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About the Project

The Center’s international project began in the latter half of 1997 and is an outgrowth of the Center’s multi-faceted approach to domestic policy work. The project focuses on a range of activities designed to increase the capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and researchers in developing countries to analyze budget and tax policies, particularly as they affect the poor, and to strengthen the role of budget processes and institutions in such countries. The overall goal is to make budget systems more transparent and accountable to the public, and thus more responsive to the needs of society.

As a first step, in December 1997 the Center hosted a networking and skill-building conference for researchers and NGOs working on budget issues. All regions of the world were represented, with attendees coming from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, India, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, Namibia, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, the United States, and the West Bank. A second international conference is to be held in February 1999.

The range of project activities includes:

• Fostering linkages among researchers so that they can exchange information and collaborate on an ongoing basis;
• Analyzing and disseminating international economic budget data;
• Providing information and technical assistance on model approaches;
• Abetting linkages between NGOs and domestic and international experts;
• Extending analytic and technical help with specific problems such as designing budget process reforms; and
• Assisting the development of international NGOs and researchers into technical assistance providers and resource organizations for their regions of the world.

Finally, the project may also undertake to strengthen understanding of the relationship between military spending and other parts of the budget.

Established in 1981, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has been a pioneer of budget and tax analysis at both the national and state level in the United States. It specializes in analysis oriented toward decisions faced by policy makers, with a particular emphasis on how policies affect low- and moderate-income people. The Center examines data and research findings and produces analytic reports on a timely basis that are accessible to public officials, nonprofit organizations, and the media.

The Center’s new international project is directed by Isaac Shapiro, who began working at the Center in 1987. Shapiro is a leading expert on policies assisting low-wage workers and has also analyzed a range of tax and budget issues during his tenure at the Center. The project is funded by the Ford Foundation.

Here are some of the participants from our conference in December 1997!

Click on the picture for a larger image.