Public Expenditure Review (PER) Training

About This Course

Public Expenditure Reviews are among the most powerful tools available to governments, development partners, and oversight institutions for understanding how public money is spent and whether it achieves intended outcomes. A well-executed PER goes beyond accounting — it interrogates the strategic alignment of budgets, the equity of resource distribution, the efficiency of service delivery systems, and the fiscal sustainability of current expenditure patterns. In an era of constrained fiscal space and increasing accountability demands, the ability to conduct or commission rigorous PERs has become a core competency for public finance managers, economists, and policy advisors.

This five-day training programme offered by TrainingComplex provides a comprehensive, hands-on grounding in the theory and practice of Public Expenditure Reviews. Drawing on international best practice from the World Bank, IMF, and leading national treasury institutions, the course walks participants through every phase of the PER process — from scoping and data collection to analytical frameworks, sector-specific reviews, findings synthesis, and policy recommendations. Real-world case studies from Africa, Asia, and OECD countries bring the methodology to life and allow participants to benchmark their own country contexts.

Beyond analytical skills, the course addresses the institutional and political economy dimensions of PERs — how to engage stakeholders, navigate data gaps, communicate findings to non-technical audiences, and translate review outcomes into actionable budget reforms. Participants leave equipped not only to execute a PER but to use its findings strategically to influence fiscal planning, sectoral allocations, and public financial management reforms in their organisations.

Who Should Attend

• Budget analysts and public finance officers in national and subnational governments
• Ministry of Finance economists and planning officers
• Debt management and fiscal policy advisors
• Parliamentary budget office staff and legislative finance committee members
• Development partners and multilateral institution staff supporting PFM reform
• Audit and oversight institution professionals
• Civil society and think-tank researchers working on public finance transparency
• Senior public servants involved in medium-term expenditure framework preparation

Learning Objectives

• Understand the conceptual foundations and policy rationale of Public Expenditure Reviews
• Design a PER scope, terms of reference, and analytical framework appropriate to a given country or sector context
• Apply expenditure classification systems and functional budget analysis to government financial data
• Conduct efficiency, equity, and effectiveness analysis of public spending across key sectors
• Use quantitative tools including trend analysis, unit cost benchmarking, and incidence analysis
• Assess the alignment between budget allocations and national development priorities
• Identify and address common data gaps and quality challenges in PER processes
• Develop findings, conclusions, and actionable policy recommendations from expenditure analysis
• Communicate PER results effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Link PER findings to budget reform, MTEF preparation, and public financial management improvement plans

Course Modules

Requirements & Prerequisites

Participants should have a working understanding of government budgeting and public financial management processes. Prior exposure to national or sector budget preparation, expenditure reporting, or fiscal analysis is recommended. No advanced statistical or econometric background is required, though comfort with basic data analysis and spreadsheet tools will be beneficial.

Training Methodology

• Structured lectures introducing PER frameworks, concepts, and international methodological standards
• Hands-on data analysis exercises using anonymised government budget and expenditure datasets
• Case study workshops drawing on completed PERs from Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and OECD member states
• Small group sector simulation exercises in which participants design and conduct a mini-PER for an assigned sector
• Facilitated peer review of analytical findings and policy recommendation drafts
• Interactive sessions on stakeholder engagement strategies and communicating technical findings to non-specialist audiences
• Structured debriefs comparing participants' country contexts with international benchmarks
• Use of standardised PER templates, analytical checklists, and terms-of-reference guides as take-away tools

Organisational Benefits

• Strengthened internal capacity to conduct evidence-based reviews of public spending without full reliance on external consultants
• Improved quality and relevance of budget submissions and sector expenditure frameworks
• Enhanced ability to identify and eliminate wasteful or misallocated public expenditure
• Better alignment between strategic national priorities and actual budget allocations
• Increased credibility with development partners and oversight bodies through rigorous expenditure analysis
• Reduced fiscal risk through early identification of unsustainable spending trends
• Stronger contribution to medium-term fiscal planning and budget reform processes
• Improved staff confidence in engaging with high-level policy dialogue on resource allocation

Where Is Public Expenditure Review (PER) Training Offered?

This course runs in-person across: Johannesburg, Nairobi, Kampala, Nakuru, Cape Town, Mombasa, Riyadh, Naivasha, Lagos, Kigali, Abuja, Kisumu, Dar es Salaam, Accra, Pretoria, Arusha, Addis Ababa, Zanzibar, Dubai, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.

Upcoming Schedules

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