IMF Archives: Finding Aids

External Relations Department Records

Context

Name of Creator: External Relations Department

Administrative/Biographical history: The External Relations Department (EXR) was created in 1981 following a merger in 1980 of the various organizational units which had previously been responsible for advising IMF management on its relations with outside groups, producing IMF publications, and alerting and informing staff about global developments relevant to IMF work. The 1980 merger created an Office of External Relations (OER) within the Office of the Managing Director. OER, however, soon became a new department assuming responsibility for: press relations; publishing most IMF publications; seminars and briefings introducing the IMF or its work to a variety of non-official groups; producing drafts of speeches for management and handling invitations for lectures by other staff; producing pamphlets, brochures and leaflets; and, internal communications to staff. At its establishment, EXR had a staff of 47.

The Department is composed of an Immediate Office and several divisions and sections. At its creation, EXR had an Editorial Division, Information Division and Current Publications Division, as well as a Publications Unit. In 1983, EXR assumed responsibility for the Finance and Development Office from the Office of the Managing Director (OMD). In 1987, the Special Representative to the United Nations was shifted to EXR from OMD, but was later moved again in 1991, reporting first to Policy Development & Review Department (PDR) and then later, back to OMD. In 1990, a new Public Affairs Division was created. From 1986 to 1995, the Department also had responsibility for administering the IMF Visitor's Centre.

As the IMF was coming under greater public scrutiny in 1992, EXR's mandate was altered to emphasize the Department's responsibility to increase public understanding of the IMF and its work. This shift was also seen to reflect a change from a passive approach to external relations to a more concerted and active initiative to respond to growing demand for information and to counter widespread public misconceptions.

In 1998, EXR began a major study of the IMF's external communications which resulted in a reorganization with the following changes: in 1999, the News and External Communication Section was created; in 1999, the Information Division was restructured and renamed the Media Relations Division; in 2000, the Policy Communication Division was established; and, also in 2000, a new section was established to manage the IMF external website. In 2004, the Publication Services Section was made a unit within the Editorial Division, which was renamed the Editorial and Publications Division. The Internal Communications Section or Team was created in 2003 at the same time as EXR was charged with coordinating management's internal communications as chair of the Internal Communications Group (ICG), which also has representatives from the Technology and General Services and Human Resources departments. In 2007, to reflect the increasing focus on web-based communication, the Current Publications Division was renamed the Current Communications Division.

EXR has had the following Directors: Azizali F. Mohammed (1981-1990); Shailendra J. Anjaria (1991-1999); Thomas C. Dawson, II (1999-2006); and, Masood Ahmed (2006-present).

Content and structure

Scope and content: Fonds contains records of the External Relations Department (EXR) created and/or maintained by its Immediate Office, Current Publications Division, Editorial Division, Finance and Development Office, Information Division, and Public Affairs Division. Although EXR was established in 1981, some records date from its predecessor units in the Secretary's Department or the Office of the Managing Director, such as those produced by the Chief Editor from 1947 through 1982. Records primarily show the Department's activities in the areas of: producing IMF publications such as the joint World Bank-IMF publication Finance and Development; advising management in advance of public events or other occasions of contact with external groups; liaising on behalf of management with non-official external groups or individuals, including national parliaments; overseeing media relations; representing the IMF as part of speaking tours or at various conferences and seminars; and, managing the program for visitors to the IMF.

Conditions of Access and Use

Conditions governing access and reproduction: Closed files or records can be found in EXRAI Administrative Files Box 11.

Language/script of material: English, French, Spanish, German

Associated Materials

Related units of description: Refer to the Central Files Collection O 900 files for complementary information on the Department. Refer to Publication files in the Central Files Collection for complementary information on specific publications (i.e. P 820 Finance & Development). There are also more recent photographic records in the TGSIMIG External Relations Department (EXR) Photographs series.

Notes

Note: Archivist has created a document to help show predecessor units and External Relations Department units over time. Please refer to: EXR Organization Over Time - DM5 Doc# 3382070.

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