About this event

Spread across eight policy areas and to be implemented over a three-year period, structural reform measures outlined in the ERPs are set to tackle the most important structural obstacles to competitiveness and inclusive growth of a country. However, in light of the Covid-19 outbreak, the continuity of key structural reforms should also be assured by adjusting them to this new situation while also focusing on long-term development priorities and stability of macro-fiscal framework.

The ERP for period 2021-23 is expected to reflect the evolving Covid-19 health and economic crisis in a country. It should be designed to focus on measures providing an immediate fiscal, economic and social policy response to mitigate the impact of pandemic as well as on the transition from these short-term to more structural measures to foster the medium-term recovery.

In the situation of undepictable and volatile fiscal risks (such as those caused by the Covid-19 pandemic), it is even more important that all recovery and structural reform measures included in the ERP are fully costed and funded.

Following that endeavour, this online course will provide a platform for assessing the adequacy of direction and objectives of measures proposed for inclusion in the 2021 – 2023 ERP, accuracy of envisaged implementation costs and their sustainability within overall macro-fiscal framework.

The overall objective of this online course is to strengthen the skills needed for assessment of fiscal implications of structural reforms, which is expected to result in more realistic cost estimates and reduced delays in their implementation.

At this online course, the officials working on design and planning of policies will practically implement the Methodological Guidance for Costing of Structural Reforms (Costing Guidance) to ensure realistic and consistent estimation of implementation costs of their measures, and therefore prepare them for inclusion in the 2021 – 2023 ERP. In addition, they will appraise how well articulated measures’ description and sequencing can contribute to secure funding for their implementation in the medium-term budget process.

While taking a problem-solving and participatory approach, the focus of this event will be on assessment of the costs and funding sources of draft structural reforms from all eight policy areas, while the drafted descriptions of structural reforms will be reviewed from the perspective if they provide sufficient information for doing proper costing.

The online course will complement the European Commission ‘s Guidance for the ERP 2021-2023, while answering the identified country specific learning needs. It builds on the knowledge shared and lessons learned during the series of events delivered in North Macedonia throughout 2019 and 2020.

What will you learn

This event will be highly participatory and oriented towards practical implementation of the Costing Guidance to structural reforms to be included in the next ERP. By attending this event, the participants will have a possibility to appraise the drafted costs of their institutions’ structural reforms, while getting assistance and advice on prospects for overcoming the main costing challenges.  

In particular, upon the completion of this training, participants will be able to:

• understand the principles of Methodological Guidance for Costing of Structural Reforms and how to practically implement it in preparation of inputs for the ERP;
• assess how to streamline the process of cooperation and information exchange between line ministries, the Ministry of Finance Budget Department, and the ERP Coordinator;
• examine elements of the European Commission‘s Guidance for the ERP 2021-2023 relevant to costing and financing of structural reforms;
• appraise how to strengthen existing structural reforms and define new ones to mitigate the impact of covid-19 impact to economy.

Who should attend

Invited to participate are the officials involved in the design, costing and budgeting of structural reforms outlined in the ERP, which include: 

• National ERP Coordinator and members of the working group for the ERP preparation
• Officials working at the finance and policy departments of line ministries
• Officials working at the budget department of Ministry of Finance

Faculty

• Saša Jazbec, CEF expert and former State Secretary, Ministry of finance of Slovenia
• Silvana Mojsovska, CEF Expert and professor at University of Economics, Skopje, North Macedonia

Practical information

This online course is implemented as part of the CEF’s regional project “Strengthening Line Ministries’ Capacities to Assess Fiscal Implications of Structural Reforms”.

Applications need to be submitted by September 21, 2020 via online application form. 

• This course will be delivered online.
• It will feature 5 online meetings and self-paced study of learning resources. The presence is required only during the online meetings. The first meeting will be held on Sept 25, 2020 for all participants and then each participant attends at least the timeslot of the policy area he/she covers (on Oct 20 and/or 21, 2020).
• To participate at it, the basic information technology is needed (internet connection and computer).
• The course will be held in Macedonian and English language.
• Upon successful completion of this online course you will receive a certificate.
• No participation fee will be charged.

Partners

This learning initiative was supported by: