IMF Archives: Finding Aids
External Relations Department Records
External Relations Department Finance and Development Office Records
Date(s): 1964-1986 |
Context
Name of Creator: External Relations Department Finance and Development Office
Administrative/Biographical history: Early in 1964, the IMF began to prepare a new journal that was to explain its activities accurately in a language free from jargon. The journal was called The Fund Review. However, in March 1964, the World Bank sought involvement and Finance & Development first appeared in June 1964 as a joint publication to explain in short articles, in non-technical terms, the policies and activities of the institutions. The Finance and Development Office, responsible for the editing, publication and distribution of the journal, existed within the External Relations Department (EXR) from 1983 to 1997 when it was absorbed into the Current Publications Division. In 1998, the World Bank withdrew from the publication, and the staff began to seek prominent outside guest authors to complement the articles of IMF staff. Prior to its attachment to EXR, the Finance & Development Office was attached to the Secretary's Department from 1964-1974, and then the Office of the Managing Director from 1974-1983. The Editor was head of the Office (known by organization code EXRFT while in EXR) and responsible for publication policy to a Joint Committee of senior World Bank and IMF officials. The Editor reported directly to the committee chairman, who was the Director of External Relations of the IMF or Vice President for External Relations of the World Bank in alternate years. The Editor and staff also worked with senior staff and authors of both institutions to generate articles and commentary on those articles, as well as to coordinate the work of the office in line with institutional priorities. Staff also watched developments within member countries and in the global economy to better reflect prevailing economic and financial issues. The administrative and accounting services for the journal were provided by the IMF, with total costs of publication being divided equally under a sharing agreement which was dissolved in 1998. The journal was initially published quarterly in French, English and Spanish. In 1966, a once-yearly Portuguese summary was started and became a quarterly publication in 1981. German, Arabic and Chinese editions followed. Currently, the journal is published quarterly in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. Through its history, Finance & Development has had the following editors: John Dick Scott, 1971-1974; Ian Bowen, 1974-1977; Samuel I. Katz, 1977-1982; Bahram Nowzad, 1982-1989; Shuja Nawaz, 1989-1992; Pamela Bradley, 1992-1993; Claire Liuksila, 1993-1997; and Laura Wallace, 1997-present.
Content and structure
Scope and content: Sous-fonds consists of records generated by the Finance and Development Office and the Joint Fund-Bank Committee as they carried out editorial and administrative activities involved in the production of the journal Finance & Development. The records are arranged into two series: EXRFT Administrative Files and EXRFT Joint Fund-Bank Committee Files. In general, files from the EXRFT Joint Fund-Bank Committee series tend to reflect editorial policy decision-making, while files from EXRFT Administrative Files series tend to reflect the IMF's provision of administrative support for the Office.
Conditions of Access and Use
Conditions governing access and reproduction: Contains closed material.
Language/script of material: English
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