As part of the “Budget Monitoring, Tax Justice and Citizen’s Participation”, which MIFTAH implemented in partnership with AMAN coalition, Teacher Creative Center and ARIJ Institute funded by OXFAM, based on the memo of understanding signed between MIFTAH and the Ministry of Social Affairs, including the implementation of a number of joint interventions. The interventions were aimed at promoting a participatory approach and international standards of transparency in formulating financial policies, and at ensuring broad community participation in preparing the general budget. Another goal was to support the ministry in adopting transparency measures pertaining to budgets in addition to promoting the role of citizens and targeted groups to participate in formulating financial and monitoring policies which respond to their basic needs.
The interventions commenced with a three-day training workshop on “Participatory budgets and citizens’ budgets” which targeted the budget team at the Ministry of Social Affairs. Twenty-five employees from various ministry departments participated followed with a series of follow up and actions.
Qualitative interventions
Project coordinator Shadi Zeidat pointed out that joint cooperation with the ministry of social affairs was based on a group of interventions, such as the training workshop about participatory and citizen’s budgets. It was also based on 28 days of coaching / follow-up with a ministry team aimed at achieving a specific group of goals such as ministry employees – namely the budgetary team and the planning and policies committee -- gaining understanding of the conceptual framework for the state’s general budget and being introduced to the concept of participatory budgeting. In addition, interns gained theoretical and practical knowledge of participatory budgeting and the skill of linking and analyzing policies and social plans with the general budget. This provides them with the experience and skills necessary for analyzing the plans, goals and outputs of the Ministry of Social Affairs within its three budget-approved programs.
Practical follow up
In order to guarantee the best results and successful cooperation, the interventions included a follow-up/ coaching period of 28 days by an expert in budget transparency to the ministry’s budget team. This was to ensure the best possible application of the participatory approach through practical applications by the ministry’s teams reflected in their various programs.
Zeidat said the ministry’s efforts to achieve the best possible results and its cooperation played a major role in the success impact of the joint interventions, the most significant of these being the ministry’s approval to prepare and release the citizen’s budget, in addition to its adoption of the participatory approach in preparing their annual budgets in the years to come.
Better ability to carry out tasks
Director of the planning department at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Barakat Samour and one of the people who participated and was engaged in the joint interventions said: “In the past, we did not have enough clarity in regards to some budgetary terms such as: operational and funding costs, or how to build a budget. Now, after this training, things are much clearer and the technical team at the ministry will be much more capable of carrying out the tasks and outposts of each program. The goals will be clearer and the outputs much more accurate.”
Raising the capacities of service providers
Director of the budget department at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Hanadi Barahma, said the training course was an excellent opportunity to raise the capacities of service-provider employees and to increase their knowledge of financial procedures and matters pertaining to the ministry’s budget.
Learning new skills and expertise
Trainer in budget transparency and budget analysis, Muayad Afaneh who was in charge of the training and the follow up period, said the aim of the training workshop was for participants from the budget and planning team at the Ministry of Social Affairs to gain skills and expertise in analyzing the general budget, preparing citizen’s budgets and embracing the approach of participatory budgeting.
Afaneh also explained that MIFTAH targeted and supported the Ministry of Social Affairs through such interventions because “it is one of the line ministries in closest contact with citizens given that it is in charge of financial aid to underprivileged families and the disabled and of various other social cases.” Afaneh also said this will support the public servants to enable citizens to be up to date on the work of the ministry and on the budgets allocated for various programs, which primarily affect citizens and to embrace the methodology of participatory budgeting by the ministry, which brings citizens together with civil society organizations in preparing, following up and assessing budgets.
بالتعاون بين 'مفتاح' ووزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية..
اختتام جملة من التدخلات النوعية المشتركة الهادفة إلى تعزيز النهج التشاركي ومعايير الشفافية الدولية في صياغة ورسم السياسة المالية
تاريخ النشر: 16/01/2016
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله - في إطار برنامج " تفعيل المشاركة المجتمعية في الرقابة على الموازنة العامة والإصلاح الضريبي، الذي تنفذه "مفتاح" بالشراكة مع ائتلاف أمان، ومركز إبداع المعلم، ومعهد أريج، وبتمويل من "أوكسفام ". ولاحقاً لمذكرة التفاهم التي تم توقيعها بين المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" ووزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية، اختتمت مؤخرا جملة من التدخلات النوعية المشتركة والهادفة إلى تعزيز النهج التشاركي ومعايير الشفافية الدولية في صياغة ورسم السياسة المالية، وضمان مشاركة مجتمعية واسعة وفاعلة في عملية إعداد الموازنة العامة، ودعم المؤسسة الرسمية في تبني معايير الشفافية المتعلقة بالموازنات، إضافة إلى تعزيز دور المواطنين والفئات المستهدفة في المشاركة في رسم السياسة المالية والرقابة عليها، وذلك لضمان ملامستها واستجابتها لاحتياجاتهم الأساسي.
واستهل التعاون المشترك بورشة عمل تدريبية حول "الموازنة التشاركية وموازنة المواطن"، استغرقت ثلاثة أيام، واستهدفت فريق إعداد الموازنة في وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية ، بمشاركة 25 موظفا/ة من جميع الأقسام والدوائر في الوزارة.
تدخلات نوعية
أشار شادي زيدات، منسق المشروع لدى "مفتاح" إلى أن التعاون المشترك مع وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية على مجموعة من التدخلات، ومن أبرزها ورشة العمل التدريبية حول "الموازنة التشاركية وموازنة المواطن"، وكذلك المتابعة العملية لنحو شهر مع فريق العمل داخل الوزارة، هدفت إلى تحقيق مجموعة محددة من الأهداف المتمثلة بإكساب العاملين لدى الوزارة وبالاخص فريق اعداد الموازنة ولجنة التخطيط والسياسات معرفة بالإطار المفاهيمي للموازنة العامة للدولة والتعرف على مفهوم الموازنة التشاركية، إضافة إلى إكساب العاملين معرفة كافية بدورة إعداد الموازنات والتعرف على أنواع الموازنات بشكل عام (بنود/ برامج واداء)، وإكساب المتدربين معرفة نظرية وعملية بالموازنة التشاركية، ومهارة ربط وتحليل السياسات والخطط الاجتماعية مع الموازنة العامة، وتزويدهم بالخبرة والمهارة اللازمة لتحليل خطة وأهداف ومخرجات وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية ضمن برامجها الثلاثة، والمعتمدة في الموازنة العامة.
متابعة عملية
ومن أجل ضمان الخروج بأفضل النتائج وإنجاح التعاون المشترك، وتضمنت التدخلات فترة متابعة عملية لمدة 28 يوما مع فريق العمل داخل الوزارة، من قبل خبير مختص في شفافية الموازنة، ، لضمان التطبيق الأمثل للنهج التشاركي من خلال تطبيقات عملية من قبل طواقم الوزارة في برامجها المختلفة.
وأشار زيدات إلى أن رغبة الوزارة في تحقيق أفضل النتائج وتعاونها الكبير كان له عظيم الأثر في إنجاح التدخلات المشتركة، وأبرزها موافقة الوزارة على إعداد موازنة المواطن ونشرها، إضافة إلى تبنيها النهج التشاركي في بنائها لموازنة الأعوام القادمة.
قدرة أفضل على تنفيذ المهام
يقول بركات سمور، مدير دائرة التخطيط في وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية، وأحد من شاركوا في التدخل المشترك:" في السابق لم يكن لدينا الوضوح الكافي فيما يتعلق ببعض المصطلحات الواردة في الموازنة مثل: النفقات التشغيلية والتمويلية، وكيفية بناء الموازنة. الآن وبعد ما تلقيناه في هذا التدريب باتت الأمور أكثر وضوحا، وبالتالي سيكون للفريق الفني في الوزارة قدرة أفضل على تحقيق وتنفيذ المهام والمخرجات الخاصة بكل برنامج. وستكون الأهداف أكثر وضوحا، والمخرجات أكثر دقة".
رفع قدرات مقدمي الخدمات
أما هنادي براهمة، مديرة دائرة الموازنة في وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية ، فاعتبرت الدورة التدريبية فرصة نوعية لرفع قدرات فئة من الموظفين مقدمي الخدمات على اختلاف تخصصاتهم وزيادة معرفهم بالامور والاجراءات المالية المرتبطة بموازنة الوزارة وأضافت:" بالرغم من تخصصي في إعداد الموازنة، إلا أنني حققت استفادة مهمة منها من خلال إطلاعي وزملائي على وثائق كانت موجودة لدينا، ولم نطلع عليها في السابق بالقدر الكافي".
زيادة المعرفة بالمعلومات
وأضاف مشاركون آخرون ، أن التدريب وفر لهم معلومات لم يكونوا على إطلاع كاف بها، خاصة فيما يتعلق بالموازنة التشاركية وموازنة المواطن، وبالتالي بات بإمكانهم اليوم أن يميزوا جيدا بين الاهداف من اعداد هذا النوع من الموازنات..
إكساب المشاركين المهارات والخبرات
من ناحيته، قال مؤيد عفانه، المدرب المتخصص في شفافية الموازنة وتحليلها، والذي نفذ التدريب وفترة المتابعة العملية، أن الهدف من الورشة، هو إكساب المشاركين والمشاركات من فريق الموازنة والتخطيط في وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية مهارات وخبرات تحليل الموازنة العامة، وإعداد موازنة المواطن، وترسيخ نهج الموازنة التشاركية.
وعن اسباب اختيار مفتاح لوزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية في التدريب بهذا الإطار ، قال عفانه:" لأنها من أكثر الوزارات تماسا مع المواطن بحكم أنها مسؤولة عن المساعدات المالية للأسر الفقيرة وذوي الإعاقة، والحالات الاجتماعية بأشكالها المختلفة، ولضرورة أن يكون المواطن على اطلاع بعمل الوزارة والموازنات المخصصة للبرامج المختلفة التي تمس المواطن بشكل أساس، وكذلك البدء بمنهجية الموازنات التشاركية التي دمج المواطن ومؤسسات المجتمع المدني في إعداد الموازنة، وفي متابعتها وتقييمها.
MIFTAH releases 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social and security sectors, including social justice and gender indicators
Date posted: April 04, 2023
By MIFTAH
MIFTAH recently released 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social sector (health, education, higher education and scientific research, social development and labor), and for the first time, the security sector (Ministry of Interior and National Security). The reports were based on annual financial data released by the Ministry of Finance in Palestine for 2021-2022 and on an accrual basis.
The data showed that the Ministry of Interior and National Security had the highest percentage of actual spending in 2022, accounting for 22.8% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.68 billion. This was a slight increase from the Ministry’s share in 2021. Meanwhile, actual spending on the education sector (Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research) stood at 21.5% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.48 billion. This was also an increase from the education sector’s share in 2021, which was 20.6% of public expenditures.
Moreover, actual spending on the Ministry of Health also increased in 2022, comprising 15% of overall public expenditures, at a sum of ILS2.4 billion. This was higher than in 2021, where its share was 14.4%. As for the Ministry of Social Development, actual spending was still low, amounting for 6.2% of overall public expenditures in 2022, compared to 5.8% in 2021. The Ministry of Social Development’s actual spending in 2022 was approximately ILS1 billion. As for the labor sector, actual spending on this sector in 2022 was 0.31% of overall public expenditures, while in 2021 it was 0.28%. Actual spending on the labor sector in 2022 was ILS50.1 million.
Upon review of actual spending reports of the targeted ministries from a gender and social justice perspective, it is clear that actual spending on the Ministry of Social Development does not coincide with the scope of its responsibilities as the forerunner of the social sector in Palestine, including its programs for combatting poverty and the protection of poor and marginalized social sectors. Moreover, non-compliance to the disbursement of payments for poor families within the CTP continued according to estimates, whereby only two of four installments for 2022 were disbursed, one at minimum value. This adversely affected the financial security of the most underprivileged and marginalized sectors of society, in addition to the insufficient estimated budget and actual spending on the social protection program, in spite of its importance in providing protection and social services to battered women, children, special-needs persons and the elderly.
The data also pointed to the low percentage of women working in the security sector, which stood at 6% of the total number of workers in this sector, while they comprised 46% of the civil sector. This shows a gap in actual spending on the security sector from a gender perspective, given that the lion’s share of actual spending in 2022 was on salaries and wages. Hence, women only benefited very little from these allocations, which were nearly ILS2.9 billion in 2022.
The data also indicated that the development expenditures for the Ministry of Labor were only ILS4.5 million in 2022, even though planned development expenditures were ILS32 million, which is much higher. This casts a shadow on gender-related programs and projects, which were allotted sizeable budgets within development expenditures, such as creating sustainable opportunities as alternatives for Palestinian men and women working in settlements, for which ILS10 million were earmarked.
Even though there was an increase in actual spending in 2022 at the targeted ministries in general, this increase was mainly concentrated on salaries and wages. In spite of the importance of providing a decent life for employees, there is still a need to increase spending on development expenditures, since they are at the forefront of developing government services, including the nationalization and institutionalization of various social services.
MIFTAH concludes town hall meetings on political participation and citizens’ rights for women and youth
Date posted: January 09, 2023
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 29/12/2022 – Within its efforts to promote democratic values and the peaceful transfer of power within the Palestinian government system, MIFTAH’s field advisory team completed over 100 town hall meetings in the second half of 2022. The meetings were held in coordination and cooperation with CSOs, LGUs and grassroots organizations and targeted women and youth in several West Bank and Gaza Strip districts. The objective of these meetings was to raise awareness among the electorate on the electoral system in Palestine and on civil society demands to increase women and youth participation in local and general elections as candidates and voters, on the premise that this boosts their presence in decision-making levels and involves them in public affairs.
The town hall meetings included several exchange visits between LGU members in the various districts. The women shared the experiences and challenges they faced after becoming council members. The meetings focused on the concept of citizenship within a broader definition of the various forms of political participation and the importance of involvement from youth and women in public life. They also pointed to the different forms of democracy and the main pillars of the democratic society Palestinians seek to create. The participants furthermore discussed the various forms of electoral systems and shed light on the gaps in electoral laws regarding the presence of women and youth.
The participants pointed to the importance of periodic legislative and presidential elections and the danger of the ongoing absence of the PLC on matters pertaining to civic peace. They also warned against the absence of oversight and accountability, maintaining that the defunct PLC has contributed to shrinking civic space and public freedoms and therefore, the ability or desire to become involved in political life, especially for women and youth. In most of the meetings, the participants also indicated that the absence of a regular democratic process in Palestine contributed to the overall exclusion of youth from participation and to the marginalization of the role of women in Palestinian political decision-making.
The town hall meetings stressed on the importance of pressing for legislative, presidential and local elections in all West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip districts. They also endorsed the demand for equality in electoral laws, starting with raising the women’s quota to a minimum of 30%, raising the candidacy age and lowering the threshold. They urged Palestinian factions to assume a key role in the process of inclusion for women and youth in the public sphere and to prevent the progression of tribalism in the democratic process. The attendees emphasized the importance of monitoring the performance of LGUs in their interaction with local communities and the consistency of their meetings. Finally, they said female council members must be given the opportunity to exercise their role in their respective councils as equals to their male counterparts.
MIFTAH holds town hall meetings on an annual basis as part of its awareness campaign on citizens’ rights and the promotion of the democratic approach for a peaceful transfer of power, in addition to the involvement of women and youth in elections as both candidates and voters. Each year, through these town hall meetings, MIFTAH aims to reach the widest possible segment of the electorate and the different social sectors in all parts of Palestine.
MIFTAH completes training workshop in the Gaza Strip on family protection and advocacy
Date posted: January 05, 2023
By MIFTAH
Gaza – 2/1/2023 – MIFTAH recently completed a training workshop on measures and regulations on family protection in the Gaza Strip. The workshop was part of MIFTAH’s strategic objectives to prioritize family issues in communities and to support local institutions in increasing awareness on citizenship and constitutional rights for Palestinian women and on combatting all forms of GBV and discrimination in Palestinian society.
The workshop’s objectives included providing institutions with important information on the legislations, laws and measures for family protection in effect in the Gaza Strip, in a bid to enhance the oversight role of CSOs in holding accountable official parties responsible for enforcing these measures and legislations. The training also included offering institutions the necessary mechanisms for managing digital and media campaigns to press for the ratification of laws and legislation that protect women’s rights.
The discussions focused on a number of points, including legal (including sharia law) rebuttals to claims from parties opposing legislation, including the Family Protection Law. They also discussed how applicable this law would be in the Gaza Strip once ratified by the President.
The participants unanimously agreed that they supported adoption of the law, giving no credence to the claims of more extreme elements in Gaza on the Family Protection Law. They called on MIFTAH to hold general, open meetings with the public to introduce them to the law and its importance, so that they could defend themselves from the extremist discourse surrounding it.
Opinions and impressions
One of the participants, Latifa Shatat, said such training workshops were crucial for every Palestinian, male and female. “It is great we are pressing for protection laws such as the Family Protection Bill. This law will have tremendous impact on society as a whole. I can say from experience as a social and mental health worker that protection is the most important element in our work, especially in cases involving women and children, who are the most vulnerable social sectors. I commend MIFTAH and anyone who participates in spreading a culture of nonviolence, protection, justice and equality.”
Meanwhile, Haifa Al Araj said the training offered important details about the Family Protection Law and also ways of conducting initiatives and activities that could produce positive results in mobilizing support it.
Another participant, Hatem Abu Ta’a, said the training was a new starting point for him as an institution director in terms of integrating the demand to implement the Family Protection Law in all advocacy and lobbying activities and programs. He said he became more aware of the impediments to the law’s implementation at the official and social level, saying, “This training reminds us to renew our calls to demand implementation and ratification of the law at the official level.”
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Rabee said ratification of the Family Protection Law would be a huge step, for women and children especially. “This law will amplify women’s voices and their ability to access help with stronger and more supportive centers throughout the homeland. As a strong supporter of this bill, I want to stress on the importance of civil society institutions explaining the clauses in the bill pertaining to CEDAW and to also focus on working with parties that oppose the law in particular.”
The training workshop is part of MIFTAH’s “Policy dialogue and Good Governance” Program, which aims at influencing public policies and legislation in favor of protection for citizens’ rights in Palestinian society, based on the principles of social justice and respect for human rights.
