FAD’s Annual Retreat of PFM Advisors—Echoes from the Field

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Posted by Bruno Imbert and Jacques Charaoui[1]

The IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) hosted the fifth annual retreat of its PFM advisors in Washington DC from October 15-19, 2018. The event gathered together more than 40 advisors located either in the IMF’s Regional Technical Assistance Centers (RTACs) around the world, or in country positions, together with Washington-based staff. It provided an opportunity to discuss progress in implementing a wide range of PFM tools and reforms in the field, and to share experiences and good practices.

Support for capacity development (CD), which includes technical assistance and training, accounts for about 80 percent of the resources of FAD, a significant share of which is delivered by the two PFM divisions, M1 and M2 and their advisors in the field. This support—which has expanded greatly in recent years—helps beneficiary countries build capacity, develop skills, and implement reforms. The growth in CD-related work programs is reflected in:

In this context, the retreat provided an excellent opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues in a constantly evolving environment. PFM advisors in the field and headquarters-based staff benefitted from lively and deep conversations on:

Participants used the retreat to discuss how best to strengthen the effectiveness of CD delivery, and to interact and learn from each other. Recent publications such as FAD’s Fiscal Transparency Evaluation Handbook and the recently published Fiscal Monitor on Managing Public Wealth were showcased. Ideas on strengthening the network of cross-border collaboration were shared. Alternative approaches to delivering and providing CD were discussed, including:

[1] PFM 1 and PFM 2 Divisions, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF.

[2] AFRITAC West 1 (www.afritacouest.org) ; AFRITAC West 2 (www.afritacwest2.org) ; AFRITAC Central (www.afritaccentre.org) ; AFRITAC East (www.eastafritac.org) ; AFRITAC South (www.southafritac.org) ; METAC (www.imfmetac.org) ; PFTAC (www.pftac.org) ; CARTAC (https://cartac.org/) ; CAPTAC (www.captac-dr.org) ; and SARTTAC (www.sarttac.org).

[3] For example, Policy Papers, the Fiscal Monitor, IMF Working Papers, Technical Notes and Manuals, and How To Notes.

Note: The posts on the IMF PFM Blog should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy.

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