Results-oriented budgeting in Egypt

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testing and building the capacities within the pilots’ institution to undertake this departure from traditional input
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budgets. By this, the WB had offered the MOF the necessary platform to recruit local expertise in the area, as 
well as the needed intermittent visiting review missions that would ensure target alignment and/or take 
corrective measures in a timely manner. The Parliament approved and ratified the GOE-WB agreement in 
November 2002. 
After some visits to the ministries, subliminal pilots were identified and as the project progressed others came 
forward to top-up the success list. By 2004, six pilot ministries with 13 subliminal pilots were on board (see 
Table 1 below). Out of the latter, four subliminal pilots in key functional areas fell under the MOF.
The increase in number of pilots in Phase 1 came as a result of the success of the first contracted five pilots that 
encouraged others to approach their political leadership (ministers) who were skeptical about the readiness of 
their staff, yet effectively believed in the results-orientation. The matched interests between potential pilot 
ministers and their key personnel had driven their request to the MOF to be included in Phase 1.
4.2.1 Phase 1 
Upon the undertaking of the legislative and ministerial procedures, the World Bank assistance program was 
made effective at the end of 2002 for a period of one and half years. The MOF has undergone a systemic review 
to ensure its capacity to run the program and an action plan matrix with tied resources, outputs and outcomes 
was shared between the World Bank, MOF, Ministers of the pilots, and local consultants to set the stage for 
putting Phase 1 Matrix into action. 
4.2.1.1 Action Plan Matrix 
The project action plan matrix initially was designed by the MOF in collaboration with local consultants. After 
that, the participatory process circle expanded to incorporate the m
inisters of pilots and their staff. The project’s 
objective was 
‘to institutionalize and build capacity in the area of monitoring and evaluation and performance 
budgeting in five pilot ministries, which would result in 
‘fiscal reform, expenditure control a
nd enhanced quality 
public service delivery.’
In order to achieve the spelled out project
’s
objective and outcome, six tasks with eighteen activities and twenty-
two sub-activities were defined. In addition, the methodologies and deliverables of each task, output and time 
line were agreed upon with the project stakeholders, who were at this initial stage, the Minister of Finance, the 
then four Ministers who whole-heartedly led the pilots, PBB Division at MOF and local consultants.
The Minister of Finance kept the Prime Minister and the Parliament Budget, Planning and Economic 
Committees abreast with the progress and challenges of the project to the extent that the latter emphasized the 
strong need for this approach vehemently in their published Annual Budget Review Statement.
Subject to the readiness of the subliminal pilots, the tasks and major activities of the project were to be 
completed within 18 months from project inception and included in Table 2. 
4.2.1.2 Achievements: Pilots Review 
The following sub-sections provide an overview of the project status from both the Egyptian as well as the 
World Bank’s perspective
s. 
4.2.1.3 Piloting Status from the Egyptian Perspective 
The local consulting team met fortnightly or once a month on average with the MOF, the Ministers of the pilots 
and pilot teams to share results and acquired knowledge. In addition, the consulting team submitted quarterly 
progress reports for appraisal. 
In December 2003, the MOF prepared a progress report that portrayed the achievements of the 11-month project 
mobilization, in addition to the project action plan matrix. A summary of that report is provided below:
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A PBB project management division was established at the MOF to conclude research, project design 
and monitoring, and study international best practice in the field of results-oriented budgeting. The 
division reported on project progress to the Minister of Finance, and liaised with donors, local 

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Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business ISSN: 2046-7141
Vol. 2, Issue. 9, (pp.13- 25)