Traditionally, economics training in public finances has focused more on tax than public expenditure issues, and within expenditure, more on policy considerations than the more mundane matters of public expenditure management. For many years, the IMF's Public Expenditure Management Division has answered specific questions raised by fiscal economists on such missions. Based on this experience, these guidelines arose from the need to provide a general overview of the principles and practices observed in three key aspects of public expenditure management: budget preparation, budget execution, and cash planning. For each aspect of public expenditure management, the guidelines identify separately the differing practices in four groups of countries - the francophone systems, the Commonwealth systems, Latin America, and those in the transition economies. Edited by Barry H. Potter and Jack Diamond, this publication is intended for a general fiscal, or a general budget, advisor interested in the macroeconomic dimension of public expenditure management.

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (the Results Act) seeks to strengthen federal decision-making and accountability by focusing on the results of federal activities and spending. A key expectation is that the Congress will gain a clearer understanding of what is being achieved in relation to what is being spent To accomplish this, the act requires that, beginning for fiscal year 1999, agencies prepare annual performance plans containing annual performance goals covering the program activities in agencies' budget requests. In addition, Office of Management and Budget (0MB) guidance states that agency performance plans should display, by program activity the funding level being applied to achieve performance goals. Plans that meet these expectations can provide the Congress with useful information on the performance consequences of budget decisions. Our assessment of fiscal year 1999 performance plans found that agencies generally covered the program activities in their budgets, but most plans did not identify how the funding for those program activities would be 2 allocated to performance goals. To enhance the Congress' understanding of issues that may affect agencies' abilities to relate budgetary resources and results, you requested that we review selected fiscal year 1999 performance plans to (1) describe agencies' approaches to linking performance goals and budgetary resources, (2) examine characteristics that might be associated with different approaches to linking performance goals and budgetary resources, and (3) identify implications for future efforts to clarify the relationship between budgetary resources and results. More clearly describing and analyzing the approaches agencies developed to link funding requests with performance expectations can be an important foundation as the Congress reviews agencies' fiscal year 2000 performance plans.

A basic reference document for persons interested in the federal budget-making process. Emphasizes budget terms in addition to relevant economic and accounting terms to help the user appreciate the dynamics of the budget process. Also distinguishes between any differences in budgetary and non-budgetary meanings of terms. Over 300 terms defined. Index. Appendices: overview of the federal budget process, budget functional classification, and more.