Training in budgetary monitoring

Since 2016, the Citizen Dialogues Benin project has undertaken detailed work, particularly with beneficiaries representing the media, but also with members of the citizen participation units (Cellules de Participation Citoyenne), in order to enable them to incorporate more issues regarding citizen-led control of public initiatives into their editorial policy. Competence in budgetary monitoring is essential in this area.

Over six days, under the direction of the NGO Social Watch, the participants updated their knowledge on budgetary monitoring in Benin with the support of professionals from the NGO and stakeholders on the ground who are active in these areas.

For the 25 media outlet journalists and the 7 members of the citizen participation units, the aim was to enhance what has already been achieved while honing their technical skills, in order to develop a common vision of the complex concepts of national or local budget, appropriation of funds, the law on decentralisation or awarding public contracts.

This training course also aimed to develop a real and lasting dynamic between the journalists, civil society organisations and local authorities in order to promote better circulation and understanding of the information on questions of public finance, and to encourage the production of accessible content tailored to the public targeted by the media.

The beneficiary journalists are now equipped with the tools they need to address these questions more professionally within their respective media outlets.