This presentation was made by Anne Keller, OECD, at the 40th Annual Meeting of OECD Senior Budget Officials (SBO) held in Tallinn, Estonia, on 5-6 June 2019

1. RETHINKING DATA AND
COMPOSITE INDICATORS
FOR BUDGETARY GOVERNANCE
Anne Keller
Budgeting & Public Expenditures
Public Governance Directorate
40th Senior Budget Officials’ Meeting
5-6 June 2019, Tallinn, Estonia

2. Data collection via a set of recurring OECD
Budgetary Governance surveys
• to provide an internationally comparable set of
data that is publicly available, allowing for the
analysis and benchmarking of good budgeting
practices over time
• to monitor, promote and report on the
implementation of the OECD Principles of
Budgetary Governance
2
Current data work:
Measuring and presenting budgetary governance data

3. Objective
• Measure and compare progress across different areas of
budgetary governance in a better way
Indicator design review
• Selection of indicators: alternatives to existing indicators,
development of new indicators
• Overall design features of the indicators
• Data visualisation possibilities
Keeping in mind
• For complex issues, a single measure/method is not sufficient
• Indicators also depend on data availability / feasibility
3
Future data work:
How to make better use of data

4. 4
Data visualisation examples

5. A composite indicator
• Shows complex, multi-
dimensional themes in
a single index
• Allows comparison
• Assesses country
progress over time
• Identifies dimensions
requiring further effort
• Supports decision-
makers
5
Further development of composite indicators
Methodological issues
and design features
have to be addressed
transparently prior to
the construction
Stakeholder and expert
involvement is needed

6. Composite Indicators and the
OECD Recommendation on Budgetary Governance
Performance,
Evaluation &
VFM
6
Perfor-
mance,
evaluation
& VfM
Budgeting
within fiscal
objectives
Quality,
integrity &
indepen-
dent audit
Compre-
hensive
budget
accounting
Effective
budget
execution
Alignment with
medium-term
strategic plans
& priorities
Transparency
openness &
accessibility
Participative,
inclusive &
realistic
debate
Fiscal risks
& Sustaina-
bility
Capital
budgeting
framework

7. Key objective
to review data and composite indicator development
Key means
• Data collection and use of data;
• Streamlining survey structures and common understanding of
definitions (survey glossary);
• Decide on overall design features of indicators;
• Help develop new composite indicators;
• Coordination with the SBO working party and relevant SBO
Networks, as needed.
7
Looking forward:
Establishing thematic SBO peer groups (1)

8. And how would these thematic
peer groups operate?
• Ad hoc creation depending
on upcoming needs
• Flexible
• Specialists
• Convene regularly through
tele or videoconferencing,
with face-to-face meetings as
required
• Under the responsibility of
the SBO working party or the
relevant SBO Network
8
Looking forward:
Establishing thematic SBO peer groups (2)
 start establishing a
first peer group for
Budget Transparency

9. • What are the priority areas for data analysis to support the
implementation of the Principles for Budgetary Governance?
• Which areas would you prioritise for the development of new
SBO composite indicators and benchmarks relating to
Budgetary Governance? (see slide 6)
• Do you support the establishment of thematic sub-groups of
the SBO to take specialist workstreams forward? What profiles
and skills would be best for such groups?
9
Questions for discussion

10. THANK YOU !
• Discussion note: GOV/PGC/SBO(2019)7 and
• OECD Working Party of Senior Budget Officials
http://www.oecd.org/gov/budgeting/
For more information