IMF Archives: Finding Aids
Bureau of Statistics Records
Date(s): 1946-1991 |
Context
Name of Creator: Statistics Department
Archival history: The Bureau of Statistics was formed in 1963. Prior to its creation, statistical activities were the responsibility of the Research Department (RES). In 1947, Jacques J. Polak was the Division Chief in RES responsible for the statistical functions of the IMF. Responsibility was passed to Earl Hicks in 1949 when the Statistics Division was formally created within RES. In 1963 the Statistics Division was restructured and renamed the Bureau of Statistics, yet the Bureau remained within RES, and Hicks remained Director until he resigned in December 1977. He was replaced by Werner Dannemann who was appointed Acting Chief in January 1978, and Chief in May 1978. In 1989, John B. McLenaghan was appointed Chief of the Statistics Division. The Bureau of Statistics became the Statistics Department in 1991 under McLenaghan's leadership. Carol S. Carson succeeded McLenaghan and was appointed Director of the Statistics Department in 1998. Robert W. Edwards succeeded Carson in 2004. The functions and responsibilities of the Department have evolved over the years. The Bureau was not, for instance, initially responsible for balance of payments or government finance statistics; however, the Bureau has always been responsible for collecting and maintaining the IMF's internationally comparable economic statistics for use both within the IMF and inclusion in its International Financial Statistics (IFS) publication, which has been a standard source of international statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance dating from 1948, and related publications such as the Direction of Trade, Balance of Payments Yearbook and the Government Finance Statistics Yearbook. Additionally, the Bureau has always been responsible for overseeing the development and review of the IMF's statistical concepts, methodologies and standards. Finally, the Bureau of Statistics became responsible for the provision of technical assistance in statistics to member countries after the establishment of its Technical Assistance Program. On December 3, 1968 the Bureau, in response to the Managing Director's Budget Statement to the Executive Board in April of 1968 regarding opportunities for the IMF to increase technical assistance in the field of statistics, put forward a proposal for a Statistics Bureau Program on Technical Assistance. The Program was designed to improve technical cooperation on the establishment or improvement of central bank bulletins. The proposal was accepted and in 1969 it began. In the 1970s, the program was briefly known as the Central Bank Bulletin Project. Currently the Department includes the following ten divisions: Immediate Office, Balance of Payments and External Debt I, Balance of Payments and External Debt II, Country Data Review, Financial Institutions I, Financial Institutions II, Government Finance, Real Sector, Resource Management and Statistical Information Management.
Content and structure
Scope and content: Fonds contains records of the Bureau of Statistics made or received by the Immediate Office, Balance of Payments Division, Financial Statistics Division A, Financial Institutions Division A, Financial Institutions Division B, Government Finance Statistics Division, General Economy Division, Government Finance Division and General Statistics Division.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information: Appraisal decisions are described at the series level.
Conditions of Access and Use
Language/script of material: English, French, Spanish
Associated Materials
Related units of description: Minimal correspondence from 1947, when the Statistics Division was part of the Research Department, to 1991 when the Bureau of Statistics became the Statistics Department is located in Central Files Collection, along with papers on financial statistics and related information.
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.