This working paper is one of five African case studies aimed at understanding the factors
influencing the priority given to poverty within the budget process and the effectiveness with which
it is addressed. This study is based on a review of the extensive existing literature, and on a series of
structured interviews with participants in the policy process in government, civil society and the
donor community during February and March 2001.
This introductory section provides some country background, followed by a discussion of poverty
and poverty policy in section 2. Sections 3 and 4 examine public expenditure and its impact on
poverty, and the institutional framework of public sector reforms. Public expenditure management
issues are investigated in section 5, followed by a discussion of poverty and public expenditure
information and analysis in section 6. Section 7 examines public sector transparency, legislative
oversight and participation of civil society. Section 8 concludes with a discussion of the research
hypotheses that are common to all six case studies.