Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETS)
Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETS) track the flow of public money from central ministries to frontline agencies (e.g. municipalities and utilities in the water sector) in order to identify resource use and leakage. PETS also provide information on services delivered and accountability arrangements. The surveys not only highlight the use and abuse of public money, but also give insights into cost efficiency, decentralization and accountability.
PETS use a discrepancy methodology, comparing the outflow of funds with the inflow. Though they cannot pinpoint the exact point of risk along the flow of funds, they can indicate that a leakage exists somewhere. Furthermore, due to their monitoring function, they may also serve to mitigate risks.