Lessons from the field: the impact of civil society budget analysis and advocacy in six countries

Can civil society improve the transparency, accountability and impact of public spending? While anecdotal information has been very encouraging, there is not yet sufficient information available to answer this central question. This paper attempts to fill this gap by bringing together evidence from case studies of independent and experienced civil society budget organisations in Brazil, Croatia, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Uganda.

The paper addresses two primary questions:

• what, if any, has been the impact of civil society budget work in the six case study groups
• what are the different factors that explain such impact?

The authors find that budget groups' likelihood of having an impact depends not only on external factors, such as the political environment in the country, but also on internal factors, such as how well the group is organised. The evidence from the six case studies further highlights the importance of the relationships that groups develop with different actors. These relationships are a key component of each group's advocacy strategy, through which coalitions are built, information is passed, influence is exercised, and ultimately impact is achieved.

Broad lessons of successful budget work are:

• civil society's influence on the budget
• adaptability of budget work
• any organisation can successfully engage in budget work
• structural change requires long-term engagement
• impact is about relationships.

This guide is addressed to civil society researchers and activists that are considering (or already using) budget analysis as a tool for policy advocacy in developing countries. It is also of interest to other audiences, such as academics and donor organisations.