David Robins

research & advocacy @OpenBudgets
product of @SOAS, @CityYear, & @Trinity_U
usual disclaimer here applies

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

Knowing where health money was supposed to go is only half the story. Knowing why it did not get there is the harder, more useful half.

[David Robins @David_Robins]

@SamBorden Your article was one of the first things I thought about after the win last night. Any thoughts on the combos fifa will pick for USA vs Belgium?

[David Robins @David_Robins]

It was great to have IMF's Director of the Fiscal Affairs Department join us at our #OBS2025 event in Washington, DC.

[IMF @IMFNews]

Governments today face difficult choices on spending, taxation, and reform. At the @OpenBudgets event, Rodrigo Valdés, Director of our Fiscal Affairs Department, discussed why public trust and transparency are essential for effective fiscal policy. Watch the keynote: https://t.co/ueI54jW5RJ

[Christi Rangel G. @LibertariaUla]

¿Puede venezuela reconstruir unas finanzas públicas transparentes y sostenibles?
El #21mayo en la Fundación Ortega - Marañón de Madrid estaremos @jmpuentec @NoMasGuiso @SoyArepita en un evento híbrido.
Hora: 6.30 p.m. España
12.30 p.m. Venezuela
https://t.co/V3mgmMhcTa

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

🔴 Live | #ProgressUnderPressure
We're live. 📷

Governments, civil society, and budget experts from across the Middle East and North Africa are gathered online right now for the OBS 2025 MENA Regional Launch — examining what budget accountability looks like when it's tested by conflict, debt, and constrained civic space.

As @OpenBudgets Executive Director @apmunozg put it in her opening: Change has to be locally led, but it should also be globally connected. It has been 20 years of the Open Budget Survey, with @OpenBudgets working with governments, civil society, oversight institutions, and development partners around the world, building coalitions and showcasing how budgets can be a powerful tool to get closer to social change.

That's what today is about. Follow the full conversation → #ProgressUnderPressure

Supported by @EU_Commission, @unicef and @FCDOGovUK

#OpenGovWeek #OGP15 #OpenGov #OBS2025 #OpenBudgetSurvey #BudgetAccountability #MENA #OpenBudgets

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

💬 #ProgressUnderPressure
"If governments do not provide the information themselves, others may do — and sometimes with possibly negative intentions." — Pablo Cendoya Revenga, @EU_Commission, DG MENA

Budget transparency isn't just good governance. It's how trust survives.

#OpenGovWeek #OGP15 #OBS2025 #OpenBudgetSurvey #BudgetTransparency #MENA #OpenBudgets

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

The #OBS2025 MENA Regional Report is now live. 📊

Progress on budget transparency and oversight across 8 countries. Participation still the weakest pillar. And civil society driving gains even in the most constrained environments.

Read the full findings 👇 🔗 https://t.co/pukn2BNtXo

Available in English, Arabic & French.

#OpenBudgetSurvey #BudgetAccountability #MENA #OpenBudgets #OpenGovWeek #OGP15

[David Robins @David_Robins]

@ZachCohenFB Deviations relate to previous teams, no? BAL = Baltimore Colts, CLE = OG Browns, HOU = Houston Oilers. Rams were the only NFL team in LA from '46-'82 so they were grandfathered in as LA. Not sure why Cards are ARZ vs ARI or AZ

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

No dialysis unit. Patients travelling 3x a week for treatment.

That changed when their community understood how the hospital budget was allocated.
@ShamseyaEG — supported by @OpenBudgets — helped turn budget data into a direct ask to their MP. One week later, the unit was installed. 💙

This is budget accountability in action. Watch the incredible story. Produced with support from @EU_Commission

[David Robins @David_Robins]

@tobyharnden @BlairBarks @specialopsmag @SweetGaelicGirl What will your next book cover?

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

It's live. 🎙️
The regional launch of the Open Budget Survey for the Western Balkans & Türkiye is underway in Tirana, Albania. Government officials and civil society are in conversation —
because budget accountability matters.

Follow along for updates. 👇

This event is supported by the @EU_Commission

@institutiGAP @GLPSKosovo @CDT_CrnaGora @IA_Alternativa @CRPMmk @NKEUSrbija @TransparencySer

[Swann Marcus @SwannMarcus89]

Brandon Scott is the best mayor in America and it isn’t close

[Jeremiah Johnson 🌐 @JeremiahDJohns]

It's worth remembering that DOGE is a failure at Every. Single. Possible. Level.

At the micro level, they misread, misled and straight up lied about many of the 'savings'. They'd announce '500m saved!' and it would be some contract where the money was 98% already spent and already wasn't being renewed.

At the macro level, they didn't impact spending at all. The government is spending more in 2025 than 2024, on basically the same trajectory but a little more.

At the institutional level, they didn't even convince the GOP that deficits are a problem worth caring about. The GOP just passed a bill that explodes the deficit by trillions of dollars.

At a personal level, Elon got run out of town with his tail between his legs and the most notable public facts about the Cracked Coders are that one of them was a mini Hitler, one was called 'big balls' and none of them bothered to learn how the government actually works before they lit it on fire.

They gutted a bunch of important institutions, fired whole departments at random, decimated medical research funding, killed a bunch of people dependent on USAID, and still failed at every possible level.

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

📹 In the wake of #FfD4, our Executive Director @apmunozg reflects on a key challenge: achieving meaningful outcomes requires rethinking who gets to shape public finance decisions. "For too long, women and marginalized communities—those most impacted by budget choices—have been excluded. It's time to build coalitions that center their voices in how governments raise and spend public resources.”
#publicfinance #publicparticipation

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

Join our #FfD4 side event on 'Democratizing Finance: Reimagining Fiscal Systems for Democratic Resilience' in collaboration with @CIVICUSalliance @FCDOGovUK and @OpenSociety.
🗓️ July 1, 2025
🕣 8:30am EST / 2:30pm CET
Register to participate online: https://t.co/ANM2Sdw67N
The event will provide a platform to reflect on global and national practices that integrate civic participation into fiscal decision-making and examine how such practices contribute to the equitable and effective use of public resources.

[International Budget Partnership @OpenBudgets]

Key thread🔥- 🌍#FFD4 is happening June 30-July 3 in Seville, Spain—a crucial moment for global sustainable development financing. We're co-hosting 6 side events at the conference to push for an agenda that prioritizes public participation and accountability.
Visit the event landing page for more: https://t.co/4V0jVb46Ps.

[David Robins @David_Robins]

Great work by @CapriCaribbean and the @OpenBudgets team!

[Auditor General, Jamaica @AuGDJa]

Earlier this week, CAPRI and the International Budget Partnership met with the Auditor General's Department to discuss Jamaica's performance in the Open Budget Survey (OBS) and insights from CAPRI's Budget Scorecard 2024.
#BudgetTransparency #auditing

[CAPRI @CapriCaribbean]

CAPRI appreciated the opportunity to engage with the Auditor General’s Department!

We look forward to continued collaboration in advancing open, accountable, and participatory budgeting in Jamaica @OpenBudgets

[Daniel Fried @AmbDanFried]

Treasury is easing rules to allow for dark money to park in the US. Russian oligarchs, for one, will benefit. @ACGeoEcon

[Transparency International Rwanda @TI_Rwanda]

The Workshop on Open and Accountable Budget for Civil Society brought together members of various Rwandan CSOs and a delegation led by the @OpenBudgets, comprising members of international CSOs.

This workshop provided a unique platform for civil society organizations to strengthen their capacity in budget analysis, social audits, and strategic advocacy. Participants explored key budget processes, tools, and techniques to engage effectively with fiscal governance actors. The training equipped them with the skills needed to influence budgetary decisions that foster accountability, inclusivity, and sustainable development.

"Our collective work is more important than ever. Strengthening civil society’s ability to engage in the budget process fosters a culture of openness and dialogue between the government and its citizens. This engagement ensures that public resources are allocated effectively and equitably, ultimately enhancing service delivery and improving the lives of Rwandans," said TI-Rwanda Executive Director @amupiganyi in his remarks.