, especially in transparency, poor public scrutiny, and weak oversight, which continue to undermine the effective management of public resources (such as the Executive’s Budget Proposal (28 out of 100), the Citizens Budget (42), and the Audit Report (43).

Project Purpose 

The SCOPE-PFM will contribute to strengthening good governance and democracy by enhancing transparency, democratic accountability, inclusive public participation, and oversight in public financial management through collective advocacy by civil society organizations and the active engagement of citizens.

Results

  • Result 1: CSOs and their networks increase the capacity and coordination in advocating for budget transparency, accountability, and oversight in education, social protection, public services, and natural resources through joint initiatives and targeted capacity-building activities.
  • Result 2: Citizens improve their engagement in government policy formulation and enforcement through structured dialogues and by linking local challenges with national PFM policies and reforms.
  • Result 3: Youth, women, and marginalized groups actively engage in and advocate for budget transparency, accountability, and oversight in public financial management.

Approaches

  1.  Act as coalitions engaging different networks, including the Budget Working Group, Anti-corruption Working Group, Access to Information, Women for All (W4All), Social Protection for All, youth networks, and other coalitions for influencing and lobbying.
  2. Empower the marginalized groups (the poor, women, youth, indigenous people, etc.) to engage in the PFM-related policy formulation and monitoring and local budgeting.
  3. Serve as a platform between the duty  bearers and rights holders to dialogue on PFM-related matters.
    The SCOPE-PFM employed both online and offline interventions including 1) capacity-building of CSOs and CBOs members, members of parliaments, local authorities, through training and research; 2) increasing their access to budget information, legal frameworks, and critical gender and budget analysis, and monitoring through offline and online campaign (e.g. “Mate Yeung” Mobile Application, providing a platform for citizen feedback and complaints on public service delivery); and 3) empowering the marginalized groups to engage in the local budgeting and monitoring, and dialogue on the PFM-related matters. 

Key Stakeholders

•    6 NGO Working Groups (BWG, ACWG, A2I, W4All, SP4All, and I-SAF Working Groups) in PFM, advocacy, networking, and constructive engagement with authorities and citizens alike.
•    7,000 CBO members (60% women) to access PFM information and engage with local authorities, NGO networks, and citizens on participatory local budgeting.
•    50 Members of Parliament (MPs)
•    20 researchers and officials on corruption oversight.
•    20 members of the Women's Caucus at the National Assembly will receive training to specifically learn about and advocate for gender-responsive budgeting in the National Assembly.
•    1,008 commune council members and 288 commune financial assistants and clerks on participatory PFM, and their ability to responsibly interact with citizens.
•    1,270 youths to enhance their participation in local budget discussions.
 

Beneficiaries

An estimated 1,850,000 citizens (50% women) will benefit indirectly through outreach, media, and digital campaigns, while the entire population of Cambodia will benefit from more knowledgeable and engaged CSOs and citizens in local and national public financial management.

Strategic Partners

•    The National Assembly
•    The National Audit Authority
•    The Ministry of Economy and Finance
•    The Ministry of Interior
•    The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport
•    The Ministry of Health
•    The Ministry of Rural Development
•    The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation
•    The Ministry of Women’s Affairs
•    The National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development Secretariat
•    The National Audit Authority
•    Provincial, district and commune council members, commune financial assistants and clerks
 

Implementing Partners

SCOPE-PFM funded by the European Union