IMF STAFF ENGAGEMENT WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS Dr. Bessma Momani, Associate Professor University of Waterloo; Fellow, CIGI and Brookings Institution

Steps taken so far….  To provide a background and context for new guidelines:  a) internal discussion with IMF staff;  b) Survey of CSOs,  c) Interviews of CSOs;  d) public consultation

Key findings….  IMF staff were very positive about the benefits of engagement with CSOs because engagement:  Improves loan design and implementation.  Provides political, cultural, social and local context.  Pre-identifies potential loopholes in conditionality and required pace of reforms.  Improves country ownership of country agreements.  Humanizes the IMF as an organization  Speaks to a plurality of stakeholders - that is, wider than governments  thanks to information communication technologies and increased political liberalization- and is therefore necessary to get the IMF’s perspective out there.  Pushed Fund staff to explain or consider distributional issues of its loan programmes.  Improves their own reports to headquarters.

CSOs had a lot to say….  63% believed the IMF had become more open and transparent.  CSOs interviewed noted that they had an overall positive or neutral experience with the IMF, and a minority had a negative view of the IMF (18%).  Most CSO believed the IMF facilitates access to information most or some of the time.  CSOs find significant strides have been made in IMF staff openness to listen and discuss ideas with CSOs.  CSOs have mixed responses as to whether the IMF takes local community’s viewpoint into shaping IMF decisions.  59% felt that IMF staff did not follow up on engagements.

CSO spoke…. Interview findings:  The current webpage, IMF and Civil Society, does not give CSOs the opportunity to converse with the IMF  A number of CSOs say they do not know who to contact if they have a question.  CSOs found IMF staff to be knowledgeable about countries and generally empathetic to a country’s economic situation, but less so to a country’s political and social situation.  Often short notice is given to CSOs for consultation that does not allow CSOs to prepare.  There is some scepticism that engagement is window dressing and does not have impact.  A strong feeling of low follow-up after engagement. Has engagement fed into IMF work flow?

Public Consultations…  Fund seeks outside comments, via and conference calls  IMF has already had 14 public consultations   Ex. Fiscal transparency; CSO; Code of good practices  ?: how do we improve and regularize for CSO involvement….

Public Consultations…. Process of Policy Change At the IMF 1. Executive Board Releases its Work Programme 2. Heads of Department Initiate Change with Staff 3. A public consultation is initiated 4. New Website Developed Conference Call w/ CSO 5. Transcript published Comments published 6. Internal discussion With department 7. Policy Change implemented What is missing? How can we improve this process?

Next steps…  Present new guidelines to IMF staff  Possibly present guidelines to IMF management or board  Discuss guidelines with CSOs  Keep in touch… 