Michael Parry Consulting is part of a joint venture with CIPFA and WYG International to strengthen PFM capacity in Somalia.  The programme involves working with Universities in Somalia to deliver training through web based tools – webinars, electronic documentation, remote queries and discussions.  Tutors within the faculty of each University will be trained to support the training.  Students, all from the public sector, will sit the internationally recognised CIPFA International Public Financial Management (IPFM) examinations, supplemented by additional papers on Somalia PFM issues.  Training will also be provided to senior managers and on improvements to the budget process within Somalia.  The programme is being supported by the World Bank.

Key features of the programme include:

• Collaboration between the  Federal Government of Somalia, regional governments within Somalia, Universities and international institutions including CIPFA
• Integration of the internationally recognised CIPFA qualifications with University academic programmes
• Development of a sustainable PFM training capacity with Somalia Universities
• Use of a web-based open distance learning programme integrated with tutorial support by the Universities

This programme builds on an earlier and more limited project in Somalia that significant success in delivering accounting training through a web based system and the Universities.  The current programme is more ambitious, specifically focussed on the the public sector and will make enhanced use of web technologies to deliver training in an environment that presents multiple challenges.

In order to be able delver this programme Michael parry Consulting Limited has been joined by Phill Bernier as a Director to provide specialist skills in the area of web design and web based learning.

Michael Parry was one of the presenters at the Public Expenditure management Peer Assisted Learning (PEMPAL) planar meeting in Moscow in May 2014.  Michael Parry presented a paper on Financial Reporting and Fiscal Transparency.The CROSS-COP Plenary Meeting brought together around 200 participants including PEMPAL network members from 18 countries; representatives of key donors including the World Bank, the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of the Swiss Government; and speakers from different international and national organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT), International Budget Partnership (IBP) and representatives from the Governments of Russian Federation, Turkey, South Africa, Mexico, as well as the PEMPAL Secretariat

The Treasury Community of Practice (TCOP) workshop on “Practical Issues in Relation to Accounting and Reporting in the Public Sector” brought together 65 participants: 54 practitioners from 18 PEMPAL countries and experts from the World Bank.  Michael Parry provided an overview of the issues and also supported discussions on consolidated financial reporting.

During October Michael Parry visited Dushanbe, Tajikistan, as one of his regular visits in the role of Adviser to the Public Financial Management (PFM) Council of Tajikistan.  The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has been undertaking a major programme of reform to PFM and many of the changes are now being implemented.  These include a series of budget reforms

• A Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) approach for social sector Ministries
• A new budget classification consistent with GFS 2001
• New budget software enabling Ministries to directly enter their own budget estimates

For 2014 a further series of changes will be implemented including:

• A new Unified Chart of Accounts constant with the new budget classification
• A new Financial Management Information System (FMIS) integrated with the budget
• A restructured Treasury focussing on reporting, cash and commitment management

The new FMIS and integrated budget and accounting classifications will enable enhance financial and budget reporting.  As part of this upgrade of reporting, a series of 10 Tajikistan Public Sector Accounting Standards (TPSAS, based on IPSAS) have been developed and are being considered for adoption.  It is then expected that Tajikistan will move to publishing TPSAS consistent financial statements.

A joint World Bank – EC – DFID – SECO mission during October was favourable impressed by the progress of the PFM reforms.  All of these organisations have supported the reform programme, and it  hoped that such support will continue in the future.

Michael Parry provided technical support to a workshop of the PEMPAL (www.pempal.org) Treasury Community of Practice in Skopje during September.  The objective of the workshop was to develop a series of thematic groups on topics of concern to member countries.  The three themes selected were accounting standards, assets and consolidation.  A group of self selected member counties was formed for each topic and action plans and outcomes agreed. A full report will be posted on the PEMPAL web site.

During September Michael Parry provided technical support to the PEMPAL (www.pempal.org) Treasury Community of Practice (TCoP) leadership group during a study visit to the UK.  This included several days at HM Treasury, visits to CIPFA and presentation by representatives of IFAC and the IPSAS Board. Of particular interest was the review of the UK PFM system from the perspective of other countries.  A paper reviewing the UK PFM system against international models is being developed and will be published on this site.

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