Externally-Financed Appointee Program (EFA) and Special Appointee Program (SAP)

The IMF offers two capacity-development initiatives which provide officials from member countries with the opportunity to gain direct exposure to our work at our Washington, D.C. Headquarters while strengthening the engagement between the IMF and our member countries.

1) The EFA is an externally-financed contractual appointment for a duration of up to two years.

2) The SAP is funded by the IMF and is a contractual appointment for a duration of one year.

If you are a participant in one of these programs you will:

  • Assume IMF responsibilities in your area of expertise
  • Build your proficiency in the use of technology and new methodologies
  • Gain exposure to the work of international organizations 

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What Would I Do

Most EFAs and SAPs are either macro or specialized economists and will be assigned to economic departments. However, the EFA program is also open to officials in other career streams such as:

  • Legal
  • Human Resources
  • IT
  • Communications
  • Audit
  • Budget
  • Finance/Investment

    • These participants would be assigned tasks similar to those given to IMF employees, working in the same areas of expertise.

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    Who Should Apply

    For the EFA, you would typically:

  • Be an experienced public-sector official
  • Have a graduate-level degree in a field related to our work
  • Have at least four years of relevant experience

    • For the SAP, you would typically:

  • Be a mid-level government official with a postgraduate degree
  • Have at least three years of relevant experience in a public financial institution or economics-related ministry, research institute, or university

    • For both programs, you will need to have strong analytical skills, combined with excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

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    How to Apply

    For the EFA, the IMF issues a memorandum to all our Executive Directors (Senior officials elected by countries or groups of countries to represent their interests at the IMF) requesting expressions of interest (EOIs) and indicating when the program window is open. The IMF will evaluate the number of EOIs received and determine the number of slots per country. Countries are then asked to propose names and provide CVs of at least three qualified candidates per slot. The IMF will conduct a panel interview to ensure the most-qualified candidates are selected.

    For the SAP, candidates are nominated either directly by their country authorities or through their Executive Director at the IMF. Nominations are screened by the IMF with priority given to officials from Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) eligible countries. The relevant department will review the request, taking into account the needs of the particular member country for capacity building support and the availability of suitable assignments. Short-listed candidates will be interviewed and, if selected, the IMF department will send a formal request to the Human Resources Department (HRD), requesting the budget authority for the position. HRD will advise the department and member nations authorities when the resources will be available. Once the candidate has been approved by the department and the funds secured by HRD, an appointment letter will be sent to the selected candidate.