A Collaborative Course with the Austrian Ministry of Finance on Public Financial Management and Administrative Reforms

For the tenth time this year the JVI course Public Financial Management and Administrative Reforms took place in collaboration with the Austrian Ministry of Finance. From November 22 to 26, public officials and speakers from the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Parliamentary Budget Office, the Federal Computing Agency, the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sports, and the IMF introduced a highly motivated group of participants to their field of expertise. As in 2020, the course was delivered virtually. Thirteen officials from seven different countries, mostly from finance ministries but also other institutions and federal ministries, attended the course and brought a very diverse set of experiences.

Throughout the week, the participants took part in two daily sessions. The course started with an overview of administrative reform trends and current projects in Austria. In the session on The parliament’s role as a driver for reforms the important role of independent institutions in enhancing administrative processes was presented. Experts of the Ministry of Finance introduced the participants to the Austrian intergovernmental fiscal relations and tax coordination efforts in a federal system as well as the recent modernization of the Austrian Tax and Customs Office. From the Austrian Computing Agency, participants were briefed about e-government solutions and European digital collaborations. Additionally, the course also covered the Austrian system of outcome orientation with lecturers from the Federal Performance Management Office. The guest speakers from the IMF complemented the Austrian case with their reflections on the success factors of modern tax administrations and public financial management.

Even though the participants had to miss out on a trip to Vienna and the usual cultural program organized around it, their feedback on the course was very positive. They reported in the final session that they took away useful information and were confident to benefit from the knowledge gained in their daily jobs. It is expected that the course will be delivered again next year, hopefully in person in Vienna.

Magdalena Mandl, Austrian Ministry of Finance (BMF)