Applied Economics: Public Financial Management and Development

Applied Economics: Public Financial Management and Development is focused on economics applied to public financial management and development. It charts over 50 years of the author’s practical experience of economics and public policy in 60 countries on five continents, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The book’s main focal point is on central and local government budgeting, tracing the progress of revenue aspects and expenditure allocation over time from inputs alone to matching these inputs to achieving and measuring service delivery in programmes. It also presents the assessment instruments that measure public financial management strength and weakness, with real-life illustrations of their application.
All of these instruments use examples from the countries that the author has worked in, demonstrating the conditions faced – mostly stable economic environments, but at times during periods of conflict and insecurity, as well as neighbouring geopolitical tension.These experiences have been gained from the author’s resident assignments and short-term visits (mainly multiple over many years) as a consultant for the IMF, World Bank, and bilateral development programmes as well as academic research.

John Short has a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Stirling (in the first intake of students where he was the founding president of the Sports Union) and an MA in Economics from the University of Lancaster. He researched on the regional impact of public finance at the Universities of Aberdeen and Durham and at the Northern Region Strategy Team. He has been a consultant with IMF, World Bank, bilateral agencies and individual countries since 1982. He was a member of Gosforth RFC’s cup-winning side at Twickenham in 1976 and was inducted into the Newcastle Rugby Hall of Fame in 2017.
This book is based on work carried out in the following countries:
Serbia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Albania, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, The Gambia, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Egypt, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Vietnam, Lao PDR, China, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Netherlands Antilles, Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Montserrat, St Helena, Pitcairn, Aruba, St Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada, St Kitts, Nevis, Jamaica, Dominica, British Virgin Islands, Falklands, Fiji, UK, Ireland.