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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Stefan Leiderer et al.<br />
The methods used in conducting this case study were mainly qualitative. The<br />
research team conducted more than 140 semi-structured interviews with various<br />
stakeholders and carried out an extensive review of literature and official<br />
documents. This set of data was complemented with data gained from nonparticipant<br />
observations and in<strong>for</strong>mal conversations. The interview partners<br />
came from various contexts, among them politicians and administrative personnel<br />
at various government levels, staff of multi or bilateral donor agencies,<br />
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the media, traditional authorities<br />
and ordinary citizens (<strong>for</strong> a list of interview partners see Annex 2). The<br />
research project was closely coordinated with a Malawian partner organisation,<br />
the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) as well as<br />
with GTZ experts in Malawi and Germany.<br />
A particular focus of this study is on education and health to account <strong>for</strong> the<br />
central role these sectors play in the M<strong>PRSP</strong> and with regard to poverty reduction<br />
in general. Furthermore, these sectors are often pilot sectors <strong>for</strong> decentralisation<br />
re<strong>for</strong>ms or the introduction of new development assistance<br />
approaches such as SWAps. The sectors of primary education, basic health<br />
and democratic decentralisation are also focal areas of Malawi-German development<br />
cooperation. The results of this study are there<strong>for</strong>e particularly<br />
relevant <strong>for</strong> German development agencies.<br />
Structure of the report<br />
This report is divided into three parts. First, Part I introduces the three subjects<br />
of this study (the <strong>PRSP</strong> approach, decentralisation in developing countries<br />
and public financial management) in detail and sets the conceptual<br />
framework <strong>for</strong> this study (Chapter 2). It then <strong>for</strong>mulates the main research<br />
question and presents the research design and methodology (Chapter 3). Part<br />
I ends with a presentation of the case study (Chapter 4), providing the rationale<br />
why Malawi was selected as case study and some relevant background<br />
in<strong>for</strong>mation on the country, particularly on recent political history, decentralisation,<br />
the Malawian <strong>PRSP</strong> and on the sectors education and health in Malawi.<br />
Part II presents the empirical findings collected during the research. Theory<br />
and practice of PFM in Malawi are contrasted with each other and the blatant<br />
discrepancy between <strong>for</strong>mal rules and procedures and actual PFM practice is<br />
discussed (Chapter 5). Key areas where major weaknesses undermine Malawi’s<br />
<strong>for</strong>mal PFM-system are identified (Chapter 6).<br />
20 German Development <strong>Institut</strong>e