Overview

The Financial Management Umbrella Program (FMUP) provides World Bank client countries with support to improve their financial management systems—which, in turn, helps drive improved government performance and improved development results. 

The ultimate outcome of good public financial management is the improvement of people's lives. When resources are well budgeted and delivered, and in accordance with sound strategic priorities, that means money is getting to where it is needed to make a difference, and when. That difference ranges from delivering vital government services to people—services like healthcare, infrastructure, education, and transportation—to running state-owned enterprises well.

We are able to do this work thanks to the generosity of our donors, whose financial contributions enable us to provide guidance, tools, and training to government officials and others so they can make those systems more efficient and more effective.

Countries work with us to stengthen their institutions, develop the professional capabilities of the people who manage various aspects of public finances, and establish better systems and processes. Running throughout our work are three foundational elements:

• sustainability
• transparency
• accountability

The Financial Management Umbrella Program also provides support to World Bank teams, helping them make better financial management part of development projects so those projects can drive smarter spending and better development results.

Support to Drive Reforms

The support that the Financial Management Umbrella Program offers ranges from analysis and technical assistance to regional and global professional development and problem-solving initiatives, including trainings, faciliation, and peer-to-peer learning. Our work is designed to help countries conceive and implement reforms to the benefit of their citizens.

Our work is both World Bank- and recipient-executed. World Bank-executed activities typically focus on diagnostics, analytics, knowledge and learning, technical assistance to countries, program management, and implementation support. We also engage in identifying and appraising potential projects. Recipient-executed activities are undertaken by beneficiary governments or other partners, such as civil society organizations, universities, and other organizations that receive grants. Their day-to-day implementation activities include coordination, implementation, communication, and monitoring and evaluation

In addition to direct support, we are dedicated to producing and disseminating global public goods. That includes knowledge and tools that governments and others can use to step up their financial management capabilities.

Why Public Finance Management Reform

Low- and middle-income countries face increasing financial management challenges -- ranging from long-running bottlenecks in the delivery of government services to intensifying climate change, which has serious implications for government priorities and which demands fresh approaches to ensure spending is climate-friendly.

Governments also have opportunities to use financial management systems to make life better for people in areas such as addressing gender equity and improving performance of government sectors, including education and health. At the same time, they face pressure from citizens to be transparent and deliver.

Accordingly, many countries are looking to get more out of their public financial management systems and implement public financial management reforms. The Financial Management Umbrella Program offers assistance and partnership that helps make that happen.

_{Photos this page: Doctor, Olja Latinovic/World Bank; Electric workers, © 2006 Jonathan Ernst/World Bank; Graduates: Nataly Reinch/Shutterstock.com; Bus: TLF Images/Shutterstock.com}