Capacity Development
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Overview
- The IMF provides technical assistance, training, and knowledge sharing to strengthen institutions, economic policies, stability, and sustainable growth.
- Capacity development (CD) strengthens institutions including central banks, finance ministries, revenue administrations, statistical agencies, and financial sector supervisory agencies to support more effective policies, greater economic stability, and growth.
- CD includes demand-driven, tailored hands-on technical assistance and training, diagnostic tools and publications, and peer-learning opportunities.
- Priority is given to low-income and fragile and conflict-affected states, as well as to countries with IMF programs.
- Delivery modalities include a global network of 17 regional capacity development centers (RCDCs), in-country placements of long-term resident advisors, short-term assignments (in person, remotely, or hybrid), classroom training, and free online courses.
- Donor partners of the IMF and RCDC member countries fund about two-thirds of direct spending on CD.
Strategic priorities and integration
- Every five years the IMF undertakes a comprehensive review of its CD strategy; the 2024 CD Strategy Review outlines a vision to make CD more flexible, tailored, and better integrated with policy advice and program design.
- Medium-term reform priorities:
- Further modernize CD delivery by leveraging new technologies.
- Enhance effectiveness of field presence through the IMF’s RCDC network.
- Reinforce coordination with other development partners to improve traction, efficiency, and funding of CD.
- Policy integration efforts:
- A comprehensive CD Guidance Note has been published.
- The ongoing Comprehensive Surveillance Review will identify IMF surveillance priorities and advance CD–surveillance integration.
- The ongoing Review of Program Design and Conditionality will help strengthen integration of CD with IMF-supported program objectives.
Thematic focus and activities
- Core CD areas: public finances, financial sector stability, central bank operations, macroeconomic frameworks, and economic statistics.
- CD supports:
- Better macroeconomic policies and macro frameworks.
- Revenue mobilization and improved public spending.
- Production of higher-quality data for economic decisions.
- Strengthening monetary and financial stability, including regulatory and supervisory capacity for fintech, digital money, and payment modernization.
- At country request, IMF country teams and technical experts develop and implement integrated work plans tailored to needs and absorption capacity.
- Publications provide technical information and cross-country analyses for national authorities.
Training and online learning
- FY 2026 milestones:
- Launched a regional training program for South America and Mexico, piloted in Asunción and hosted by the Central Bank of Paraguay.
- The online learning program focused on revitalizing foundational courses (financial programming, macroeconomic diagnostics and forecasting, financial markets, public finance).
- Thirteen new open online courses were launched—four in English and nine in other languages—bringing the total number of courses offered to 136.
- The IMF’s microlearning portfolio was expanded with more than 75 new bite-size on-demand videos.
- The IMF revamped its external training program for country authorities in 2026:
- Introduced illustrative learning paths and a new taxonomy of IMF training modalities.
- Emphasizes structured sequences of courses (foundational to advanced), alignment with IMF policy work, and improved accessibility across modalities.
- Delivery formats: online courses, in-person workshops at regional centers and headquarters, hybrid sessions, virtual seminars, and blended learning programs.
- Illustrative learning path components (examples):
- Building Blocks in Macroeconomic Analysis and Financial Programming: FPP.0x, FPP.1x, FPP.2x, FPP
- Enhancing Analytical, Forecasting, and Communication Skills: MDS.x, MFA, MF.x, VDS, MPC
- Advanced/Specialized Topics: DSGE, NWC, ERI, MRC.x, MRC
Regional centers and initiatives
- New and notable centers and placements:
- Southeast Europe Technical Assistance Center (SEETAC) announced March 2026 to serve Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Moldova; expected to begin operations by January 2027; Rome selected as host.
- China-IMF Capacity Development Center (CICDC) relocated to the venue shared with the IMF’s Shanghai Center.
- Launched a regional training pilot for South America and Mexico hosted by the Central Bank of Paraguay.
- Western Hemisphere milestones:
- CAPTAC‑DR celebrated its anniversary; opened May 2009 in Guatemala City; focuses on public finance, monetary and financial sectors, and macroeconomic statistics across its seven member countries.
- CARTAC celebrated its 25-year anniversary; serving 23 Caribbean members since 2001 across macroeconomic analysis, public financial management, revenue administration, financial stability and supervision, debt management, and economic statistics.
- Select RCDCs and hosts (as of April 30, 2026):
- Africa Training Institute (ATI): China, European Union, Mauritius (host), Saudi Arabia
- Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC): Barbados (host), Canada, Caribbean Development Bank, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, European Union, The Netherlands, United Kingdom
- CCAMTAC: Asian Development Bank, China, European Union, Kazakhstan (host), Korea, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, United States
- CAPTAC-DR: European Union, Guatemala (host), Luxembourg, Mexico, Spain
- CICDC: China (host)
- IMF Capacity Development Office in Thailand (CDOT): Japan, Thailand (host)
- IMF-Singapore Regional Training Institute (STI): Japan, Singapore (host)
- Joint Vienna Institute (JVI): Austria (primary member and host) and international partners/donors
- Middle East Center for Economics and Finance (CEF): Kuwait (host)
- METAC: European Union, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland
- PFTAC: Asian Development Bank, Australia, European Union, Fiji (host), Japan, Korea, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States
- AFRITAC Central, AFRITAC East, AFRITAC South, AFRITAC West, AFRITAC West 2, SARTTAC, and others listed with hosts and eligible member countries.
Funding, partners, and thematic funds
- Donor funding:
- Donor partners and RCDC member countries fund about two-thirds of direct spending on CD.
- Top partners for IMF CD (contributions in US dollars over the past three years, FYs 2022–26; ranked): Japan; European Union; Saudi Arabia; Switzerland; China; Kuwait; Germany; France; The Netherlands.
- Thematic and country funds (As of April 30, 2026) include:
- Anti–Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) partners: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
- Data for Decisions (D4D) Fund partners: China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland
- Debt Management Facility (DMF) partners (jointly with the World Bank): African Development Bank, Austria, Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States
- Financial Sector Stability Fund (FSSF) partners: China, Germany, Korea, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland
- Global Public Finance Partnership (GPFP) partners: Belgium, Denmark, European Union, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
- Somalia Country Fund partners: Canada, European Union, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, United Kingdom
- Ukraine Capacity Development Fund partners: Canada, European Union, Finland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovak Republic, Switzerland
FY 2026 key statistics and delivery
- CD projects, involving 1,655 experts supporting 163 IMF member countries
- "$0 million of hands-on technical advice, policy-oriented training, and peer learning"
- Thirteen new open online courses launched (four in English and nine in other languages), total number of courses offered: 136
- Microlearning expanded with more than 75 new bite-size on-demand videos
- Top 10 recipients of IMF capacity development (FY 2026, ranked by capacity development delivered, in US dollars): Ukraine; Sri Lanka; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ghana; The Gambia; Uganda; Liberia; Kenya; Uzbekistan
- Top 10 recipients by training participation (FY 2026, ranked by participant weeks): Indonesia; Cameroon; Bangladesh; Pakistan
- Regional participant counts (category table values preserved):
- ASIA AND PACIFIC: 5764
- SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: 4566
- MIDDLE EAST AND CENTRAL ASIA: 3069
- WESTERN HEMISPHERE: 2389
- EUROPE: 1465
- Category counts:
- SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: 36
- ASIA AND PACIFIC: 21
- MIDDLE EAST AND CENTRAL ASIA: 17
- WESTERN HEMISPHERE: 11
- MULTIREGIONAL: 8
- EUROPE: 7
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