The COVID crisis has resulted in governments committing more than $14 trillion in emergency spending. IBP conducted a rapid assessment of 120 countries' performance on transparency, oversight and public participation in COVID relief packages. On May 24, we published our findings and recommendations for how governments can advance open budget reforms that ensure assistance reaches those who need it most and helps build back better.
Join the conversation
Join people around the world in discussing this latest assessment, national results, and examples of good practices on social media. We have provided below some suggested social media posts, but please feel free to adapt them to your own context.
HASHTAGS: #OpenBudgets, #Account4COVID
Sample posts on Nigeria
POST 1 and GRAPHIC 1
#Nigeria was more accountable in their early fiscal policy response to COVID than many other African countries, BUT there is still much room for improvement in transparency, oversight, and public participation. https://internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
POST 2 and GRAPHIC 2
#Nigeria was one of three African countries to provide SOME level of #accountability in their COVID relief policies & spending, leaving much room for improvement in transparency, oversight, and participation. Read more: https://internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
POST 3
#Nigeria only allowed a MINIMAL role for audit institutions in oversight of COVID relief spending, whereas Sierra Leone used real-time auditing and Zambia used @INTOSAI_IDI's guidelines to help uncover misuse of these funds: https://internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
POST 4
#Nigeria—along with 111 of 120 countries—provided MINIMAL opportunities for public participation in COVID policies. One of the most successful examples of civil society/govt collaboration came from @asivikelane in #SouthAfrica: https://internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
POST 5
Civil society can play an important role in bolstering budget credibility—ensuring what is budgeted is actually spent. @BudgITng has identified several budget deviations in #Nigeria's COVID spending & @AnambraCOMEN worked w/ govt to improve underspending on health. #OpenBudgets
Other content and suggested posts
IBP's research in 120 countries shows govt fiscal policy responses to the COVID crisis are undermining #accountability—by bypassing legislatures, relaxing procurement procedures & not seeking public input. View your country's scorecard at www.internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets
New @OpenBudgets research finds that only 4 countries out of 120—Australia, Norway, Peru & Philippines—allowed for adequate levels of accountability in COVID fiscal policies. How open & accountable has your govt been in their COVID response? www.internationalbudget.org/covid #Account4COVID
IBP's research in 120 countries found that more than 2/3 of govts failed to provide enough info in COVID relief packages, and almost half bypassed legislatures to introduce them. How open & accountable has your govt been? https://internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
The COVID crisis has had a disproportionate impact on women and girls, but only 22 countries published info on COVID relief policies targeted towards women. www.internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
If we are serious about equity and justice, we must get serious about #accountability. How open & accountable has your govt been in their COVID response? https://internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
When govts introduce COVID fiscal policy responses through executive actions, they sidestep the normal process and prevent public debate. Urgency is no excuse for a lack of transparency & accountability. www.internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
In only about 25% of countries were govt auditors able to publish audit reports before the end of 2020. Check your country’s COVID #accountability scorecard at https://internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
Even during terrible crises, #accountability can work if everyone does their part in an open & collaborative way. @OpenBudgets documented numerous good practices among govt & accountability institutions in their COVID responses: www.internationalbudget.org/covid #OpenBudgets #Account4COVID
Key Messages
To build back better, governments should facilitate public debate and oversight. When officials are transparent and inclusive—and make space for historically marginalized voices to be heard—they ensure scarce resources are used wisely. When speed and accountability are pursued together, the public gets better services, which builds confidence that government can deliver. Public trust is critical to recover and renew our societies after COVID.
The international community must also make clear that governments should not just “keep the receipts,” as the IMF urged at the start of the crisis, but publish openly what they spend and what impact it is having. Donors should urge and support country-led efforts to publish more information about what they are spending and its impacts, and to facilitate oversight by legislatures, auditors and citizens.
COVID was an unprecedented shock. This was an undoubtedly difficult emergency for governments to manage. It required swift action, but too many are using the excuse of urgency to not be as transparent, accountable, or inclusive as they could be.
The volume of funds channeled for COVID-19 relief laid bare weaknesses in accountability we have seen consistently in the Open Budget Survey.
When a crisis hits, no one has all the answers. It takes all hands-on-deck to have an effective response and a resilient recovery. When citizens have a say, governments can fill informational gaps and make better decisions to ensure relief reaches those who need it most. When auditors and legislators have the independence and mandate to monitor implementation, governments can course-correct if assistance is not meeting its targets.
Make no mistake, this crisis is not over, and we must keep mobilizing resources for the global COVID response, including filling the funding gap for COVAX to ensure everyone has equitable access to vaccines. But if we are serious about equity and justice, we must simultaneously get serious about accountability. This is about ensuring assistance reaches those who need it most. When governments do not deliver as promised, underserved communities bear the brunt.