34. International Public Finance Conference
Gender Budgeting In Local Administratıon: İstanbul Beylikdüzü And Eskişehir Odunpazarı Cases
Özgün Akduran ErolPerformance based budgeting system has been implemented since 2003 relying on the new Turkish Public Financial Management and Control Law, 5018. According to the new performance based budgeting system, every public institution, local administrative authorities as well, is expected to prepare a 5 year strategic plan which corresponds a policy paper included aims, targets and strategies that the institution committed to realize in 5 years period. Further, based on new budgeting system, strategic plan preparing process should be participatory. Therefore, various social groups should be involved in the planning process to ensure the final budget documents; accessible, accountable and transparent. In addition, a new public budget classification system is implemented: Analytical Budget Classification System. This new budget classification method enables to show public budget in four different forms; that is institutional, functional, financial and economic classification. Nearly at the same time with this structural reform in budgeting law and methods, the interaction between gender responsive budgeting (GRB) initiatives and municipalities have started as well. Eskişehir Odunpazarı and Istanbul Beylikdüzü Municipalities are the most dedicated local bodies that have continued capacity building of their institution in GRB and tried to create a structural change in their budgeting and managerial practices. Odunpazarı Municipality has organised GRB trainings for all its municipal departments in 2014 and following these trainings Department of Strategic Planning has started to work on developing a new budget reporting system. As a result of this effort, a new official document called ¨Odunpazarı Municipality Budget Implementation Equality Report¨ has been started to prepare and attached to the annual municipality Activity Report has been started to release, starting at 2017 budget year. As to Beylikdüzü Municipality; being one of the newest district municipalities in Istanbul, Beylikdüzü Municipality serves a 300.000 population, and has signed the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life in 2016. Following this commitment, Municipality has started to integrate a gender responsive approach in its administrative practices and budgeting process. Furthermore, Beylikdüzü Municipality also has begun to prepare an Annual Equality Report. This study aims to discuss both municipalities’ GRB practices in terms of the method they used and to shed light upon the obstacles being faced and also successes achieved.