The COVID-19 pandemic is testing public financial management systems in many ways. As with previous health emergencies (e.g., Ebola, SARS), key challenges are coming from reassessing fiscal policy needs and identifying additional financial resources; ensuring the timely availability of funds to service delivery units; tracking, accounting for, and reporting in a transparent manner the resources deployed for emergency response; and ensuring business continuity when faced with absences of staff. The pandemic also heightens risks that weigh on the fiscal positions of countries.
The IMF is supporting its member countries in tackling these current challenges. A Policy Tracker allows to monitor government responses to the crisis. Further, IMF experts have produced Special Series Notes in several languages to help countries address the economic effects of the COVID crisis, several of which deal with PFM issues. Here are links to a few notes of general interest for this course. We will also provide links to these notes (and others) in the reference sections of the relevant course modules.
Preparing Public Financial Management Systems for Emergency Response Challenges
Managing Fiscal Risks Under Fiscal Stress
Keeping the Receipts: Transparency, Accountability, and Legitimacy in Emergency Responses
Government Cash Management Under Fiscal Stress