Help Shape the Future of IMF Engagement with Civil Society 

Public Consultation on the 2015 Guidelines of the IMF Engagement with CSOs

Help Shape the Future of IMF Engagement with Civil Society 

This Public Consultation is Open from October 13, 2025 to January 13,2026

Take the Survey: English | French | Spanish | Arabic [1] 

 

Introduction

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is currently reviewing its 2015 Guidelines on the IMF Staff Engagement with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). These guidelines shape how we engage with a wide range of non-media and non-governmental stakeholders, including nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), trade unions, academia, think tanks, and others. As part of the review process, we are conducting internal and external consultations, and we want to hear from you.

The Fund is committed to regular, meaningful engagement and consultations with a wide range of stakeholders both on global policy issues and at the country level. We believe that inclusive dialogue, based on information-sharing and mutual exchange, helps to improve the understanding of policy and country issues and can, in turn, strengthen our policy analysis and advice.

In addition to ongoing dialogue, we periodically review our policies and operational frameworks, taking into account the latest developments in the social economic sphere. This review of the IMF’s CSO Engagement Guidelines is one such opportunity to step back, listen, and improve how we engage with the broader CSO community. Your feedback is essential to ensure our approach remains relevant, transparent, and responsive.

We invite you to take part in this important process by completing the survey below. Your insights will directly inform the updates to the Guidelines and thus help shape how we engage with civil society going forward.

Scope of the review and tentative timeline

The main goal is to update the 2015 Guidelines on the IMF Staff Engagement with CSOs to ensure they remain fit for purpose. To this end, the review will take stock of developments since these guidelines were published in 2015. More broadly, it will also consider on how we, at the IMF, can best engage with the CSO community at the country, regional and global level.

As part of this review, the IMF will conduct a multi-phase consultation process: 

  • Online survey (virtual) October 2025-January 2026: The online survey is an opportunity for participants from all over the world to provide written input through a structured survey.
  • Roundtable conversations (virtual/hybrid) March-June 2026: Follow-up discussion(s) with those who filled in the above-mentioned online survey to share findings, dig deeper on significant feedback, and provide updates on the whole review process.

We look forward to your participation across all phases of the consultation!

The updated version of the Guidelines is expected to be published during the second half of 2026.

How can I participate?

The online survey is open until January 13, 2026 . You will find below the online survey. Once the survey is closed, all those who completed the survey will receive an invitation to participate in the next phase of the consultation (follow up meetings). 

Please note this survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please do not close the page or leave it unsaved. If you would like to work on your answers before completing the form, you can download the survey questions here. However, please kindly note that all responses to the survey must be submitted electronically, without exception, through the online form by January 13, 2026.

Can I participate in this consultation process?

All the stakeholders from all over the world covered in the 2015 Guidelines on the IMF Staff Engagement with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are invited to participate in the consultation process. This includes:

  • nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

  • business forums

  • faith based organizations

  • youth organizations

  • labor unions and professional organizations

  • local community groups

  • philanthropic and charitable organizations,

  • gender and women’s associations

  • local organizations of persons with disabilities

  • social movements (including representatives of the informal sector and rural areas)

  • academics

  • research centers

  • think tanks

Background materials for this consultation process

Below you will find a list of resources that might be useful for your participation in this public consultation:

Examples of ongoing or recent public consultations

Contact information

Should you have any questions, please contact us via email:

Take the Survey: English | French | Spanish | Arabic [1]

 

[1] To access the Arabic translation of the survey, please send an email to publicaffairs@imf.org with the subject line: “Public Consultation Review 2015 Guidelines IMF engagement with CSOs– Arabic translation of the survey”. The team will then send it to you directly