According to a news release, “on average 40-60% of public expenditure goes to social spending in Africa, which calls for improved governance, and voice and accountability in social spending.
“In order to foster and sustain progress in human development, African countries need to focus on results for the money that they spend on social services.
“Parliamentarians play a pivotal role in resource allocation, ensuring delivery on results and enhancing accountability in social sectors.”
Consequently, the African Development Bank (AfDB), in collaboration with the Government of Norway (NORAD), Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Harmonization for Health in Africa (HHA) partners (WHO, World Bank and UNICEF), ECOWAS, Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI), Gates Foundation, and Clinton Access Initiative are organizing a capacity building activity for ECOWAS parliamentarians.
Described as the first capacity building event on “Value for Money, Sustainability and Accountability (VfM) in Social Sectors,” it will be held in June 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria.
We further learned that the 15 participating countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
The event seeks to enhance awareness, knowledge, and skills for improving value for money, sustainability and accountability in social sectors for parliamentarians.
The event specifically targets chairpersons of parliamentary budget committees, social sector committees, and education and health committees from ECOWAS countries.
It should provide an opportunity for the members of the PAC/PEC of the National Assembly in The Gambia to attend, and gain some fresh insights in this area, as well as to share experiences and knowledge on best practice with the other participants.
"Price
is what you pay. Value is what you get."
Warren
Buffett
