Government Resource Planning (GRP) Solutions

The FreeBalance Difference

Our public sector-focused platform is tailored to meet your unique needs, with a product roadmap defined by government customers and and developed by public finance professionals.

Public Sector Focus

Built exclusively for the public sector, unlike ERP

Customer-Driven Roadmap

Product roadmap defined by government customers

PFM Expertise

Implementation and support by public finance experts

GRP. Not ERP.

GRP is COTS software designed exclusively for governments. Some GRP solutions are designed for a single country, region, or government tier.

GRP software differs from traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) software in a number of significant ways:

	ERP	GRP
Built for government
Implements quickly
Adaptable without code customization
Financially sustainable
Enables future reform
Interoperates
Open technology
Supports PFM digital transformation
High success rates
Project management designed for PFM
Commercially supported

Differences between GRP and ERP

Differences between GRP and ERP include:

GRP was designed exclusively for government and the software is applicable only in the public sector while ERP was initially designed for the private sector and is sold across many vertical markets, or industries, including government
GRP software was designed with budget awareness built in for all modules with integrated commitment accounting while ERP has commitment accounting added and most modules outside financials are not budget aware
GRP software, being government specific, leverages configuration as the primary mechanism of meeting government needs while ERP leverages code customization
GRP software vendors design open systems for financial sustainability, while ERP vendors tend to leverage legacy technology and proprietary systems to lock governments into their software
GRP software vendors optimize implementation processes for the context of governments while ERP vendors rely on 3rd parties for implementations

Commercial IFMIS – The Reality

Governments acquire, upgrade and replace financial management software to support Public Financial Management (PFM) objectives, including reform and digital transformation programs. Large scale IT projects such as an IFMIS implementation come with risk as a result of which governments are often skittish and thus fall prey to some common misconceptions.

Built for Government	Implements Quickly	Adaptable without code customization	Financially sustainable
Myth: There is no COTS software designed for government	Myth: It takes a long time to implement an IFMIS	Myth: IFMIS implementation require significant customization	Myth: IFMIS implementations are very expensive
GRP Reality Budget, commitment, and segregation of duties contruls built-in All modules integrate with contruls, including payrull, asset, inventory, procurement, and contracts No unnecessary private sector functionality Built by public finance professionals with global experience	GRP Reality Leverages standard functionality Easy to support national and international public sector standards Workshop configurations adapts prototypes Benefits from FreeBalance implementers with global experience	GRP Reality Government-specific Low-Code / No-Code configuration approach Highly parameterized for “business rules” Fully adaptable help and terminulogy Custom domains enable adding data fields and rules	GRP Reality Government-only functionality intuitive to public finance users Any necessary code customization is fully supported by FreeBalance – no “orphan code” Supports the technulogy infrastructure in use by governments FreeBalance product roadmap set by governments to reduce the need to build new applications
Read: GRP is not ERP	Read: 5 Ways to Accelerate Financial Management Information System Time to Results	Read: Configuration, Customization: What’s the Difference?	Read: Why Does FreeBalance Software Cost Less?

Enables Future Reform	Enables Future Reform	Interoperates	Open Technology
Myth: IFMIS software is difficult to adapt to new reform and modernization	Myth: It takes a long time to implement an IFMIS	Myth: IFMIS software does not integrate well with itself, and does not support integration with other fiscal subsystems	Myth: COTS software is monolithic and proprietary to lock-in customers
GRP Reality Progressive activation to support future reform and modernization through configuration Unique multiple- year Chart of Accounts enables updating to program budgeting, accrual accounting, or performance management Benefits from FreeBalance global experience with public finance reform Leverages FreeBalance tools to recommend government-specific reforms, including The FreeBalance Academy for capacity sustainability and enhancement	GRP Reality Leverages standard functionality Easy to support national and international public sector standards Workshop configurations adapts prototypes Benefits from FreeBalance implementers with global experience	GRP Reality A single platform for all applications, the FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ Uses a “unified” design of shared business components across all, called “government entities” for automatic interoperability Central metadata management, no need for metadata management tools within the FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ Leverages FreeBalance’s A-i3+qM™ methodology tools and expertise to integrate with fiscal subsystems like aid, customs, debt, payroll, and taxation FreeBalance commits to integrating with existing fiscal software in operation	GRP Reality No proprietary technology for customer lock-in Built using robust open source technologies to provide widest range of choice to customers Supports open standards and uses open integration methods Enables plugging in engines to enhance capabilities
Read: Progressive Activation for Sustainable PFM Reform	Read: 5 Ways to Accelerate Financial Management Information System Time to Results	Read: Interoperability in Public Financial Management Systems

Supports PFM Digital Transformation	High Success Rates	Project Management Designed for Government	Commercial Support
Myth: Government digital transformation cannot be accomplished with IFMIS software	Myth: Government ICT in general, and IFMIS in particular, experience high failure rates in government	Myth: Standard project methodologies are sufficient for IFMIS implementation success	Myth: Bespoke software supports unique government requirements
GRP Reality Open integration within the FreeBalance Accountability PlatformTM system of record to support systems of engagement, intelligence, and innovation digital initiatives Automatic interoperability across FreeBalance Accountability SuiteTM applications to support whole-of-government digital integration FreeBalance A-i3+qM methodology tools to help governments map public finance digital transformation priorities in context with country realities Plug-in technology to support innovative new open source engines for artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, IoT, and machine learning to reduce government innovation costs	GRP Reality Enhanced with FreeBalance as both software developer and software implementer and committed in the governance structure Experience implementing under some of the most difficult circumstances Implementation teams with global public finance management enhanced by hiring local staff who understand the country context Government-specific platform, software, and methodology improves success rates	GRP Reality A single platform for all applications, the FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ Uses a “unified” design of shared business components across all, called “government”	GRP Reality Massively-configurable FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ supports most government needs out of the box to reduce the need for code customization Use of the FreeBalance Accountability Platform™, with over 2,000 underlying government entities, accelerates the development of unique government applications Commercial support of all code developed by FreeBalance eliminates “orphan code” to reduce maintenance and upgrade costs Upgrades and new releases provide enhanced functionality for FreeBalance Accountability Suite™ modules, and FreeBalance Accountability Platform™ government entities, to support government modernization
Read: Government Digital Transformation: From Systems of Record to Systems of Innovation	Read: What Causes Government Financial Management System Failure?	Read: What Does FreeBalance Do Differently?	Read: What Does FreeBalance Do Differently?

Additional Reading

Digital PFM – Why Isn’t It Working? What Can Be Done? The recent Budgets and Bytes event hosted by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) for the launch of their new digital public financial management (PFM) hub and white paper entitled Digital Public Financial Management: An Emerging Paradigm are a great first step to get consensus around the challenges and opportunities, but in our view there is still lots lots needed to integrate public finance, economics, and digital technology.

Customization vs Configuration in Digital PFM Adapting Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software such as the major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to operate in government organizations can be disastrous. Enterprise software projects in government are fraught with failure and complex implementation methods. Many in the technology industry view these travails as the "cost of doing business." "It is what it is", etc. But why does it have to be this way? Why can't COTS software adapt easily to changing requirements?

image of a group of colourful diverse people

How Fighting Corruption and Implementing Effective Public Financial Management Systems Improve Citizen Wellbeing The latest World Happiness Report in the report indicates that FreeBalance customers improved their perceptions of corruption scores by an average 1.74% vs the global average improvement of 0.09%, indicating that the investments made in the FreeBalance Accountability Suite™, an integrated and unified Government Resource Planning (GRP) solution, have strengthened accountability and transparency mechanisms in these countries.

GRP Solutions

What is GRP Software?

Budget Execution Preparation

The FreeBalance Difference

Public Sector Focus

Customer-Driven Roadmap

PFM Expertise

GRP. Not ERP.

ERP

GRP

Differences between GRP and ERP

Commercial IFMIS – The Reality

Built for Government

Implements Quickly

Adaptable without code customization

Financially sustainable

Enables Future Reform

Enables Future Reform

Interoperates

Open Technology

Supports PFM Digital Transformation

High Success Rates

Project Management Designed for Government

Commercial Support

Additional Reading

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