From January 16-20, 2023, SPRI Global conducted a social policy workshop in Manila, Philippines, discussing the role of costing within the wider framework of Public Financial Management (PFM).
The workshop was organized by the Philippine Government in partnership with UNICEF Philippines, and brought together participants from institutions of the executive and legislative branches of the Government of the Philippines with the purpose of achieving capacity building in costing of policies, programs and legislation.
The specific beneficiaries from the executive branch included the National and Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC). From the legislative branch, the beneficiary institutions included the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD), joined by members of the Committee Affairs Department including the Committee on Appropriations and Committee on the Welfare of Children.
The workshop was designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the importance of costing in the development of effective and sustainable social policies. The discussions focused on the challenges faced by the Philippine Government in integrating cost considerations into the policy-making process, and the role of UNICEF Philippines in supporting these efforts.
SPRI Global’s Patrick Llewellin and independent consultants Neil Cole and Andrew Parker provided participants with an introduction to the role of costing within the wider framework of PFM and then provided participants with a methodological framework for the costing of social policy and legislation. The participants were introduced to the importance of cost analysis in the policy-making process, and the different methodologies used for estimating costs. The day ended with a panel discussion on the practical challenges faced by the Philippine Government in integrating cost considerations into its policies and programs, and the role of UNICEF Philippines in supporting these efforts.
Participants were then introduced to a capstone assignment, in which the participants were asked to conduct a complete costing of a proposed policy, which will be completed two weeks after the completion of the training. This included a discussion on the cost analysis framework, and its application to a range of social policies, such as early childhood development, education, and health. The training ended with a practical session, in which the participants worked collaboratively and online mentoring sessions are being provided to further support participants as they conduct the costing exercise.
The workshop was a great success, and provided a valuable platform for participants and instructors to share their experiences and learn from each other. The participants gained a deeper understanding of the importance of costing in the policy-making process, and how to integrate cost considerations into social policies.