Background
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs convened a World Bank delegation and representatives from the General Secretariat of the Public Financial Management Reform Steering Committee (GSC) on 1 October 2026 to prepare for a PEFA Gender assessment in Cambodia. The PEFA framework evaluates public financial management performance using standardized indicators covering budgeting, accounting, and external scrutiny. Gender-responsive public financial management (GRPFM) assesses how budget processes and financial controls integrate gender considerations into expenditure decisions and reporting.
The meeting discussed process, scope, methodology, timelines, information sources, documentation, focal points, and coordination mechanisms for the upcoming collection of official data and evidence. The World Bank indicated it will lead the assessment in collaboration with the GSC and other relevant institutions, and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs will support coordination and sector-specific inputs.
Institutional Role
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs acted as the sectoral interlocutor for gender inputs to the national PEFA Gender assessment and agreed to identify internal focal points and documentation for the exercise. The General Secretariat of the Public Financial Management Reform Steering Committee represents the coordinating mechanism within the Ministry of Economy and Finance for national PEFA exercises and related PFM reforms.
Key Developments
On 1 October 2026, H.E. Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi received Ms. Tania Meyer, World Bank Country Manager for Cambodia, and Mr. Oleksii Balabushko, Governance Practice Manager for East Asia and the Pacific, for a working meeting focused on preparing the gender-responsive component of the PEFA assessment. Discussions emphasized the need to map data sources, designate responsible officials, and set coordination arrangements for official evidence collection.
Operational Implications
Preparatory steps identified in the meeting are likely to shape the ministry-level contributions to the assessment by clarifying documentation needs and focal points for data provision. Close coordination between the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the GSC, and the World Bank is required to align sectoral gender information with PEFA indicators and supplementary GRPFM and CRPFM considerations.
