Fiscal Policy Summer Training Courses 2005
 

The International Studies Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University is pleased to present its Fiscal Policy Summer Training Courses for 2005.

The training courses, led by a panel of distinguished faculty and leading policy experts with worldwide experience, are designed for government officials and policy makers from developing and transition countries as well as their counterparts with international donor agencies. This year's program consists of three courses:

• Tax Policy, Fiscal Analysis and Revenue Forecasting (June 20 - July 8, 2005);
• Fiscal Decentralization and Local Governance (July 11 - July 29, 2005);
• Public Budgeting and Fiscal Management (August 1 - 12, 2005).

While the courses cover related topics, they are taught independently from each other; participants may choose to enroll in either one or more courses. Training will take place on the campus of Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. The application deadline for the program is June 15, 2005.

Training Instructors
Our training courses are taught by senior Andrew Young School faculty members with extensive experience in real-world policy reform and technical assistance around the world, including Professor James Alm, Professor Roy Bahl, Professor Jamie Boex, Professor Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, Professor Mark Rider and Professor Sally Wallace.

Participant Background
Participants need no previous experience in economics, budgeting or public administration, although the program is designed to be most useful for central, regional and local government officials, policy makers and program managers from developing and transitional countries. Participants do not need any previous experience with computers. All courses are taught in English.

In previous years, our training programs have attracted participants from countries around the world, including officials from Albania, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Guinea, Jamaica, Kenya, Macedonia, Malawi, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia and Montenegro, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zambia. Previous participants further included officials from USAID, DFID (United Kingdom), the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the World Bank. Click here for materials from the Fiscal Policy Summer Training Courses offered in previous years (2002 , 2003, and 2004).

Tuition and Funding
Tuition for the three-week courses (the tax policy course and the fiscal decentralization course) equals $7,500 each, while the tuition fee for the two-week courses (macroeconomic policy choices and the public budgeting course) is $ 5,000 per course. This amount includes all training-related costs, including instruction, course materials, single-occupancy lodging accommodations and local transportation. However, the course tuition does not include airfare to/from Atlanta, health insurance, meals, or other incidental expenses. The estimated cost for meals and incidental expenses for Atlanta is $42 per day.

Participants are typically funded by their government (e.g., Ministry of Finance) or through bilateral or multilateral development agencies. The participant is responsible for securing a commitment for funding before submitting the application. Examples of multilateral development agencies are the United Nations Development Program, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Inter-American Development Bank. Following this link for additional information regarding funding opportunities.

Visa Applications
Note that due to the length of time needed for the U.S. Government to process visas, it is highly recommended that you submit your training program application as soon as possible. Once your training program application is received, Georgia State University will be able to provide supporting documentation for the visa application process.

Information and Applications
Application materials for the Fiscal Policy Summer Training Courses for 2005 can be downloaded in MS Word or in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format by clicking on the links below: