Government at a Glance 2013
Government at a Glance 2013 provides readers with a dashboard of key indicators assembled with the goal of contributing to the analysis and international comparison of public sector performance. Indicators on government revenues, expenditures, and employment are provided alongside key output and outcome data in the sectors of education and health. Government at a Glance also includes indicators on key governance and public management issues, such as transparency in governance, regulatory governance, new ways in delivering public services and HRM and compensation practices in the public service. While measuring government performance has long been recognized as playing an important role in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the public administration, following the economic crisis and fiscal tightening in many member countries, good indicators are needed more than ever to help governments make informed decisions regarding tough choices and help restore confidence in government institutions.
Budget transparency
The national budget is one of the principal policy documents of government, reflecting its policy objectives and spending priorities. Budget transparency – the disclosure and accessibility of key fiscal and budgetary information – is therefore at the core of good governance. The economic and social crisis underscored the need for greater budget transparency, and it has become a core component of countries’ strategies for open government. The OECD Best Practices for Budget Transparency explicitly recognise the importance of disclosing government budgetary information in a timely and systematic manner, as well as the need to ensure the quality, integrity and, very importantly, the accessibility of this information in order to inform citizens and the legislature and hold government accountable.