Purpose

The main purpose of the gender responsive PFM assessment is to collect information on the Government of Rwanda’s budgeting systems to ascertain the level at which PFM systems are gender responsive in addressing the needs of gender inequalities across government budgetary operation in ensuring the need of both men, women, girls and boys and other vulnerable populations (such as people with physical and/or mental disabilities) are taken into account. In this respect, gender responsive budgeting has been included in 2022 PEFA assessment for the first time, which creates a great opportunity for the GoR to consider strengths and weaknesses in order to inform the design of the new PFM reform strategy after 2024. Going forward, the findings of the GRPFM assessment will inform GoR’s gender policy direction for purposes of refocusing, with the aim to further bridging the gender inequality gap.

The GRPFM assessment was carried out at the same time the main PEFA assessment was conducted, using the Supplementary Framework for Assessing Gender Responsive Public Financial Management published by the PEFA Secretariat in January 2020. The assessment team conducted field visit with interviews for the main PEFA but at the same time had the opportunity to collect information for GRPFM indicators described in the supplementary framework (GRPFM) in order to maximise the use of time and also reduce the level of interaction with government staff due to their busy schedule. The same assessment team that carried out the standard PEFA was used to conduct the GRPFM assessment. Relevant data collected for the standard PEFA was used for the GRPFM assessment; for example: 1st and 2nd planning and budget call circular, was used for both the standard PEFA and GRPFM assessments.

Mr. Vincent Nkuranga (Coordinator of Single Project Implementation Unit -SPIU, MINECOFIN) was the assessment manager and a member of the oversight team. Mr. Richard Tusabe (Minister of State in charge of National Treasury, MINECOFIN), was the chair of the oversight team. He provided general leadership and guidance. Mr. Vincent Nkuranga organised and secured all meetings as well as ensured the timely provision of all relevant documentation. He was responsible for the organisation of the PEFA Gender training workshop held in Kigali. Other members of the oversight team include the Accountant General, the Auditor General, and the Deputy Commissioner General of RRA, representatives of development partners from ENABEL/Belgium, Germany/KfW, and UK-FCDO.

MINECOFIN is the lead central government agency when it comes to gender responsive budgeting. It ably supported by the Ministry of Gender and Family Protection which is responsible for policy issues, and the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) under the Office of the Prime Minister, responsible for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of national and international gender commitments, policies and programs.

Development partners supporting gender issues include UNICEF and UNWomen.

As required by the PEFA Secretariat and the PEFA Check guidelines, the GRPFM report (annexed to the main PEFA report) was subjected to the same PEFA Check requirements applicable to the standard PEFA, in terms of oversight arrangements, peer review and quality assurance. The coverage of the gender assessment is the same as that of the main PEFA assessment, i.e., FYs 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, with a cut-off date of June 2021. The GRPFM assessment was funded by the Multi-Donor Basket Fund with contribution form ENABEL/Belgium and Germany.