IMF Archives: Finding Aids
African Department Records
African Department Immediate Office Records
Date(s): inclusive 1961-1999, predominant 1963-1989 |
Context
Name of Creator: African Department Immediate Office
Administrative/Biographical history: In 1963, two years after its creation, the African Department (AFR) was organized into an Immediate Office and several area divisions. The Immediate Office is responsible for guiding, coordinating, and reviewing the work of its area or geographical divisions. It consists of the Director of the Department, several Deputy Directors, other senior staff and administrative staff. The Immediate Office also covers developments in the larger regional organizations and supervises the research activities of the Department. Senior staff members are assigned to work on a member country on an ad hoc basis, usually in connection with a mission or use of Fund resources but sometimes for an extended period in the case of members experiencing particularly difficult problems.
Over time, other responsibilities concerning the management of the Department's work were divided as delegated by the Director as opposed to having set roles to be filled by the Deputy Directors and senior staff. In 2004, with the creation of a Policy Wing, an Operations Wing, and a Resources Management Wing in AFR, the organization of the Immediate Office changed. Deputy Directors now head the three wings and report to the Director.
Archival history: Although the African Department was created in 1961, many series do not contain records from the early 1960s. The earliest files in series tend to begin from 1965 onwards. In part, this may simply be attributable to the dates that African countries became members. Other records from the early 1960s appear to have been incorporated into the IMF Archives Central Files Collection in the Country Files series for the member country in question.
Also, at some point in time in an undocumented transfer, approximately 5 linear feet of files and documents were removed from their original place in the recordkeeping system of the African Department's Immediate Office so that they could be incorporated into the Central Files Collection. However, these files and documents were not incorporated and were not returned to their original place, but were rather boxed together in no apparent order. Where possible, the archivists have attempted to place the items in an appropriate file, or have created a new file which has been placed in an appropriate series. Researchers can visibly identify these newly created files by their new folders. The following series have material that was re-incorporated in this way: Consultation Files, Chronological Files, International Organizations Files, Administrative Files and Subject Files.
Content and structure
Scope and content: Sous-fonds contains the records maintained in the Immediate Office of the African Department (AFR). The records were generated as the Immediate Office carried out its responsibility to guide, coordinate, and review the work of the Department's area divisions. Records are arranged into the following eight series: Country Files, Consultation Files, Advisor Files, Chronological Files, International Organization Files, Subject Files, Administrative Files and Technical Assistance Files. Country Files and Consultation Files form the majority of the sous-fonds.
Conditions of Access and Use
Conditions governing access and reproduction: Technical Assistance Files series contains potentially sensitive information on recruitment which pertains to individuals and therefore has been closed. The following series also have a box containing files or documents that have been closed: Consultation Files - box 92; Country Files - box 157; Subject Files - box 43; Advisor Files - stored in box 92 of Consultation Files series; Technical Assistance Files - box 20. Within the closed Technical Assistance Files series, Box 20 contains documents that are closed due to additional potentially sensitive information on individuals.
Language/script of material: English, French, Portuguese, Arabic. Most records in languages other than English have English translations attached to them.
Under the Policy on Access to the IMF's Archives only archival materials that are 20 years old or older are open to researchers.
For re-use of digital archival documents where available, it is the responsibility of the individual to obtain permission from the copyright owner.