PFM in fragile states - Simon Gill

Effective Public Financial Management (PFM) in fragile states is a critical foundation for basic economic governance and in establishing the performance, legitimacy and accountability of functional states. Extreme poverty is increasingly located in these countries, which face multiple challenges of ongoing conflict, instability and resource constraints, both financial and human. A June 2015 summary ICAI review noted that three quarters of DFID’s priority countries are now affected by conflict and fragility and forward estimates reinforce the notion that fragile states will continue to be the location for those in most need of support and assistance. In addition, the ICAI review identified that one of the most common barriers to progress identified by DFID in its Country Poverty Reduction Diagnostic was weak core state capacity in tax, budgeting, and financial management, and the direct impact of this on the ability to implement policy and deliver public services.

Simon Gill is Project Director for ODI’s Budget Strengthening Initiative, which supports fragile, conflict affected and transitional states to build more effective, transparent and accountable budget systems. This currently includes programmes in South Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone and DRC together with support to the g7+ group of fragile states. He is an accountant by training and has worked in overseas governments in both Africa and Asia as well as working in policy, operational and corporate capacities in DFID. He has also worked for Sida and has extensive work experience in the UK public sector. He is a signatory of the Doing Development differently manifesto which advocates for a more context-sensitive, locally owned and problem driven approach to development.