• IPF | Institute of Public Finance Bangladesh
  • Centre of Excellence for PFM Training, Research and Capacity Building

Trainings

Fiscal Economics and Economic Management (FEEM)

Overview:

The Institute of Public Finance Bangladesh (IPF) offers FEEM as one of its signature training courses for developing a common understanding of key macro-fiscal, revenue, and public financial management principles in a critical mass of government officials across all ministries and agencies. This training programme is typically completed in ten weeks of full-time, non-residential ambience. Thrice or fourth a year, IPF hots FEEM, with a typical batch size of 25 participants ranking from Assistant Secretary or equivalent officers to Deputy Secretary or equivalent officers across the government.

Started off its journey back in 2004 under the FMRP programme of the Finance Division, the first major review of the course underwent in 2008 with the help of the staff from Birmingham University, UK. It was looked at again, in lesser depth, in 2013 by the local PFM experts and in 2019, an extensive reevaluation was done by the staff of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the behest of the former Finance Secretary Mr Abdur Rouf Talukder.

The fiscal policy and PFM processes in Bangladesh are substantially impacted by the FEEM course. Out of its nine modules, the first eight modules are directly related to fiscal policy, macroeconomics and public financial management while module 9 addresses topics related to contemporary issues for development.


Objectives

Since the key aim is to develop a common understanding of key macro-fiscal, revenue, and public financial management principles in a critical mass of government officials, as discussed in the beginning, the specific objectives are:

  • To provide participants with a detailed understanding of the economy and its interlinkages as well as statistical and analytical techniques to be used in analysing the economic and financial indicators;

  • To provide an outline of the fiscal accounts and identities and revenue sources in terms of policy and welfare measures;

  • To explain fiscal discipline, allocative efficiency and operational efficiency of budgeting;

  • To explore methods of enhancing the effectiveness of Government Policy decisions through budget auditing, monitoring and control; and

  • To orient the participants with overall developmental issues both national and global.

Resource Pool

The pool of instructors consists of a cohort of Finance Division officials and national think tanks who not only possess practical experience in the related field but also have academic excellence from world-reputed universities. They frequently deliver a synthesis of academic expertise and practical experience.

Internationalization of the FEEM Course

IPF has a partnership deal with the IMF South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance (SARTTAC), local in New Delhi, India which offers a one-week course on Strengthening Public Financial Management Framework as a part of the FEEM course. This course introduces participants to the best practices in public financial management (PFM) in the areas of medium-term budget frameworks and forecasting techniques, strategic budgeting, fiscal reporting, public investment management, and financial risk management. The rich course content, high-quality resource persons, state-of-the-art pedagogy, the ambience of the New Delhi Aero City and the dynamic learning facilities in the IMF-SARTTAC provide participants with a vibrant and rewarding experience. IPF also provides the opportunity for the toppers of the FEEM course to avail foreign masters in Economics and PFM-related issues in the world’s high-ranking universities.

Emphasis on the language competencies

The programme includes one additional separate module (English Language) to assist participants in enhancing their overall competencies. At the conclusion of the course, participants are required to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam organized by IPF.

Success Figures

Since the inception of the FEEM course in 2004, a total of 673 civil servants have graduated in 28 batches and out of them, 121 civil servants have completed their Masters in the area of public finance and economics-related courses from reputed Universities in the UK and Japan. Most of the senior civil servants who are serving in PFM areas in Bangladesh such as the Secretary, Bangladesh Bank Governor, and so on are FEEM alumni.

Management Specialist (BMS)

Overview:

The Budget Management Specialist Course is one of the two flagship courses offered by the IPF. The other flagship course of the institute is Fiscal Economics and Economic Management. The basic objective of BMS course is to enhance the skills and knowledge of officers within the Finance Division as well as line ministries, divisions, subordinate directorates, and departments involved in public financial management. The course is specifically designed for mid and junior-level officers, such as Deputy Secretaries, Senior Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, or officers holding equivalent ranks across various cadres and defense services. Accordingly, its aim is to equip these participants with the necessary expertise in budget management.

The training course is much practical, complemented by a solid theoretical foundation. Its primary aim is to equip participants with the essential skills and knowledge required for strategic planning, preparation, execution, and monitoring of budgets within the framework of the Medium-Term Budget Framework. The course follows the standard Public Financial Management (PFM) cycle in delivering modules and their contents, providing a comprehensive understanding of budget management processes.

The BMS (Budget Management Specialist) course is a comprehensive, full-time, non-residential training programme delivered by the Institute of Public Finance Bangladesh (IPF). In fact, the BMS course offers a comprehensive curriculum that encompasses the entire spectrum of budget management. The course spans duration of 20 days and is structured into five modules, each addressing crucial aspects of budget management. These modules are as follows: (i) Budget Management in Bangladesh: Legal Framework and Institutional Arrangements, (ii) Strategic Planning and Budget Preparation, (iii) Budget Implementation and Monitoring, (iv) BACS and iBAS++, and (v) Financial Reporting and Accountability Framework.

The BMS training program initially began in the fiscal year 2013-14. Each BMS training course typically accommodates 25 participants. As of June 2023, IPF has successfully conducted 28 BMS courses. Across the 28 BMS courses, a total of 671 participants have successfully completed the training courses.

BMS Course Modules

Introduction to Budget Management (IBM)

Overview:

The IBM Course is a full time, non-residential training course with duration of 5 days to be delivered by Institute of Public Finance (IPF). The course consists of four modules. Participants’ learning experiences are assessed using several methods including a terminal examination. A pool of experienced practitioners from Ministry of Finance with an excellent blend of knowledge and practitioner’s experience will conduct the training as resource persons.

IBM Course Modules:

Introduction to Budget Management (IBM)

Overview:

The objectives of ABM workshop are to acquaint senior government officials of line ministries and directorates on budget process of the government and to expose them on national budget cycle starting from budget preparation and execution under the Medium-Term Budget Framework (MTBF), Public Financial Accountability and Economic Governance. The resource persons are all PFM practitioners and have an outstanding record of serving in the Finance Division. 1st ABM workshop designed to be residential and held during 13-14 July, 2019 at Engineering Staff College, Bangladesh (ESCB), Meghnaghat, Gazaria, Munshigonj. The workshop dwells upon six issues pertaining to current PFM issues and is facilitated by renowned PFM practitioners of the country.

ABM Course Modules