The report assesses IMF surveillance in the period leading up to the global financial and economic crisis and offers recommendations on how to strengthen the IMF's ability to discern risks and vulnerabilities in the future. Chapters discuss the unfolding of the crisis and IMF messages prior to...

This evaluation examines factors influencing the effectiveness of the IMF structural conditionality in bringing about structural reform. It assesses the impact of the streamlining initiative launched in 2000 and of the 2002 Conditionality Guidelines. These guidelines aimed at reducing the volume...

This independent evaluation of the IMF’s role and performance in the determination and use of aid to low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa is presented at a ground-level view. Country performance has improved in many sub-Saharan Africa countries over the period, and the report details the...

This evaluation report covers such topics as the definition and scope of prolonged use, the evolution of IMF policies on prolonged use, characteristics of prolonged users, the effectiveness and design of prolonged users’ IMF-supported programs, and implications of prolonged use of IMF...

This report evaluates the role of the IMF in supporting economic reform in Jordan during 1989–2004. The evaluation provides an opportunity to assess typical features of relations between the IMF and its borrowing members, and to put into a specific country context IEO’s earlier findings on...

Drawing on evidence from a sample of emerging market economies over the period 1990-2004, this evaluation report reviews the IMF’s approach to capital account liberalization and related issues. The evaluation seeks to contribute to transparency by documenting what in practice has been the...

Using a cross-country sample of 169 IMF-supported programs and detailed studies of 15 programs, this evaluation report examines various aspects of fiscal adjustment in IMF-supported programs. It presents evidence that does not support some critics’ view that IMF-supported programs typically...

This evaluation assesses the IMF's response to the global financial and economic crisis, focusing on the period September 2008 through 2013. It assesses the IMF's actions to help contain the crisis and navigate a global recovery, assist individual economies to cope with the impact of the crisis,...

This paper analyzes that the IMF has moved beyond its traditional fiscal-centric approach to recognize that social protection can also be macro-critical for broader reasons including social and political stability concerns. Evaluating the IMF's involvement in social protection is complicated by...

This evaluation assesses the IMF's work on countries in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS), addressing both (i) its engagement through surveillance, lending, and capacity development and (ii) the frameworks and procedures for its engagement. It finds that the IMF has provided unique...