## Transparency Policy and Open Archives Policy Review: Pre-Consultation Call with CSOs — May 2023

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Transparency Policy and Open Archives Policy Review: Pre-Consultation Call with CSOs — May 2023](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/topics/cso-consultation-on-transparency-policy/review-tp-consultation-with-csos-2023.pdf)

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### Purpose and scope of the consultation
- The Transparency Policy Review Team sought stakeholder views to inform Reviews of the Fund’s transparency initiatives.
- Transparency initiatives at the Fund comprise three pillars:
  - Fund’s Transparency Policy (TP) — relates to publication policies for Board documents.
  - Open Archives Policy (OAP) — access to Fund records.
  - Communication Strategy (CS) — how the Fund communicates with external stakeholders.
- A separate process for stakeholder feedback on the Fund’s Communications Strategy will follow in the coming months.

### What the Fund’s Transparency Policy (TP) covers and aims
- Coverage:
  - The publication regimes of Board documents, including timing of publication.
  - Rules for modification of documents presented to the Board.
- Policy aims:
  - Timely disclosing documents and information to the public while protecting the role of the Fund as a trusted advisor (and member countries’ confidential information).
  - Protecting the candor and independence of staff’s analysis by shielding staff from pressures and ensuring the integrity of Fund publications.

### Principle 1 — Balancing trust and publication of information
- Intent: letting the public see what the Board sees.
- Encoded in the Transparency Decision: The Fund "will strive to disclose documents and information on a timely basis, unless strong and specific reasons argue against such disclosure."
- Publication of country documents:
  - Voluntary: members need to give their consent.
  - Presumed: members are encouraged to consent. Stronger presumption with use of Fund resources.

### Principle 2 — Protecting staff and integrity of Fund publications
- The Transparency Policy sets rules to modify documents once they are submitted to the Board and:
  - Prohibits modifications that alter staff’s view, improve presentation, extend argument of staff or the authorities, or add new information.
  - Allows deletions for market sensitive information.
- To be credible, such limits must operate consistently within narrow criteria or risk being undermined by "exceptions" over time: enforceable and even-handed application is required.

### Fund’s Open Archives Policy (OAP) — access and retention timelines
- OAP covers public access to all Fund records marked for permanent retention:
  - It addresses Fund records that have permanent legal, historical or other enduring value.
  - It enumerates the exceptions to what can be released (for example, for security concerns).
- Lags in access to Archives have shortened since 1996, now:
  - 3 years for most Board documents
  - 3-5 for Board meeting minutes
  - 20 years for other Fund records

### Review objectives and activities
- Last review was in 2013. The current review will take a comprehensive look at all aspects of the Policy.
- Transparency Policy review tasks:
  - Re-assess its underlying principles and objectives against recent developments.
  - Compare with other IFIs.
  - Assess whether the policy is delivering on its core objectives.
  - Evaluate room to improve the policy (e.g., simplification and strengthening of rules for document publication).
- Open Archives Policy review tasks:
  - Assess whether the policy conforms to best practices.
  - Evaluate progress towards full policy implementation, given ever-increasing volume of Fund records.
- Communication Strategy tasks:
  - Explore avenues to modernize communications to better reflect the digital media environment.
  - Assess options to better embed communications in Fund processes for more effective policy traction.
- Note: A separate process for stakeholder feedback on the Fund’s Communications Strategy will occur in the coming months.

### Online open consultation timeline and focus
- Opens: May 31
- Closes: June 30
- Focus areas:
  - Views on TP principles
  - Views on trends in transparency
  - Views on evenhandedness in application of the TP
  - Views on the Fund’s TP relative to other institutions
  - Views on the Fund’s OAP
  - Views on the Fund’s broader communications activities
- Milestones:
  - Late 2023: Discussion of findings and online publication of results
  - By mid-2024: Completion of reviews incorporating consultation inputs

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/topics/cso-consultation-on-transparency-policy/review-tp-consultation-with-csos-2023.pdf_