Gender Budgeting In Local Governments Presented by Rita

Gender Budgeting In Local Governments Presented by: Rita Rachele Dandavino, Coordinator, Metropolis Women International Network, Sharon Whitmore, Deputy Director of Finance, Fulton County, GA, USA Cheryl Estes, Program Manager, HHS, Fulton County, GA, USA March 23, 2010 Réseau international Femmes de Metropolis Women International Network 1 Red internacional Mujeres de Metropolis © 2010 – Fulton County

Session Objectives. To become familiar with gender budgeting terms, principles, and concepts To understand the application of gender budgeting and the relationship to performance outcomes/indicators. To clarify roles of budget analyst and department staff in budget process 2 © 2010 – Fulton County

What is Gender Equality? Men and Women have equal conditions for realizing their full human rights Men and Women are able to contribute to and benefit from economic, social, cultural, and political development in their countries Includes the concept of society valuing the similarities and the differences of men and women and the roles they play Based on the concept that men and women being full partners in their home, community, workplace, society, and market/economy 3 © 2010 – Fulton County

What is Gender Mainstreaming? Assesses true implications of government legislation, policies, programs, or actions on women, girls, and boys Makes the interests of women and men central to all governmental activity Ensures each gender benefits equally and inequality is not perpetuated Can be used in non-governmental settings i. e. private industry, non-profit, academic settings 4 © 2010 – Fulton County

What is Gender Analysis? Strategic Planning with a Gender Focus o set goals or objectives o collect and analyze disaggregated data o develop options and choose the best o create an action plan o evaluate outcomes Input of stakeholder requirements and perspectives is critical 5 © 2010 – Fulton County

What is Gender Analysis? (cont’d) Requires research: gender disaggregated data, clients input/feedback to truly understand their needs, interests and actual requirements Also data re: other social identities (race/ethnicity, socio-economic, health indicators) Identifies: Program/policy strengths and weaknesses Strategies to improve weak areas 6 © 2010 – Fulton County

Government Budgets: What They Really Say Statement of Value and Priorities Important economic policy

Government Budgets and Gender Perspective Gender Neutral vs Gender Blind Money has no color……has

Understanding Gender Blindness Gender blindness defined: the unintended impact of budget policies due to economic and social differences between men and women How do you correct these impacts? 9 © 2010 – Fulton County

Correcting Gender Blindness I. Gender Mainstreaming II. Gender Analysis III. Gender Budgeting 10 ©

What is Gender Budgeting A term used to describe the application of a budget process that incorporates a gender perspective. • • Sometimes Women’s to as: referred budgets Gender sensitive budgets Gender responsive budgets 11 © 2010 – Fulton County

Common Misconceptions of Gender Budgeting Not the development of separate budgets for women Not meant to precisely balance spending between men and women Not intended to increase overall government spending 12 © 2010 – Fulton County

What is a Gender Budget? A budget that accounts for the effects of a government’s expenditures and revenues on both women and girls and boys. An instrument for holding government accountable to its gender equality commitments 13 © 2010 – Fulton County

Objectives of Gender Budgets Highlight the gap between policy and programming Promote the spending of public money in more gender equitable ways Provide for informed participation of disadvantaged and excluded classes End Gender Blindness in budgets 14 14 © 2010 – Fulton County

An Example of What a Gender Budget Can Tell Us A gender budget can pinpoint what the different impact will be on men and women when specific services are funded or when budget cuts are made For example, reductions in government health care spending are likely to increase the time that women spend in care-related activities more so than for men 15 15 © 2010 – Fulton County

Why prepare a gender budget? Improve economic equality Increase output and improve development of individual capabilities Improve effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, and transparency of government budgets Provides a means for citizen engagement 16 © 2010 – Fulton County

Where to Start Consider preparing a gender budget statement to demonstrate: Department intentions for gender equality Signs that budgets are following the commitment to gender equity It is completed after departments have submitted budget requests. It is a “post mortem” report that can result in changes to the budget process in future years 17 © 2010 – Fulton County

The Relationship Between the Budget Process and a Gender Budget Statement A gender budget statement can be prepared even if the budget process does not yet have a fully integrated gender perspective Budget guidelines can require departments to prepare a gender budget statement 18 © 2010 – Fulton County

What a Budget Statement Should Do Provide the mission of the Department Address key gender issues/challenges Answer several questions; 1. Where is most of the money going? Who benefits ultimately? 2. Are there budget items that specifically target women or men, boys or girls? What proportion of the budget goes to these items? 3. Which programs are most important for gender equality? This question is important for large item expenditures (e. g. , child care) as well as lower cost expenditures (e. g. , sexual harassment training). How much is being spent on these services/programs? 4. What further information would you need to do this analysis well? What data? How to collect it? 5. Who gives input to the department budget? 19 © 2010 – Fulton County

Gender Budgeting Case Study 1: Fulton County, Georgia, USA: Integrating Gender into the Four

Fulton County, Georgia Population 1, 014, 932 ATL Countywide Services : Courts, Jail, Health and Human Service Libraries Georgia City of Atlanta Population 537, 958 Citywide services: Police , Fire, Emergency 911, Permit, Inspections, Parks and Recreation FULTON COUNTY 21 © 2010 – Fulton County

The Budget Cycle The Four Stages: I. Budget Preparation II. Budget Approval III. Budget

Stage I: Budget Preparation Who prepares the budget: The executive branch of government Elected

Budget Preparation Process Budget guidelines (calls) sent to departments Finance office provides assistance and guidance Budget submitted to legislative body for adoption Finance office works with departments to made final recommendations Finance office provides support during budget deliberations Departments prepare and submit budget requests 24 © 2010 – Fulton County

Stage II: Budget Approval In the U. S. legislative bodies: Review budget recommendations Conduct

Stage III: Budget Execution Departments carry out their approved budgets Funds are spent and services are delivered Spending must proceed in accordance with the department’s approved budget 26 © 2010 – Fulton County

Stage IV: Audit & Evaluation Occurs after the end of the fiscal year Several

The Fulton County Budget Process has the four stages previously discussed: I. Budget Preparation II. Budget Approval III. Budget Execution IV. Audit and Evaluation The Fulton County Gender Initiative is impacting all phases of the budget process 28 © 2010 – Fulton County

Fulton’s Process POLITICAL WILL 2007 Gender Equality Policy LEGAL COMPLIANCE WITH BUDGET LAW EQUITABLE

Initiative Timeline SEPTEMBER 2007 • Policy Adoption • Created Task Force • Hired Consultant NOV. -DEC. 2008 • 2009 Proposed Budget submitted • Intensive gender budgeting training NOVEMBER 2007 • Selected 5 pilot programs • Initial training for pilot programs and task force • • Dec. 2008 -JAN. 2009 • Final budget approval FEB. -APR. 2009 • First 5 pilots execute corrective action plans and track results • Second 5 pilots collect data and conduct gender analysis DEC. 2007 -Aug. 2008 5 Pilot programs conduct gender analysis 2009 Budget Instructions released with gender perspective included 5 additional pilot programs selected Department head training 30 AUGUST 2009 • 2010 Budget Instructions released with gender perspective included © 2010 – Fulton County

Stage I. Fulton’s Budget Preparation The Budget Commission adopts budget guidelines and schedule The Budget Commission is the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, the County Manager and the County Finance Director FY 2009 budget instructions and forms were distributed in July and August, 2008 FY 2010 budget instructions and forms were distributed in August 2009 31 © 2010 – Fulton County

Budget Guidelines Change for FY 2009 Initiated outcome based budgeting approach Gender was explicit in one element of Fulton County’s budget guidelines Departments required to submit program summary forms for FY 2009 that included gender-based data 32 © 2010 – Fulton County

Form A-1: Gender-Specific Language Department: Division/Unit: Program/Service/Function: Budget Lines: Please quantify the number and type of customers served by this program annually (e. g. 5, 000 small businesses; 250 nonprofit organizations; 500 youth ages 11 -18). Include gender if available. If gender data are not available, what measures would be needed to collect such data? Describe the impact on customers if the County was to discontinue this program/service and customers must receive services from other providers. Do you think the impact will differ on men, women, boys and girls? Is there a difference in the outcomes of programs between men, women, boys and girls? 33 © 2010 – Fulton County

Budget Instructions for FY 2009: Budget Reductions Departments were required to prepare budget reduction forms No specific references to gender impacts were required on reduction forms 34 © 2010 – Fulton County

Budget Instructions for FY 2009: Budget Enhancements Departments complete a Spending Enhancement Request if needed No specific references to gender were included in the Enhancement Forms 35 © 2010 – Fulton County

Stage I. Department Requests Prepared and Submitted q. FY 2009 requests due by July

Stage II. Budget Adoption Annual public hearings held in commission districts. The Board adopts tentative budget Final Public Hearing and budget approval before the end of January Gender Impact Reports submitted Pilot departments notified of final budgets allocations 37 © 2010 – Fulton County

Stage III. Budget Execution A expenditures are subject to annual appropriation. Departments have some

Stage III. Gender Equality Pilot Activities for FY 2008 (Feb. – Apr. 2008) First 5 pilot departments conducted gender analysis of selected programs Identified gender-related service delivery disparities Identified corrective actions to close or eliminate disparities 39 © 2010 – Fulton County

Stage III. Pilot Program Gender Equality Activities For FY 2009 (Feb. – Apr. 2009) Executed corrective plans to address gender disparities in selected program Track programs submitted for gender analysis Collect data and conduct gender analysis on selected programs 40 © 2010 – Fulton County

Stage IV. Audit and Evaluation in Fulton County Routine audits of Fulton County programs

Stage IV. Pilot Program Gender Equality Activities for FY 2008 (May-June 2008) Developed gender analysis reports On a voluntary basis, some of the first 5 pilot departments identified additional programs for gender analysis 42 © 2010 – Fulton County

Stage IV. Gender Equality Pilot Program Activities for FY 2009 (May - Jun. 2009) All pilot departments will develop gender analysis reports and prepare to use the report information in their FY 2010 budget preparation 43 © 2010 – Fulton County

2010 Changes Continue implementation of outcome based budgeting Submit a Request for Results form (RFR) rather than the Form A and A-1 Performance measurement data is integrated in the RFR and can be gender specific Pilot programs will continue to submit separate reports Collaborative work life balance pilot in 2010 44 © 2010 – Fulton County

Performance-Based Budgeting Can Help to Direct Attention to Gender Shows link between budgets and outputs or outcomes. i. e. , results Allocation is oriented at achieving specific objectives and results 45 © 2010 – Fulton County

Performance-Based Budgets Relate the costs of labor, materials, and other budget expenditures to results

Relating Gender Budgeting to Performance Outcomes Implementation of performance-based budgeting has been “gender blind” Government policy priorities generally do not include gender equality as a major stated priority 47 © 2010 – Fulton County

How to Add a Gender Dimension Include gender sensitive indicators The usefulness of gender indicators lies in their ability to point to changes in the status and roles of women and men over time, and therefore to measure whether gender equity is being achieved. 48 © 2010 – Fulton County

Developing Gender Indicators Link with policy goals Have clearly defined principles of measurement, concepts,

Example of Gender Indicator: Mental Health Fulton County Goal: Health and Human Services Objective: Increase access to behavioral health treatment Gender-Indicator: Service Access Measure: # and % of women/boys/girls with serious illness receiving treatment Indicator: Gender sensitivity of diagnostic protocols and effectiveness of treatment Measure: # of women/boys/girls receiving treatment and % of women/boys/girls improving as result of treatment. 50 © 2010 – Fulton County

Fulton’s Process Includes: Outcome based budgeting Gender perspective Countywide with specific targeted pilot programs Performance measurements imbedded in budget requests which can be gender specific 51 © 2010 – Fulton County

Fulton County Case Study The 2009 Budget Cycle: Our first attempt at developing a budget with a gender focus Five pilot programs were comprehensively reviewed All departments were requested to submit budget requests with gender data 52 © 2010 – Fulton County

Fulton County Case Study The 2010 Budget Cycle: Five additional pilot programs were comprehensively reviewed All departments were requested to submit budget requests with gender data through the RFR’s Performance measures imbedded in budget request forms Gender impact reports submitted on reductions 53 © 2010 – Fulton County

Lessons Learned from Gender Budgeting in Fulton County and Around the World 54 ©

Lessons Learned Must have a champion Establish clear objectives for the initiative Imbed Gender Equality everywhere possible Insure budget instructions are clear, concise and consistent Address Gender Budgeting at every stage of the budget process 55 © 2010 – Fulton County

Lessons Learned Gender equality should be included in: performance measurements/indicators in the future expected outcomes as well Must become a basic tenet of budgeting to be successful. 56 © 2010 – Fulton County

Lesson Learned Develop an extensive and intensive training program Who needs to be trained What level training is needed When is the training going to have the greatest impact How will you train 57 © 2010 – Fulton County

Lessons Learned Make sure you train before you ask departments to do anything. It isn’t easy and it does take time. Do whatever you can that works for your organization. A good starting point is a gender budget statement. 58 © 2010 – Fulton County

Group Exercises Gender Governance Worksheet Small group discussion Report of group discussions Wrap and

Discussion Questions and open discussion Contact us at rdandavino@ville. montreal. qc. ca metropolis. fmwgl@ville. montreal. qc. ca Sharon. Whitmore@fultoncountyga. gov Cheryl. Estes@fultoncountyga. gov www. fultongenderequality. com 60 © 2010 – Fulton County