Public Expenditure Tools

A number of tools are used for assessing spending allocations in the public sector. The tools vary in scope, but have elements that are applicable and adaptable to all sectors, including agriculture. This section provides a suggested, but not exhaustive, list of resources related to these tools. The relevance of each tool depends on the specific objectives of APEA.

 

A distinction is drawn between tools and methods. Tools are defined broadly as instruments for organizing the collection and processing of data (including both primary and secondary) and other relevant information into specific aggregates useful for the descriptive analysis of public expenditures. Methods are viewed as the processes or techniques of data analysis (including both quantitative and qualitative approaches) based on an implicit or explicit analytical construct that embodies hypotheses to be examined. The focus here is on tools, though references on methods are found among the cited literature.

 

Each tool is defined below in increasing order of specificity to APEA along with a set of useful references, including a general reference that links to the PREM Public Sector web site, and a number of specific references that highlight issues relevant and adaptable to the agricultural sector.