December 2010 Monthly Report - Eng - Frp2.org

organization, and to assess the strength of these processes relative to KAA criteria.
Following last month’s KAA Mystery Shopper simulation and assessment, and as a means to continually
improve GBD services, Ms. Yacoub and Ms. Zawati conducted training sessions for eight of the Call Center
and administration employees (seven male and one female) on December 6, 2010. This training sought to
improve their skills in dealing with different service recipients.
Activity 4: Implementing new processes to improve performance and enhance KAA-compliance
GBD began implementing new or revised processes adopted by the GBD Director General and the related
KAA steering committee. The processes address GBD practices in the personnel and process areas, and will
enhance GBD’s performance in those criteria in the KAA assessment process. Partial implementation of
leadership methodologies was conducted by reviewing the GBD strategic plan for 2010-2013 and the
promotion of GBD’s vision, mission and core values.
A series of meetings was held with the Director General and his Assistant to discuss the different obstacles
facing the implementation phase of these new processes, mainly resistance to change, and the difficulty of
employee availability to work on KAA methodology issues. The meetings were concluded with an
agreement on several actions necessary to remove these obstacles and accelerate the process of criteria
implementation. A plan was prepared for each criterion to follow the implementation phase. A detailed
analysis of methodology requirements took place, followed by an agreement with the concerned employees
on the follow up steps.
Furthermore, Public Financial Management Component Lead Mr. Osama Al Azzam and Performance
Management Advisor Ms. Ola Al Zawati attended the monthly meeting of the GBD steering committee,
where Ms. Zawati reported on the progress made to date, obstacles encountered and remedial actions taken
for further development. Several decisions were made in order to accelerate the process.
Activity 5: Budget process reform
Short-term Technical Advisor (STTA) Victor Zafra returned to Amman on December 6 , 2010. Zafra
prepared simplified budget request forms and budget law presentation forms for consideration, as part of the
2012 budget preparation and revised calendar deliberations. After discussions with the Director of Studies
and Information Directorate, Mr. Majdi Al Shuraiqi, all of the programs of the Ministry of Health (MOH)
were prepared in a program budget MTEF/ROB format, along with illustrative activities (based on the MOH
organization) and performance indicators for each activity as an example and were shared with the MOH
analyst. Zafra has demonstrated the importance of these forms to really instituting results-oriented budgeting
at the GBD. If the forms do not approach budgets from a program level, it will be difficult for analysts to
really implement ROB. The MOH forms will be discussed with the GBD DG and ADG to address the
benefit of implementing these forms in the budget process, and to discuss in general the principle that budget
forms tend to require continuous revision and updating.
Activity 6: Draft budget manual
Budget Advisor Leo Sommaripa developed plans for a budget manual, researched best practices, and
discussed the draft manual with the Assistant Director General and other GBD staff. The budget manual is
both a reference manual for the budget concepts that FRP II Component B has taught GBD, and an
operating procedures manual to describe and explain specific steps in GBD processes, making clear
connections between the budget concepts and the process steps. Sommaripa has drafted the majority of the
manual, tasked GBD with providing additional input, and presented GBD with sections for review.
Activity 7: Further collaboration with the Audit Bureau
PFM Component Lead Mr. Osama Al Azzam and Communications Coordinator Ms. Rima Yacoub carried
on with the efforts to reinforce collaboration with the Audit Bureau (AB) this year. Audit Bureau
collaboration is important because as the GBD implements ROB, related processes in other institutions must
be adapted. The Audit Bureau over this year will learn how to shift its focus from traditional financial audits
and checking legality of public expenditure, and will newly include an examination of the efficiency of
government spending. Mr. Al Azzam and Ms. Yacoub met with H.E Mr. Mustafa Al Barrari, the President
USAID-funded Fiscal Reform II Project Monthly Report December 2010 3