2. Fiscal transparency Open Budget Surveys
2010: South Africa ranked first out of 100 countries
2015: South Africa ranked third out of 102 countries, of which:
Budget transparency: Ranked 3rd
Public participation: Ranked joint 5th
Institutional oversight: Ranked joint 2nd
Continued publication of extensive budget documentation for public scrutiny and analysis
2017 Budget tabled on 22 February 2017
Budget legislation accompanied by several publications containing detailed information
Budget data published in excel and csv format, with pivot tables available for download
Ongoing procurement reforms
New legislation drafted
Including central supplier database being fully operational and eTenders portal being available online to all

3. Public participation
Workshop sessions continually organised with civil society organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders on budgetary and reporting issues
Workshops have evolved from general discussions to focusing on key participation challenges and budget areas of interest
Informal dialogue also taking place regularly
Significant progress in the relationship between National Treasury and CSOs
Information and support provided to CSOs undertaking research and drafting CSO-led publications
Outreach sessions held with universities
Members of the general public invited by the Minister of Finance to provide budget ‘tips’
Budget data portals
New local government budget data portal “Municipal Money” launched in October 2016:
Application Programme Interface:
Developed after engagements with CSOs and in partnership with Code for South Africa, a NGO that promotes informed public decision-making using technology

4. Challenges and lessons learnt
Relationship between Government and CSOs can be volatile
During democratic transition years, SA Treasury was staffed by former political activists, CSO staff and academics that facilitated strong bilateral relationships in many sectors
Trust relationship however needs to be continually worked on and institutionalised through the development of products. May take a significant amount of time to build
Need to reach wider spectrum of stakeholders beyond the established relationships
Wide, deep and regular CSO engagement key
Lack of commonality in requests from various CSOs makes it difficult to satisfy needs
Both CSOs and government need to be committed to improving their budget interactions within themselves and with each other. Coordination amongst stakeholders key
Interactive hubs and IT portals allow different users to utilise information in multiple ways
Budget information by its nature is technically challenging and difficult to interpret
CSOs and media need to play an intermediary role to meaningfully empower citizens
Analytical abilities and evidence-based rigour required
Citizen-owned publications on budgets are useful in bridging the knowledge gap
Social audits also play a key role

5. Challenges and lessons learnt
Disaggregated budget and service delivery information not always readily available or centrally located
Information to be made readily available to the extent possible
The Treasury’s mandate and role within government needs to be taken into consideration
CSOs to approach government institutions with the relevant information as opposed to expecting the Treasury to be a ‘1-stop shop’ or a ‘big brother’
Public participation is challenged by a lack of engagement during the formulation phase of the budget process
Budget timeframes are inherently narrow
Not feasible to attempt to have CSOs involved in all the steps of the budget process
Need to establish key strategic spaces for interaction
Availability of funding and resources limited
Co-funding and resource sharing

6. Going forward
Continued publication of extensive, improved budget documentation and data for public scrutiny and analysis
National Treasury committed to continually improving its budget relationships with CSOs and other stakeholders. The building of supplementary and complementary relationships also encouraged
Use of social media and other avenues to reach the general public more readily
National government data portal
Currently in progress
Being developed in true partnership with CSOs
Iterative agile approach of development in rapid cycles to allow data to be made available in the phased manner and be launched in phases
Procurement reforms ongoing
Draft Public Procurement Bill to be published shortly to establish a single procurement authority and consolidate the currently fragmented regulatory environment

7. Thank you