South Sudan has been active in trying to build and reform its public financial management systems since the receipt of significant and regular oil inflows began in 2005. In early 2011 a Crown Agents consultant provided support to an assessment of Public Financial Management (PFM) systems carried out by the World Bank and government of South Sudan. The assessment used the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) methodology that provides a comprehensive diagnostic tool and guide for PFM reforms.
The assessment highlighted sustained efforts in building PFM systems, but finds that significant challenges must be tackled before South Sudan's systems can progress to regional standards. One key issue is a lack of trained or qualified finance personnel. The government, supported by development partners, has begun to tackle this deficit, but training and capacity building must be accelerated if overall improvement to PFM systems is to take place.