## ppea2020031

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---

### Executive summary — purpose, scope, approvals
- Objective: streamline and strengthen procedures for wider dissemination of technical assistance-related information (“TA Information”) while safeguarding confidential information and the candidness of Fund advice.
- Rationale: wider sharing with donors and other TA providers improves coordination, exploits synergies, helps prioritize and leverage limited TA resources, and strengthens recipient-country ownership and implementation; publication enhances public understanding of best practices and the Fund’s TA experiences.
- Approvals and preparation:
  - Approved By Sharmini Coorey and Rhoda Weeks-Brown.
  - Prepared by Staff from the Legal Department and Institute for Capacity Development, in consultation with other departments.
  - Date on document: March 18, 2020.
- Temporal scope:
  - New procedures apply only to TA information concerning TA projects approved on or after the effective date of May 1, 2009 (paragraph 25).
- Noted management framework and prior references: “Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information” (April 3, 2008) and “Enhancing the Impact of IMF Technical Assistance” (May 20, 2008).

### Substantive scope — categories of TA Information (paragraph 5)
- Categories (non-exhaustive):
  - (a) The fact of the provision of TA and the subject matter of TA.
  - (b) Information on the administration of TA projects (project framework, monitoring and evaluation, budget figures, funding source, timing of missions).
  - (c) Information, received or generated by Fund staff, that forms the basis of Fund TA advice (includes information received from TA recipient or third parties used for analysis, and information produced/generated by Fund staff, including drafts before finalization).
  - (d) Final TA advice — output of TA provided by Fund staff at the request of a TA recipient once it is in the final form under which it will be delivered (includes TA reports, finalized draft legislation, final aide-mémoires, e-mails, or oral advice).

### Enumerated recipients covered (paragraph 5)
- (a) TA recipient and other agencies or instrumentalities within the member country, non-member or international agency receiving Fund TA (definition of “TA recipient” includes governmental/intergovernmental agencies and non-members and international agencies under Rule N-16(d)).
- (b) Executive Directors and members of their staff.
- (c) Donors and other TA providers (definition of “donor” includes official bilateral or multilateral public-sector agencies providing grants or concessional financing for TA; “other TA provider” means any official bilateral or multilateral public-sector agency providing TA).
- (d) Fund staff.
- (e) The general public.

### Exclusions and separate regimes (paragraphs 6–7)
- Guidelines do not apply to:
  - (a) FSAP Reports — handled under a separate regime reflecting understandings between the Fund and the World Bank (Confidentiality Protocol—Protection of Sensitive Information in the Financial Sector Assessment Program).
  - (b) ROSCs — dissemination governed by the Transparency Policy Decision.
  - (c) Safeguards Assessment Reports — subject to a separate disclosure regime under the safeguards assessment policy.
- Board-established transmittal and open archives policies govern other dissemination channels:
  - Transmittal Policy: routine transmittal to international agencies meeting specified criteria (rarely used for TA reports).
  - Open Archives Policy: TA reports over 20 years old available upon request, except reports originally classified “Strictly Confidential” may remain withheld if the Managing Director finds material remains highly confidential or sensitive.

### Principle governing dissemination (paragraph 8)
- Core rule: Dissemination requires the consent of both Fund management and the TA recipient.
  - Authority from Fund management generally delegated to the head of the authoring TA department.
  - Consent from TA recipient may in some instances be obtained on a non-objection basis or assumed given the subject of the information.
- Special cases:
  - Dissemination short of publication to private-sector parties or scenarios not specifically envisaged may be authorized only with explicit consent of the TA recipient and approval of Fund management.
  - Dissemination of confidential information may occur only with recipients’ explicit commitment to confidentiality.
  - Where information received from a third party, explicit consent of that third party is required prior to dissemination.

### Procedures by category — key rules and typical dissemination channels
- Information related to the fact of TA provision and subject-matter of TA (paragraph 9)
  - Not considered confidential unless TA recipient specifies otherwise at time of request.
  - Ordinarily made available to Executive Directors in staff reports.
  - May be made available to TA providers, donors, and the general public upon request.
  - TA recipient’s explicit wish not to make such information public shall be respected.
- Information related to the administration of TA projects (paragraph 10)
  - Not considered confidential unless TA recipient specifies otherwise.
  - May be shared with Executive Directors and staff upon request.
  - Results of TA evaluations reported to Executive Directors annually under the Fund’s TA Evaluation Program.
  - Readily available to other TA providers and donors upon request; may be made available to the general public.
  - Information about third parties that would normally be regarded as confidential will not be disclosed.
- Information forming the basis of TA advice (paragraph 11)
  - Presumed confidential; generally not published.
  - Dissemination beyond Fund staff, management and the TA recipient limited to circumstances facilitating coordination with donors and other TA providers.
  - Head of authoring TA department may permit sharing with World Bank staff, donors or other TA providers only when TA recipient has explicitly consented; third-party consent required where applicable.
  - Considerations before consenting: likelihood of undermining data access, impact on candor of discussions, and effect on project execution.
- Final TA advice (paragraphs 11–12 and Section IV)
  - Final TA advice is considered confidential and its dissemination requires consent of the TA recipient.
  - Forms include:
    - (i) TA reports.
    - (ii) Other documents containing finalized Fund staff advice including draft legislation or final aide-mémoires prepared by Fund staff.
    - (iii) Final advice provided by Fund staff to a TA recipient through emails or orally.
  - Except where ex-ante irrevocable consent is required for externally financed TA (paragraph 16 / paragraph 165 referenced), TA recipients may withdraw consent to disseminate any time prior to actual dissemination of final TA advice.

### Specific procedures for dissemination of final TA advice (Section IV) — within and beyond the Fund
- Dissemination within the Fund (GAO No. 35, Rev. 2 procedures)
  - All finalized TA reports, except those classified “STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL” and FSAP reports, must be forwarded to the Institutional Repository.
  - Classification access rules:
    - “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” — accessible to all staff.
    - “CONFIDENTIAL” — accessible to a smaller group of staff on a need to know determined by the authoring TA department.
    - “CONFIDENTIAL” reports reclassified automatically “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” after two years, unless sensitivity remains.
    - “STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL” — access limited to addressees meeting “strict need to know criterion”; open-archives access possible if over 20 years old and Managing Director consents to declassification (declassification authority delegated to heads of departments).
  - Any form of final TA advice may be disseminated to Fund staff per classification and GAO No. 35, Rev. 2.
- Dissemination to Executive Directors and their staff (Section IV.A, paragraph 14)
  - TA reports to the Executive Director for the country of the TA recipient are generally made available unless the TA recipient requests otherwise.
  - Access for other Executive Directors and staff requires consent of the TA recipient; consent is deemed obtained unless the TA recipient objects within 60 days of transmittal of the TA report. The transmittal letter must expressly refer to this 60-day period.
  - TA recipient may withdraw consent any time prior to actual dissemination; objections must be received within 60 days from transmittal letter though post-60-day objections remain possible if dissemination has not yet occurred.
- Dissemination within the requesting member/non-member/international agency (Section IV.B, paragraph 15)
  - Duty of confidentiality owed to the direct TA recipient (the specific agency/instrumentality).
  - Final TA advice should be addressed to the head of the direct TA recipient agency.
  - Fund encourages direct TA recipient to share TA advice with other agencies/instrumentalities; Fund staff may share with other agencies/instrumentalities with consent of direct TA recipient on a non-objection basis; consent deemed given if no objection within 60 days.
- Dissemination to donors and other TA providers (paragraph 16)
  - With consent of the TA recipient, final TA advice may be shared with donors and other TA providers with legitimate interest, upon their request; consent is on a no-objection basis and deemed given if no objection within 60 days from the TA report’s transmittal letter.
  - Authoring TA department, in consultation with the relevant area department, must determine “legitimate interest.” Examples:
    - (a) donor financing, fully or partially, the TA project out of which the report was produced;
    - (b) donor or TA provider engaging in related activities in the recipient country on the subject matter.
  - Dissemination to donors/TA providers must be on the understanding information will be kept confidential.
  - Some donors require ex ante irrevocable consent as a funding condition; in those cases TA recipient must provide ex ante irrevocable consent and would not be able to withdraw consent once TA provision has begun.
- Dissemination to World Bank staff (paragraph 17)
  - For TA provided to Fund members:
    - Under the Concordat on Bank-Fund collaboration, Fund staff may share final TA advice, including TA reports, with World Bank staff upon request without obtaining the TA recipient’s explicit consent.
    - Fund staff retain discretion whether to share particular TA reports with Bank staff and may consult the TA recipient; staff should respect TA recipient objections.
    - Shared confidential information is to be safeguarded by the Bank consistent with Fund classifications (“CONFIDENTIAL” to those with a “need to know”; “STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL” to those with a “strict need to know”).
    - Staff should consider the Joint Management Action Plan (JMAP) for Enhancing Bank-Fund Collaboration.
  - For TA provided to non-members and international agencies:
    - No existing understanding permits sharing with Bank staff; explicit consent of the TA recipient is required before disclosure.
- Publication and dissemination to the general public (paragraph 18)
  - All types of final TA advice may be published; the Fund encourages publication of TA reports and encourages TA recipients to publish reports on their own websites.
  - Publication by the Fund requires:
    - explicit consent of the TA recipient, and
    - approval of the head of the authoring TA department, in consultation with the relevant area department.
  - TA recipient may withdraw consent to publication at any time prior to publication.
  - Publication by the TA recipient on its own website or otherwise requires approval of the head of the authoring TA department in consultation with the relevant area department.
  - Prior to publication, TA reports or other final TA advice should be circulated to the Executive Board for information in the form in which they will be published (after deletions/corrections).
  - Deletions and corrections process:
    - Deletions may be proposed by the TA recipient for material not public and qualifying as: (i) highly-market sensitive information; or (ii) policy intentions whose premature disclosure would seriously undermine implementation.
    - Proposed deletions/corrections undergo interdepartmental review (including area department); management decides on proposed deletions/corrections.
    - Before publication, remove: (i) references to unpublished Fund documents; (ii) certain internal processes not disclosed to the public; (iii) discussions of a breach of obligation under Article VIII, Section 5 or misreporting treated as de minimis by the Managing Director.
    - Management may withhold consent to publication if it disagrees with deletions or corrections proposed by the TA recipient, to maintain intellectual integrity and substantive thrust of Fund advice.

### Implementation and delegation (Section V and paragraph 19)
- Delegation and responsibilities:
  - Under General Administrative Order No. 35, Rev. 2 on Information Security, management has generally delegated decisions on dissemination of information to heads of departments.
  - TA-providing departments are responsible for implementing the procedures specified in the guidelines unless otherwise indicated.
  - Departments should consult ICD and LEG whenever issues concerning implementation are unclear.
- Confidentiality principle:
  - Fund management and staff may not disclose information provided in confidence unless that party consents.
  - Determination of confidence is based on surrounding circumstances and any express or implied understanding that the information would not be disclosed without consent.
- Reference to guidelines upon TA requests:
  - Staff should highlight the guidelines to potential TA recipients when discussing possible TA and ensure TA recipients are made aware of the guidelines upon receiving a TA request.
  - Reminders should be provided at the start and end of TA missions and in documents transmitting final TA advice.
- Coming into force and notifications:
  - Guidelines became effective on May 1, 2009.
  - A communication was sent to all Fund members notifying them of these guidelines and attaching a copy; similar notice sent to the World Bank and other international organizations/agencies with which Fund documents are shared under the Transmittal Policy.
  - Guidelines are posted on the Fund’s external website following circulation to the Executive Board for its information.
  - Guidelines updated in June 2013 to delegate Heads of Departments approval of circulation of final technical assistance advice to the Executive Board and to clarify procedural details; Staff Operational Guidelines updated to reflect authority reserved to Fund management and TA recipients to provide explicit consent for dissemination in scenarios not specifically envisaged in these guidelines.

### Appendices and ancillary materials
- Attachment: summary of the new procedures.
- Appendices include:
  - Appendix A: Model Transmittal Letter (includes 60-day non-objection clause, publication authorization block, signature authorities).
  - Appendix B: Model Disclaimer (disclosure and publication clarifications).
  - Appendix C: Model communications for donors and TA providers (confidentiality confirmations).
  - Appendix D: Tabular categorization of dissemination regimes by category (fact/administration/basis/final TA advice).

_Staff Operational Guidelines on the Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information; INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND_

### EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

### EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

### Key updates and approvals
- Staff Operational Guidelines on Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information updated to reflect authority reserved to Fund management and TA recipients to provide explicit consent for dissemination of TA information in scenarios not specifically envisaged in these guidelines.
- Approved By Sharmini Coorey and Rhoda Weeks-Brown.
- Prepared by Staff from the Legal Department and Institute for Capacity Development, in consultation with other departments.
- Date on document: March 18, 2020.

### Purpose and underlying rationale
- Objective: streamline and strengthen procedures for wider dissemination of technical assistance-related information (“TA Information”) while safeguarding confidential information and the candidness of Fund advice.
- Rationale: wider sharing with donors and other TA providers improves coordination, exploits synergies, helps prioritize and leverage limited TA resources, and strengthens recipient-country ownership and implementation. Publication also enhances public understanding of best practices and the Fund’s TA experiences.
- Management’s framework and Directors’ support referenced in earlier documents: “Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information” (April 3, 2008) and “Enhancing the Impact of IMF Technical Assistance” (May 20, 2008).

### Temporal scope
- The new procedures apply only to TA information concerning TA projects approved on or after the effective date of May 1, 2009 (paragraph 25).

### Substantive scope — categories of TA Information (paragraph 5)
- Categories of TA Information subject to the guidelines include (non-exhaustive):
  - (a) The fact of the provision of TA and the subject matter of TA.
  - (b) Information on the administration of TA projects (project framework, monitoring and evaluation, budget figures, funding source, timing of missions).
  - (c) Information, received or generated by Fund staff, that forms the basis of Fund TA advice (includes information received from TA recipient or third parties used for analysis, and information produced/generated by Fund staff, including drafts before finalization).
  - (d) Final TA advice — defined as the output of TA provided by Fund staff at the request of a TA recipient once it is in the final form under which it will be delivered (includes TA reports, finalized draft legislation, final aide-mémoires, e-mails, or oral advice).

### Enumerated recipients covered (paragraph 5, non-exhaustive)
- (a) TA recipient and other agencies or instrumentalities within the member country, non-member or international agency receiving Fund TA (definition of “TA recipient” includes governmental/intergovernmental agencies and non-members and international agencies under Rule N-16(d)).
- (b) Executive Directors and members of their staff.
- (c) Donors and other TA providers (definition of “donor” includes official bilateral or multilateral public-sector agencies providing grants or concessional financing for TA; “other TA provider” means any official bilateral or multilateral public-sector agency providing TA).
- (d) Fund staff.
- (e) The general public.

### Exclusions from these guidelines (paragraphs 6–7)
- The guidelines do not apply to:
  - (a) FSAP Reports — handled under a separate regime reflecting understandings between the Fund and the World Bank (see Confidentiality Protocol—Protection of Sensitive Information in the Financial Sector Assessment Program).
  - (b) ROSCs — dissemination governed by the Transparency Policy Decision.
  - (c) Safeguards Assessment Reports — subject to a separate disclosure regime under the safeguards assessment policy.
- The guidelines do not apply to dissemination governed by Board-established transmittal and open archives policies:
  - Transmittal Policy governs routine transmittal of certain reports to international agencies meeting specified criteria.
  - Open Archives Policy: TA reports over 20 years old are available upon request, except reports originally classified “Strictly Confidential” may remain withheld if the Managing Director finds material remains highly confidential or sensitive.

### Principle governing dissemination (paragraph 8)
- Dissemination requires the consent of both Fund management and the TA recipient.
  - Authority from Fund management generally delegated to the head of the authoring TA department.
  - Consent from TA recipient may in some instances be obtained on a non-objection basis or assumed given the subject of the information.
- Scenarios not specifically envisaged: dissemination short of publication to private-sector parties may be authorized with explicit consent of the TA recipient and approval of Fund management.
- Dissemination of confidential information may only occur with recipients’ explicit commitment to confidentiality.
- Where information received from a third party, explicit consent of that third party is required prior to dissemination.

### Procedures by category
- Information related to the fact of TA provision and subject-matter of TA (paragraph 9)
  - Not considered confidential unless TA recipient specifies otherwise at time of request.
  - Ordinarily made available to Executive Directors in staff reports.
  - May be made available to TA providers, donors, and the general public upon request.
  - TA recipient’s explicit wish not to make such information public shall be respected (expected to be rare).

- Information related to the administration of TA projects (paragraph 10)
  - Not considered confidential unless TA recipient specifies otherwise at time of request.
  - May be shared with Executive Directors and staff upon request.
  - Results of TA evaluations reported to Executive Directors annually under the Fund’s TA Evaluation Program.
  - Readily available to other TA providers and donors upon request; may be made available to the general public.
  - Information about third parties (e.g., donors’ internal personnel terms) that would normally be regarded as confidential will not be disclosed.

- Information forming the basis of TA advice (paragraph 11)
  - Includes information provided by TA recipient or third parties and information generated by Fund staff prior to finalization of TA advice.
  - Presumed confidential and shall only be made available beyond Fund staff, management and the TA recipient in limited circumstances (to facilitate coordination with donors and other TA providers).
  - Dissemination to World Bank staff, donors or other TA providers may be permitted by the head of the authoring TA department in consultation with the relevant area department, only when the TA recipient has explicitly consented; third-party consent required where applicable.
  - In deciding whether to consent, considerations include:
    - Likelihood that sharing could undermine the Fund’s ability to obtain necessary data/information from authorities and third parties.
    - Impact of disclosure on the candor of discussions during TA project execution (exchanges with authorities/third parties or internal staff deliberations).
  - Information in this category will generally not be published.

- Final TA advice
  - Definition reiterated: output of TA in final form delivered to TA recipient (TA reports, finalized draft legislation, final aide-mémoires, e-mails, or oral).
  - Separate, specific procedures for dissemination of final TA advice (sections IV and subsequent guidance in the full document) govern dissemination within the Fund, to Executive Directors’ offices, outside the Fund (including the World Bank, donors and other TA providers), and to the general public.

### Implementation highlights (sections referenced)
- Roles and responsibilities described for departments and staff, including:
  - Role of departments (paragraphs 19–21).
  - Role of staff (paragraphs 22–24).
  - Communication of guidelines to the public (paragraph 25).
  - Categorization of TA information and recipients (paragraph 17).
  - Coming into force of guidelines (paragraph 25).

### Ancillary materials noted in the Guidelines
- Attachment provides a summary of the new procedures.
- Appendices include Model Transmittal Letter (Appendix A), Model Disclaimer (Appendix B), and additional appendices (C and D).

*Source: STAFF OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES ON THE DISSEMINATION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION; INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND*

### 12.      Final TA advice is considered confidential information and its dissemination requires

### 12.      Final TA advice is considered confidential information and its dissemination requires

### Definition and forms of final TA advice
- Final TA advice requires the consent of the TA recipient.
- Final TA advice may take the form of:
  - (i) TA reports,
  - (ii) other documents containing finalized Fund staff advice including draft legislation or final aide-mémoires prepared by Fund staff,
  - (iii) final advice provided by Fund staff to a TA recipient through emails or orally.
- Except where ex-ante irrevocable consent is required for externally financed TA in accordance with paragraph 16, TA recipients may withdraw their consent to disseminate any time prior to actual dissemination of final TA advice.

### Dissemination of final TA advice within the Fund (Section IV.A)
- General procedures:
  - Dissemination to Fund staff is governed by classification and GAO No. 35, Rev. 2 procedures.
- Specific rules for TA reports to Fund staff:
  - Authoring TA departments must ensure all finalized TA reports, except those classified as “STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL” and FSAP reports, are forwarded to the Institutional Repository.
  - TA reports classified “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” are accessible to all staff.
  - TA reports classified “CONFIDENTIAL” are accessible to a smaller group of staff, determined in GAO No. 35, Rev. 2 (access on a need to know basis).
  - The authoring TA department decides what constitutes need to know on a case-by-case basis, taking into account express or implied understandings with the TA recipient and surrounding circumstances including the nature of the information.
  - TA reports classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” are reclassified automatically “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” after two years, unless authoring TA department or relevant area department considers sensitivity has not sufficiently diminished.
  - Dissemination of TA reports classified “STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL” follows GAO No. 35, Rev. 2 and the Fund’s Open Archives Policy; access limited to addressees meeting the “strict need to know criterion”; outside access may be granted under Open Archives Policy if documents are over 20 years old and upon the Managing Director’s consent to declassification; Managing Director may approve earlier sharing with TA recipient’s consent.
- Dissemination of other types of final TA advice to Fund staff:
  - Any form of final TA advice may be disseminated to Fund staff in accordance with the document’s classification and GAO No. 35, Rev. 2 procedures.

### Dissemination to Executive Directors and their staff (Section IV.A, paragraph 14)
- TA reports:
  - General practice: make TA reports available to the Executive Director for the country of the TA recipient, unless the TA recipient specifically requests otherwise.
  - For other Executive Directors and members of their staff, access requires the consent of the TA recipient; consent is deemed obtained unless the TA recipient objects within 60 days of transmittal of the TA report.
  - The transmittal letter or other transmittal document must expressly refer to this 60-day period.
  - TA recipient may withdraw consent any time prior to actual dissemination; objection must be received within 60 days from transmittal letter, though after the 60-day period the TA recipient may still object provided dissemination has not yet occurred.
- Other types of final TA advice:
  - May be shared with the Executive Director for the country of the TA recipient unless the latter requests otherwise.
  - For other Executive Directors and staff, access may be obtained upon request provided the TA recipient does not specifically object within 60 days from the date staff requests consent for dissemination.

### Dissemination beyond the direct TA recipient within the requesting member/non-member/international agency (Section IV.B, paragraph 15)
- Duty of confidentiality is owed to the direct TA recipient (the specific agency/instrumentality to whom the TA is directed).
- Final TA advice should be addressed to the head of the direct TA recipient agency or instrumentality.
- The Fund encourages the direct TA recipient to share TA advice with other agencies/instrumentalities; Fund staff may share with other agencies/instrumentalities with consent of the direct TA recipient on a non-objection basis.
- Consent is deemed given if the direct TA recipient does not object within 60 days.

### Dissemination to donors and other TA providers (paragraph 16)
- With the consent of the TA recipient, final TA advice may be shared with donors and other TA providers with legitimate interest, upon their request; consent obtained on a no-objection basis and deemed given if TA recipient does not object within 60 days from the TA report’s transmittal letter.
- The authoring TA department, in consultation with the relevant area department, must determine that the donor or TA provider has a legitimate interest.
  - Parties with a “legitimate interest” include:
    - (a) a donor who is financing, fully or partially, a TA project out of which the requested report has been produced;
    - (b) a donor or TA provider engaging in related activities in the recipient country in the subject matter of the Fund’s TA advice.
- Dissemination to donors and other TA providers with legitimate interest may only take place on the understanding that such information shall be kept confidential.
- Some donors require as a funding condition that TA reports produced under the project be shared with them; Fund management may approve such TA only if the TA recipient provides ex ante irrevocable consent to share all TA reports from that project with the donor(s). In cases involving ex ante irrevocable consent, the TA recipient would not be able to withdraw consent once TA provision has begun.

### Dissemination to World Bank staff (paragraph 17)
- For TA provided to Fund members:
  - Under the Concordat on Bank-Fund collaboration, Fund staff may share final TA advice, including TA reports, with World Bank staff upon request without obtaining the TA recipient’s explicit consent.
  - Fund members are understood to have been placed on notice that TA advice will be shared with Bank staff and are presumed to have implicitly consented when requesting Fund TA in full knowledge of these rules.
  - Authoring TA departments retain discretion whether to share any particular TA report with Bank staff and may consult the TA recipient prior to sharing; if the TA recipient objects, Fund staff should respect those wishes.
  - Shared confidential information is on the understanding the Bank will safeguard confidentiality and treat classifications consistent with Fund treatment (“CONFIDENTIAL” to those with a “need to know”; “STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL” to those with a “strict need to know”); Bank staff shall not disclose classified information beyond the Bank.
  - Staff should consider the Joint Management Action Plan (JMAP) for Enhancing Bank-Fund Collaboration, which encourages information sharing and provides general guidance.
- For TA provided to non-members and international agencies:
  - No existing understanding permits sharing with Bank staff; explicit consent of the TA recipient is required before disclosure.

### Publication and dissemination to the general public (paragraph 18)
- All types of final TA advice may be published; the Fund encourages publication of TA reports and encourages TA recipients to publish reports on their own websites.
- Publication by the Fund requires:
  - explicit consent of the TA recipient, and
  - approval of the head of the authoring TA department, in consultation with the relevant area department.
- TA recipient may withdraw consent to publication at any time prior to publication.
- Publication by the TA recipient on its own website or otherwise requires approval of the head of the authoring TA department in consultation with the relevant area department.
- Prior to publication, TA reports or other final TA advice should be circulated to the Executive Board for information in the form in which they will be published (after deletions/corrections).
- Prior to publication, sensitive information may be removed and factual corrections or corrections to ensure accurate characterization of views may be introduced.
  - Deletions:
    - Deletions may be proposed by the TA recipient prior to publication provided the material is not already public and qualifies as:
      - (i) highly-market sensitive information; or
      - (ii) policy intentions whose premature disclosure would seriously undermine the ability of the TA recipient to implement the proposed policy.
    - When deletions are proposed, authoring TA department staff will provide other relevant departments, including the area department, opportunity to review and comment.
    - Management will decide on proposed deletions after interdepartmental review and may consider additional factors.
    - Before publication, the following shall be removed: (i) references to unpublished Fund documents; (ii) certain internal processes not disclosed to the public under existing policies, including inquiries regarding possible misreporting and breaches of members’ obligations; (iii) discussions of a breach of obligation under Article VIII, Section 5 or misreporting that the Managing Director has proposed to be treated as de minimis in nature.
  - Corrections:
    - Corrections may be proposed to resolve: (i) data or typographical errors; (ii) factual mistakes; (iii) mischaracterization of views expressed by the TA recipient or Fund staff during internal review.
    - When corrections are proposed, authoring TA department staff will provide other relevant departments, including the area department, opportunity to review and comment.
    - Management will decide on proposed corrections after interdepartmental review.
  - Management’s objection to publication:
    - Management may withhold consent to publication if it disagrees with deletions or corrections proposed by the TA recipient, in order to maintain the intellectual integrity of the Fund’s TA advice and preserve the substantive thrust of recommendations.

### Implementation (beginning of Section V)
- The guidelines proceed to Section V on implementation; general issues are addressed in the following section.

*Staff Operational Guidelines on the Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information (excerpts provided).*

### 19.      Under the relevant General Administrative Order, management has generally

### ppea2020031 - 19.      Under the relevant General Administrative Order, management has generally

### Implementation and Delegation
- Under the relevant General Administrative Order No. 35, Rev. 2 on Information Security – Policies Regarding Classified Documents, management has generally delegated decisions on dissemination of information to heads of departments.
- Unless otherwise specifically indicated in these guidelines, TA-providing departments shall be responsible for implementation of the procedures specified in the guidelines.
- Departments should consult ICD and LEG whenever issues concerning the implementation of these guidelines are unclear.

### Confidentiality Principle
- As a general legal principle, Fund management and staff may not disclose information that a member or other party has provided to them in confidence, unless that party consents to such disclosure.
- Determination that particular information has been provided in confidence is based upon an examination of all the surrounding circumstances, including the nature of the information provided.
- The question at issue is whether there was an understanding between staff and the other party that such information would not be disclosed without that other party’s consent; this understanding can be express or implied.

### Reference to Guidelines Upon Requests for TA
- Whenever staff discuss the possibility of TA, it would be desirable that the guidelines be highlighted to the potential TA recipient.
- Upon receiving a request for TA, staff should ensure that the TA recipient is made aware of the existence and general content of these guidelines.
- In responding affirmatively to a request for Fund TA, staff may wish either to attach a copy of the guidelines or include a link to the Fund’s external website in the response.
- Staff should underscore that in certain cases, final TA advice may be shared within and outside the Fund on a non-objection basis in accordance with the procedures set forth in these guidelines.
- Further reminders to the TA recipient of the existence and content of the guidelines should be provided:
  - at the start and end of TA missions, and
  - in documents transmitting final TA advice.
- This is particularly important where the request for Fund TA comes from a non-member or an international agency that may not be appraised of the content of these guidelines in the same way as member countries are.

### Categorization of TA Information and External Requests
- Upon receiving a request to disseminate particular TA information, staff should categorize the requested TA information according to the categories of TA information listed in paragraph 5 of the guidelines.
- If particular TA information is difficult to fit within any of the listed categories, staff should consult ICD and LEG for further guidance.
- External requestors beyond the common possibilities may include academics and researchers, nongovernmental organizations and private sector entities providing technical assistance, or various entities in civil society.
- If staff is unsure how to handle such requests, ICD and LEG should be consulted.

### Coming into Force and Notifications
- These guidelines became effective on May 1, 2009.
- To aid in bringing the guidelines to the notice of potential TA recipients:
  - A communication was sent to all Fund members notifying them of these guidelines and attaching thereto a copy of the guidelines. A similar notice was sent to the World Bank and other international organizations and agencies with which Fund documents are shared under the Fund’s Transmittal Policy.
  - The guidelines are posted on the Fund’s external website following their circulation to the Executive Board for its information.
  - In discussing possible TA requests, it would be desirable for departments to inform the member, non-member or international agency requesting Fund TA of the dissemination procedures.
- The guidelines were updated in June 2013 to reflect management’s decision to delegate to Heads of Departments approval of circulation of final technical assistance advice to the Executive Board and to clarify procedural details.
- The Staff Operational Guidelines were updated to reflect the authority reserved to Fund management and TA recipients to provide explicit consent for the dissemination of TA information in scenarios not specifically envisaged in these guidelines.

### Appendices — Model Communications and Disclaimers (high-level points)
- Appendix A: Model Transmittal Letter includes:
  - Transmittal of final TA report with a provision that if no objection is received within 60 days of transmittal, the TA recipient will be deemed to have consented to sharing the enclosed TA report with IMF Executive Directors and members of their staff and, upon request, with donors and other TA providers with legitimate interest.
  - A request for explicit consent to publish the TA report on the IMF website; TA recipient may also publish through its own outlets with IMF approval.
  - Special signing and transmission authorities for RTAC-prepared reports and HQ missions.
- Appendix B: Model Disclaimer to be included in all Fund TA reports clarifying:
  - The contents constitute technical advice provided by IMF staff to the TA recipient in response to their request.
  - The report (in whole or in part) or summaries thereof may be disclosed to IMF Executive Directors and members of their staff, to agencies or instrumentalities of the TA recipient, and upon request, to World Bank staff and other technical assistance providers and donors with legitimate interest, unless the TA recipient specifically objects.
  - Publication or disclosure to parties outside the IMF beyond specified categories requires explicit consent of the TA recipient and the IMF’s authoring Department.
- Appendix C: Model communications for donors and other TA providers requiring explicit agreement to treat received information as confidential and sole internal use; standard confirmation language for transmitting requested TA information to donors or TA providers that have already confirmed confidentiality understandings.
- Appendix D: Tabular categorization (excerpted) outlines dissemination regimes for categories including:
  - The Fact of and Subject-Matter of TA (not considered confidential unless TA recipient requests otherwise).
  - Information Related to the Administration of TA (not considered confidential unless TA recipient requests otherwise).
  - Information Forming the Basis of TA Advice (considered confidential and generally not made available beyond Fund staff; availability outside Fund requires prior consent of TA recipient and approval of authoring department).
  - Final TA Advice (considered confidential and may be made available only with the consent of the TA recipient; Executive Director for the country: Available; Other Executive Directors and staff: Available with the consent of the TA recipient obtained on a 60-day nonobjection basis).

### Executive Summary Highlights
- The Staff Operational Guidelines on Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information have been updated to reflect:
  - the authority reserved to Fund management and TA recipients to provide explicit consent for dissemination in scenarios not specifically envisaged in the guidelines, and
  - management’s decision to delegate to Heads of Departments approval of circulation of final technical assistance advice to the Executive Board.
- Document dates and approvals reflected in the manuscript:
  - June 10, 2013
  - March 198, 2020
- Approved by Sean Hagan and Sharmini Coorey and Rhoda Weeks-Brown.
- Prepared by Staff from the Legal Department and Institute for Capacity Development, in consultation with other departments.

*Staff Operational Guidelines on the Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information — excerpts (effective May 1, 2009; updated June 2013; revised March 198, 2020).*

### Appendix A: Model Transmittal Letter ________________________________________________________ 1920

### Appendix A: Model Transmittal Letter

### I. Introduction
- Purpose: TA information should be disseminated more widely to improve coordination, exploit synergies, prioritize and leverage limited TA resources, and fulfill objectives under the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
- Rationale:
  - Donors have a legitimate interest in receiving information on TA financed by them for accountability to their governments and legislators.
  - Wider dissemination among government agencies in TA recipient countries will strengthen ownership and facilitate implementation of TA recommendations.
  - Publication benefits the membership and public through better understanding of best practices and the Fund’s TA experience.
- New Guidelines: the notes lay out:
  - Which TA information falls under the new procedures (¶5), which is not covered (¶6-7), and types of information to distinguish (¶5).
  - How to treat different types of information (¶8-12): related to the fact of TA provision and subject matter; administration of TA projects; information forming the basis of TA advice; final TA advice.
  - How to disseminate final TA advice to Fund staff (¶13), Executive Directors’ offices (¶14-3), and outside the Fund (¶14-5), including the World Bank (¶17-6), donors and TA providers other than the World Bank (¶15-6), and the general public (¶17-8).
  - How to implement the procedures, including roles of departments (¶19-8–201), roles of staff (¶22-1–243), and communication of guidelines to the public (¶25-4).

- Background references and oversight:
  - Management set out the framework in “Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information” (SM/08/97, Supp. 1, 4/3/08) and intended to issue staff guidelines (footnote 1).
  - Directors noted management’s intention and agreed with objectives; they supported publication of the guidelines (footnote 2).
- Consent principle: In several circumstances consent of the TA recipient for dissemination will be deemed granted unless the recipient explicitly objects. Notice measures include publication and notification to members and potential TA recipients (¶2).
- Effective date: new procedures apply only to TA projects approved on or after the effective date of May 1, 2009 (¶4).

### II. Scope of the Operational Guidelines
- Temporal scope:
  - Applies only to TA projects approved on or after May 1, 2009 (¶4).
- Substantive scope (¶5):
  - Categories of TA information covered (non-exhaustive):
    - (a) The fact of provision of TA and the subject matter of TA.
    - (b) Information on the administration of TA projects (project framework, monitoring and evaluation, budget figures, funding source, timing of missions).
    - (c) Information received or generated by Fund staff that forms the basis of Fund TA advice, including drafts prepared before final advice (see ¶5(d)).
    - (d) Final TA advice: outputs of TA provided at the request of a TA recipient once in final form (TA reports, finalized draft legislation, final aide-mémoires, e-mails, or orally).
  - Recipients covered (non-exhaustive):
    - (a) TA recipient and other agencies/instrumentalities within the member country, non-member or international agency receiving Fund TA.
    - (b) Executive Directors and members of their staff.
    - (c) Donors and other TA providers (definition of “donor” and “other TA provider” provided).
    - (d) Fund staff.
    - (e) The general public.
- Exclusions (¶6–7):
  - The guidelines do not apply to:
    - (a) FSAP Reports (separate regime reflecting understandings with the World Bank).
    - (b) ROSCs (dissemination governed by the Transparency Policy Decision).
    - (c) Safeguards Assessment Reports (subject to separate disclosure regime under safeguards assessment policy).
  - The guidelines do not apply to dissemination governed by Board-established transmittal and open archives policies:
    - Transmittal Policy: routine transmittal of certain types of reports to international agencies meeting specified criteria (rarely used for TA reports) (footnote 6).
    - Open Archives Policy: TA reports over 20 years old available on request, with exception for reports originally classified “Strictly Confidential” if Managing Director finds material remains highly confidential or sensitive (footnote 7).

### III. Procedures Governing Dissemination of TA Information (Principles and Categories)
- Overarching consent principle (¶8):
  - Dissemination requires consent of both Fund management (authority generally delegated to head of authoring TA department) and the TA recipient.
  - In some instances consent may be obtained on a non-objection basis or may be assumed given the subject of the information.
  - Dissemination of confidential information requires recipients’ explicit commitment to keep it confidential (consult LEG and ICD for language) (¶8, footnote 9).
  - Explicit consent of third parties required where information was received from them.
  - Dissemination short of publication to private-sector parties or scenarios not envisaged require explicit TA recipient consent and Fund management approval (¶8, footnote 8).

- A. Information Related to the Fact of TA Provision and Subject-Matter of TA (¶8–9)
  - Principle: The fact of provision of Fund TA and the general subject matter are not considered confidential unless the TA recipient indicates otherwise at time of request (¶8–9).
  - Dissemination:
    - Ordinarily made available to Executive Directors in staff reports.
    - Upon request, may be made available to TA providers and donors (¶8, footnote 10).
    - May be made available to the general public.
  - If TA recipient explicitly requests non-disclosure, the Fund will respect that wish.

- B. Information Related to the Administration of TA Projects (¶9–10)
  - Principle: Administrative information is not considered confidential unless the TA recipient indicates otherwise at request time.
  - Dissemination:
    - May be shared with Executive Directors and members of their staff upon request.
    - Results of TA evaluations continue to be reported to Executive Directors annually under the TA Evaluation Program.
    - Readily available to other TA providers and donors upon request; may be made available to the general public.
  - Limitation: Fund staff would not disclose information about third parties that they would normally regard as confidential (e.g., terms of employment of a TA expert).

- C. Information Forming the Basis of TA Advice (¶10–11)
  - Definition: Includes information provided by TA recipient or third parties and information generated by Fund staff before TA advice is finalized (two types: (a) and (b)).
  - Presumption: Information forming the basis of TA advice is presumed confidential and shall only be made available beyond Fund staff, management and the TA recipient in certain circumstances where sharing facilitates coordination with donors and other TA providers and exploits synergies.
  - Consent for dissemination:
    - The head of the authoring TA department, in consultation with the relevant area department, may consent to dissemination to World Bank staff, donors or other TA providers with legitimate interest, when the TA recipient has explicitly consented.
    - Explicit consent of third parties required if information was received from them.
  - Considerations before consenting to dissemination:
    - Likelihood that sharing could undermine the Fund’s ability to obtain necessary data and information from country authorities and third parties.
    - Impact on candor of discussions during a TA project’s execution (exchanges with country authorities/third parties or internal deliberations).
  - Publication: This information will generally not be published.

- D. Final TA Advice (¶11–12)
  - Definition: Final TA advice is considered confidential and its dissemination requires TA recipient consent. It includes:
    - (i) TA reports.
    - (ii) Other documents containing finalized Fund staff advice including draft legislation or final aide-mémoires prepared by Fund staff.
    - (iii) Final advice provided by Fund staff to a TA recipient through emails or orally.
  - Withdrawal of consent: Except where ex-ante irrevocable consent may be required for externally financed TA (paragraph 165 referenced), TA recipients may withdraw consent to disseminate any time prior to actual dissemination of final TA advice.
  - TA reports:
    - Recognized as the main form of delivering final TA advice to TA recipients.
    - Section IV (not included in supplied excerpt) describes specific procedures for dissemination of TA reports within and outside the Fund.
    - All TA reports shall include a disclaimer summarizing the Fund’s policy for dissemination according to the guidelines as set forth in Appendix B.
  - Other final TA advice: Specific rules for dissemination of final TA advice other than TA reports are outlined (continuation beyond supplied excerpt).

*Staff Operational Guidelines on the Dissemination of Technical Assistance Information; INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND*

### Section IV below.

### IV.   SPECIFIC PROCEDURES FOR DISSEMINATION OF FINAL TA ADVICE

### A. Dissemination of Final TA Advice within the Fund
- General governance: Dissemination of final TA advice to Fund staff is governed by the procedures set forth in GAO No. 35, Rev. 2 and the Staff Operational Guidelines.
- TA reports and Institutional Repository:
  - Authoring TA departments are required to ensure that all finalized TA reports, except those classified as “STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL”12 and FSAP reports, are forwarded to the Institutional Repository.
  - TA reports forwarded to the Institutional Repository:
    - Those classified “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” are accessible to all staff.
    - Those classified “CONFIDENTIAL” are accessible to a smaller group of staff, as determined in GAO No. 35, Rev. 2 (i.e., access on a need to know basis). The authoring TA department determines need to know on a case-by-case basis, taking into account express or implied understandings with the TA recipient and surrounding circumstances.
  - TA reports classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” are reclassified automatically “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” after two years, unless the authoring TA department or the relevant area department considers that the sensitivity has not sufficiently diminished.
- STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL reports: Dissemination shall follow GAO No. 35, Rev. 2; access limited to addressees who meet the “strict need to know criterion.” Outside the Fund, access under the Open Archives Policy may be granted if documents are over 20 years old and upon the Managing Director’s consent to declassification; the Managing Director has delegated declassification authority to heads of departments.
- Dissemination of other types of final TA advice to Fund staff: Any form of final TA advice may be disseminated to Fund staff in accordance with the document’s classification and GAO No. 35, Rev. 2 procedures.

### B. Dissemination to Executive Directors and their Staff
- TA reports to Executive Directors for the country of the TA recipient:
  - General practice is to make TA reports available to that Executive Director unless the TA recipient specifically requests otherwise.
- TA reports to other Executive Directors and their staff:
  - Access requires the consent of the TA recipient. Consent is deemed obtained unless the TA recipient objects within 60 days of the transmittal of the TA report.13 The transmittal letter must expressly refer to this 60-day period.15
  - TA recipients may withdraw consent at any time prior to actual dissemination of a TA report, subject to ex ante irrevocable-consent exceptions for externally financed TA.14
  - For other types of final TA advice, similar non-objection sharing applies: other Executive Directors may receive access upon request provided the TA recipient does not object within 60 days from the date on which Fund staff requests consent.

### C. Dissemination of Final TA Advice Within the Member Country / Direct TA Recipient
- Duty of confidentiality: Owed to the TA recipient, defined as the direct recipient (the specific agency or instrumentality to which the TA is directed).
- Addressing and sharing:
  - Final TA advice should be disseminated to the direct TA recipient and addressed to the head of that agency or instrumentality.
  - The Fund encourages the direct TA recipient to share information with other agencies/instrumentalities. Fund staff may share final TA advice with other agencies/instrumentalities with the consent of the direct TA recipient on a non-objection basis; consent is deemed given if no objection within 60 days.16

### D. Dissemination to Donors and Other TA Providers (excluding the World Bank)
- With consent of the TA recipient, final TA advice may be shared with donors and other TA providers with legitimate interest, upon request. Consent is on a no-objection basis and is deemed given if no objection within 60 days from the TA report’s transmittal letter.
- Authoring TA department, in consultation with the relevant area department, must determine that the donor or TA provider has a “legitimate interest.” Examples include:
  - (a) a donor financing, fully or partially, a TA project out of which the report was produced; and
  - (b) a donor or TA provider engaging in related activities in the recipient country in the subject matter of the Fund’s TA advice.
- Dissemination to donors/TA providers must be on the understanding that the information will be kept confidential.17
- Ex ante irrevocable consent condition: Some donors require ex ante irrevocable consent as a condition for funding a Fund TA project; in such cases, the TA recipient must provide ex ante irrevocable consent to share all TA reports from that project, and the TA recipient would not be able to withdraw consent once TA provision has begun. (Contrast to general rule in paragraph 121.)

### E. Dissemination to World Bank Staff
- TA provided to Fund members:
  - Under the Concordat on Bank-Fund collaboration, Fund staff may share final TA advice, including TA reports, with World Bank staff upon request, without obtaining the TA recipient’s explicit consent.18,19
  - Fund staff retain discretion whether to share particular TA reports with Bank staff and may consult the TA recipient prior to sharing; staff should respect TA recipient objections.
  - Staff should consider the Joint Management Action Plan (JMAP) for Enhancing Bank-Fund Collaboration, which encourages information sharing and provides guidance on document sharing with Bank staff.20
- TA provided to non-members and international agencies:
  - There is no existing understanding permitting sharing with Bank staff; explicit consent of the TA recipient is required before disclosure to Bank staff.

### F. Dissemination to the General Public (Publication)
- All types of final TA advice may be published; the Fund encourages publication of TA reports and staff should proactively encourage TA recipients to agree to publication and to publish on their own websites.
- Publication by the Fund requires:
  - the explicit consent21 of the TA recipient; and
  - the approval of the head of the authoring TA department, in consultation with the relevant area department.22
  - The TA recipient may withdraw consent to publication at any time prior to publication.
- Publication by the TA recipient on its own website or elsewhere requires approval of the head of the authoring TA department in consultation with the relevant area department.23
- Circulation to the Executive Board:
  - When a TA report or other final TA advice is to be published, it should be circulated to the Executive Board for information in the form to be published (after deletions/corrections).
  - As of September 19, 2012, approval for such circulation has been delegated by management to heads of departments authoring TA reports, in consultation with the relevant area department; this delegation does not preclude flagging issues to management.
- Prior to publication, sensitive information may be removed and factual corrections or corrections to ensure accurate characterization of views may be made.
  - Deletions:
    - TA recipient may propose deletions prior to publication if material is not already public and qualifies as: (i) highly-market sensitive information; or (ii) policy intentions whose premature disclosure would seriously undermine implementation.
    - Proposed deletions are subject to interdepartmental review (including area department); management will decide on deletions.
    - Before publication, the following shall be removed: (i) references to unpublished Fund documents, (ii) certain internal processes not disclosed to the public, including inquiries regarding possible misreporting and breaches of members’ obligations, and (iii) discussions of a breach of obligation under Article VIII, Section 5 or misreporting that the Managing Director has proposed to be treated as de minimis in nature.
  - Corrections:
    - Corrections may be proposed to resolve: (i) data or typographical errors; (ii) factual mistakes; and (iii) mischaracterization of views expressed by the TA recipient or by Fund staff during internal review.
    - Proposed corrections are subject to interdepartmental review; management will decide on corrections.
  - Management’s objection to publication:
    - Management may withhold consent to publication if it disagrees with deletions or corrections proposed by the TA recipient in order to maintain the intellectual integrity and substantive thrust of the Fund’s TA advice.

### V. Implementation of the Guidelines
- A. General implementation issues:
  - Management has generally delegated decisions on dissemination of information to heads of departments.24 TA-providing departments are responsible for implementing the procedures specified in the guidelines unless otherwise indicated.
  - Legal principle: Fund management and staff may not disclose information provided in confidence unless the party consents. Determination of confidence depends on surrounding circumstances and whether an understanding (express or implied) existed that information would not be disclosed without consent.
  - Departments should consult ICD and LEG whenever implementation issues are unclear.
- B. Reference to Guidelines upon Requests for TA:
  - When discussing possible TA, staff should highlight the guidelines to potential TA recipients and, upon receiving a request for TA, ensure the TA recipient is made aware of the existence and general content of the guidelines.
  - In responding affirmatively to a request for Fund TA, staff may attach a copy of the guidelines or include a link to the Fund’s external website, noting that final TA advice may be shared within and outside the Fund on a non-objection basis per the procedures.
  - Further reminders should be provided at the start and end of TA missions and in documents transmitting final TA advice.
- C. Categorization of TA information and recipients:
  - Upon receiving a request to disseminate TA information, staff should categorize the information according to the categories listed in paragraph 5. If unclear, consult ICD and LEG.
  - Requests from external parties not specifically listed (academics, NGOs, private sector TA providers, civil society) should be handled in consultation with ICD and LEG when staff are unsure.
- D. Coming into Force:
  - These guidelines became effective on May 1, 2009.25
  - Implementation steps taken:
    - A communication was sent to all Fund members notifying them of the guidelines and attaching a copy; a similar notice was sent to the World Bank and other international organizations/agencies with which Fund documents are shared under the Fund’s Transmittal Policy.
    - The guidelines are posted on the Fund’s external website following circulation to the Executive Board for its information.
    - Departments are encouraged to inform requesters of Fund TA of the dissemination procedures when discussing possible TA requests.
  - Note on updates: The guidelines were updated in June 2013 to reflect management’s decision to delegate to Heads of Departments approval of circulation of final technical assistance advice to the Executive Board and to clarify procedural details; the guidelines have been updated to reflect authority reserved to Fund management and TA recipients to provide explicit consent for dissemination in scenarios not specifically envisaged in the guidelines.

*Source: STAFF OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES ON THE DISSEMINATION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION — Section IV (as provided).*

### Appendix A: Model Transmittal Letter

### Appendix A: Model Transmittal Letter

### Purpose and scope of the letter
- Transmits the final technical assistance (TA) report entitled [Title of the TA report], prepared by the [date of mission and authoring TA department] led by [name of mission chief].
- Confirms that the report’s recommendations are based upon the mission’s findings [at the time of its visit to] [place in which the mission took place].
- Notes that the recommendations were discussed with [you/ members of your staff] during the mission.
- Encourages that the recommendations be helpful to [ briefly describe the purpose of recommendations].

### Sharing, consent, and non-objection procedure
- Under IMF policy, TA reports are shared with the IMF’s Executive Directors and members of their staff and, upon their request, with donors and other TA providers with legitimate interest, unless you expressly object.
- If no objection is received within 60 days of this transmittal letter, the TA recipient will be deemed to have consented to sharing the enclosed TA report with these recipients.
- The letter cites specific URLs in the original text for more information (as included in the source).

### Publication and authorization
- The IMF encourages publication of TA reports.
- Explicit consent of the TA recipient is required to publish the enclosed report on the IMF website.
- The TA recipient may instead publish the report through its own outlets with IMF approval.
- The transmittal requests that, if the recipient agrees to publication on the IMF external website, they sign and return the authorization set forth in the letter so procedural steps can be undertaken.

### Model transmittal text elements (as presented)
- Salutation and addressee block: [Date]; Mr./Ms. ---:; [Position]; [Ministry of --/ Central Bank of --/Other]; [Address].
- Opening paragraph: “Please find enclosed [#] copies –also available in electronic version– of the final technical assistance (TA) report entitled [Title of the TA report] prepared by the [date of mission and authoring TA department] led by [name of mission chief]. …”
- Consent/objection clause: explicit reference to being deemed to have consented if no objection within 60 days.
- Publication authorization block to be signed by the TA recipient:
  - “We hereby authorize the IMF to publish the report entitled [Title of the TA report] on the IMF external website.”
  - Signature:              Date:
- Enclosures and cc line: Enclosures: [#]; cc: Executive Director.

### Signing authority and departmental notes
- Signature line recommended: [Head of Authoring TA department / regional technical assistance center coordinator].
- Note for TA authoring departments:
  - For TA reports prepared by regional technical assistance centers (RTACs) (resident advisors or short-term experts), after providing adequate time for review and consultation, and following final approval by the appropriate TA department, the transmittal letter should be signed and sent by the RTAC Coordinator.
  - The authority for transmittal cannot be delegated to short-term experts and resident advisors.
  - For TA reports prepared from a mission fielded by HQ (financed or not financed by an RTAC, and including or not including RTAC resident advisors or short-term experts): the transmittal letter should be sent by the TA department and signed by the director of the same department, or a staff member from the same department authorized by the director to sign.

_International Monetary Fund — Appendix A: Model Transmittal Letter_

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/pp/2020/english/ppea2020031.pdf_