Has Sweden injected realism into public financial management reforms in partner countries?
- Matt Andrews
- May 2015
- Harvard Kennedy School
- International
In this report, Andrews takes a specific look at whether Sweden has contributed to increased realism in poor country reform of public finance management (PFM) over the last decades. What he labels as a ’realistic approach’ pertains to efforts at working in more iterative ways, putting local reformers in the forefront and applying a more practical approach to doing reform rather than merely focus on its technical content. Donors have in recent years placed increased importance on public finance management reforms. When country systems are used, donors need to have confidence in these systems. Andrews’ argument is that a bilateral donor like Sweden, which has recent experiences from its own reform processes and has its own experts who have knowledge about how to reform, could contribute more to international reform collaborations.
