The Swedish National Financial Management Authority1 Hermes the IT system supporting the Swedish budget process Maria Kain The Swedish National Financial Management Authority

The Swedish National Financial Management Authority2 Why a new IT system? To improve infrastructure quality of data efficiency transparency access to information links and communication between participants in the budget process metadata

The Swedish National Financial Management Authority3 Before Hermes

The Swedish National Financial Management Authority4 Hermes a web based IT system with 1500 users within the budgetprocess ESV and associated systems MoF Budget Department Budget users Line Ministries The Public Parliament Swedish National Debt Office (SNDO) Swedish National Audit Office Hermes data base

The Swedish National Financial Management Authority5 Hermes An information pool and tool Spring Fiscal Policy Bill Hermes Detailed allocation of funds to approriations Budget Bill Forecasts Accounts in the SNDO Monthly Outcome Amendments to the Letters of Instructions Annual Report incl appropriations Carry over of unspent funds Budget Submissions Annual Letters of Instructions

The Swedish National Financial Management Authority6 Hermes’ support to users in the Budget Department All relevant figures are found in Hermes Integrated short and medium term perspective Comments and explanations available Centralized and partly automatic price/salary adjustment Tools for simple forecasts and simulations Correct migration of data from budget preparation to the Budget Bill and to budget execution Budget totals staff Instant and reliable overview of the budget situation Late changes possible Desk officers Don’t have to double check data Forecasting dialogue with the Line Minsitries in the system Letters of instructions are authorized in the system Administration of authority to carry over unspent money

The Swedish National Financial Management Authority7 Security of information The users have access to Hermes depending on who they are their function within the process the current stage of the process Each user is individually authorized to the system and has a personal password

The Swedish National Financial Management Authority8 What did we gain? All information can be found in one place Quick access to the information in Hermes High quality data The information in Hermes is always up to date Less risk of mistakes Less work repeated Greater transparency within the budget process Good traceability and control Easy access to information about earlier years Metadata – institutional memory Hermes contributes to an efficient budget process

The Swedish National Financial Management Authority9 What’s next? Revenue items Non financial results and facts Improvements in user interface Add information from earlier years More standard reports Parliament? The Public?