Public Financial Management for PRSP - Deutsches Institut für ...
Public Financial Management for PRSP - Deutsches Institut für ...
Public Financial Management for PRSP - Deutsches Institut für ...
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<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Financial</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>PRSP</strong> Implementation in Malawi<br />
Part III: Analysis and Recommendations<br />
7 <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Financial</strong> <strong>Management</strong> under Uncertainty:<br />
The Case of Malawi<br />
This section draws together the empirical findings in each of the key areas<br />
described in the preceding section and presents some more general results<br />
regarding actual PFM practice in Malawi. The main finding shows that actual<br />
PFM practices and, in particular, the budget process differ significantly from<br />
<strong>for</strong>mal rules and procedures. Instead of being guided by this generally well<br />
designed framework, the actual PFM process is characterised by three main<br />
features. These are:<br />
— Ad hoc mode of planning and budgeting: Malawi’s PFM is not characterised<br />
by routinised and standard bureaucratic procedures but rather by<br />
an ad hoc mode of action throughout the system.<br />
— In<strong>for</strong>mal practices: Apart from deliberate manipulation of processes <strong>for</strong><br />
personal gain, in<strong>for</strong>mal practices are often used as pragmatic solutions<br />
to cope with unexpected problems and shortcomings.<br />
— Uncertainty: Uncertainty has many dimensions in Malawi’s PFM system.<br />
The two most important ones are uncertainty with regard to financial<br />
resources and <strong>for</strong>mal rules. Uncertainty in terms of financial resources<br />
denotes the fact that various actors in Malawi’s PFM system do<br />
not know the amount of money they will have at their disposal <strong>for</strong> implementing<br />
policies during the next financial year. Even after their<br />
budgets have been approved, cutbacks occur frequently. Furthermore,<br />
various actors do not know when they will be told how much money<br />
they will receive as the official schedule is not being adhered to (ceilings<br />
and time of disbursement). Uncertainty in terms of <strong>for</strong>mal rules thus refers<br />
to a twofold problem: For one, it describes the problem that stakeholders<br />
do not know <strong>for</strong>mal rules and procedures, or are uncertain which<br />
rules apply in a particular situation. In addition, the term refers to the<br />
fact that given the constant non-adherence to <strong>for</strong>mal rules, most actors<br />
cannot be sure that others adhere to the rules and thus do not know<br />
whether they themselves will be able to follow <strong>for</strong>mal procedures in fulfilling<br />
their functions.<br />
German Development <strong>Institut</strong>e 125