FLAIR - Forum for Learning and Action with Innovation and Rigour

PLANNING FOR BILLIONS

FLAIR works to improve planning and budgeting processes from Local Governance level to Union Government

Research

Training

Workshops

Publications

As part of this initiative we do the following activities

Public administration in India has been plagued by a lack of focus on results and outcomes that matter most to citizens. Annual planning and monitoring revolves largely around the allocation of the government’s budget to its departments and programmes and periodically checking if the money is being spent and activities completed.

"Did they do it?" is the operative question to judge performance — did they build enough toilets , did they open schools and hospitals? Such an approach, however, completely misses the difference between doing the job, and doing the job efficiently and effectively.

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An outcomes-based approach shifts the perspective to the short and long-term outcomes of governance. So what? is the operative question here — so what if toilets were built, are they clean and functional and did open defecation reduce?

At FLAIR we are working on the concept – Planning for Billions that analyses the plan and budget of - (a) the Union of India,(b) the States, and (c) the Panchayats and Municipal Corporations, and the output and outcome achieved with the money spent.

We find out the following -

What are the requirements of planning for programmes/schemes adequate in terms of quantity and appropriate in terms of strategy?

Is the money allocated and spent on programmes/schemes adequate to match the requirements in terms of quantity and is the unit cost appropriate in terms of money required to accomplish the task?

Are the planning, budgeting and sanctioning/expenditure of money appropriately decentralized for efficient and effective performance of programmes/schemes?

Are the systems of monetary control and accountability by people of India and their representatives functioning properly for the government programmes/schemes?

What could be appropriate roles of corporate sector for accomplishing the social welfare goals in India?

As part of this initiative we do the following activities –

KNOWLEDGE BUILDING (RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION)

At present FLAIR is carrying out Costing and Budget Analysis for the following sector – · School Education · Food, Health and Nutrition · Water, Sanitation and Hygiene · Women and Children Safety and Protection · Agriculture and Livelihood · Clean Energy

We have carried out the research for — · Budget allocation and Cost Requirement Calculations of ICPS, ICDS and RTE Act, 2009 for Rajasthan, Bihar and Union of India · Budget Analysis of Nutrition and Food Programmes for Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and the Union of India · Annual Child Budget Analysis: Policy and Budget Analysis of the Social Sector Programmes – Union of India and 12 States. Budget Analysis of Union of India and the States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Delhi from a Child Rights perspective with special focus on Health & Nutrition and WaSH.

SKILL AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT BODIES

As part of this initiative we – · Organise consultative meetings with academia, government, research organizations, NGOs and peoples’ representatives, and · Work with the government to improve the plans and budget priorities (both quantity and quality).

We organise - · Pre Budget and Post Budget Workshops and Consultations in Delhi and various State Capitals · Consultations with Members of Parliament, Legislative Assemblies and Local Governance.

We regularly conduct training workshops (monthly) on costing and budget analysis around social welfare schemes. To be a part of the next workshop.

Please contact FLAIR’s Executive Director at— Email ID — info@flairindia.org, ajay.s@flairindia.org

You can register yourself for a free workshop on “Planning for Billions” in Delhi, Hyderabad, Patna, Lucknow, Ranchi, Dehradun, Mumbai, Jaipur, where the intricacies of Planning and Budgeting are learnt. This is ideal for NGO workers and research scholars in the area of economics, public administration, social work, development studies and for practitioners working in the area of Public Finance and Accountability Mechanisms.

Write to us at info@flairindia.org to enroll for the upcoming workshop.