Introducing Financial Management Information Systems in Developing Countries

Pokar Khemani and Jack Diamond

No 2005/196, IMF Working Papers from International Monetary Fund

Abstract: In the past decade, developing countries (DCs) have been encouraged to reform their public expenditure management systems and have increasingly embarked on major projects to computerize their government operations. Most popular among these have been projects to computerize government accounting and payment operations, by introducing government financial management information systems (FMISs). This paper investigates the reason for almost universal failure to implement and sustain FMISs in DCs. It starts with a review of the "received wisdom" in implementing these projects, and then analyzes problems in its application in the DC context to identify key factors to explain why FMIS projects have been so problematic. Based on the identified negative factors, suggestions for addressing them are offered in the hope of improving success rates.

Keywords: WP; project management; accounting system; FMIS project; reform program; cash balance; steering committee; Financial Management Information System (FMIS); Public Expenditure Management; Functionality; expenditure management process; accounting process; project-securing government approval; government system; a number of government bank accounts; information system; accounts receivable; management model; accounts payable; PFM information systems; Fiscal accounting and reporting; Budget planning and preparation; Budget execution and treasury management; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33
Date: 2005-10-01
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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