## IMF Engagement on Education Spending in Surveillance and Program Work

_Technical Notes and Manuals, April 28, 2025_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [IMF Engagement on Education Spending in Surveillance and Program Work](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/tnm/issues/2025/04/28/imf-engagement-on-education-spending-in-surveillance-and-program-work-560719)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/publications/tnm/issues/2025/04/28/imf-engagement-on-education-spending-in-surveillance-and-program-work-560719/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/publications/tnm/issues/2025/04/28/imf-engagement-on-education-spending-in-surveillance-and-program-work-560719/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/publications/tnm/issues/2025/04/28/imf-engagement-on-education-spending-in-surveillance-and-program-work-560719/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Mauricio Soto, Geremia Palomba, Fernanda Brollo, Nick Carroll, Zsuzsa Munkacsi, Alberto Tumino, Tohid Atashbar, Baoping Shang, Dawit Tessema
- Published: April 28, 2025
- Series: Technical Notes and Manuals
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400298677.005

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### Purpose and scope
- Provides guidance to staff on engaging on education spending issues in surveillance and program contexts following the IMF’s 2019 social spending strategy.
- Emphasizes that engaging on education spending supports the Fund’s macroeconomic mandate because education is a key determinant of economic growth and development and plays a fundamental role in reducing inequalities.
- Notes that public intervention in education is widespread and generally justified on both efficiency and equity grounds.
- Observes that large gaps exist across countries in both education access and learning outcomes.

### Assessment framework: macro-criticality channels
- Engagement is guided by an assessment of macro-criticality which can arise through three channels:
  - Spending adequacy
  - Spending efficiency
  - Fiscal sustainability
- The note aims to guide staff on how to assess these three channels.

### Engagement in surveillance contexts
- Focus on macro-critical education issues is warranted when such issues affect or have the potential to affect domestic or external stability.
- The extent and purpose of engagement will vary across countries.

### Engagement in program settings
- Engagement on macro-critical education issues may arise when such issues are critical to achieve program objectives or to monitor program implementation.
- The extent and purpose of engagement will vary across programs.

### Operational considerations and collaboration
- When engaging on macro-critical education spending issues, it is important to collaborate with development partners.
- The note is intended to inform staff judgment on whether and how to engage, recognizing cross-country and program heterogeneity.

### Key publication facts and identifiers
- Authors: Mauricio Soto, Geremia Palomba, Fernanda Brollo, Nick Carroll, Zsuzsa Munkacsi, Alberto Tumino, Tohid Atashbar, Baoping Shang, Dawit Tessema
- Date: April 28, 2025
- Series: Technical Notes and Manuals No. 2025/007
- Issue: 007
- Volume: 2025
- Pages: 43
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400298677.005
- ISBN: 9798400298677
- ISSN: 2075-8669

*IMF Technical Guidance Note “IMF Engagement on Education Spending in Surveillance and Program Work”, Technical Notes and Manuals No. 2025/007 (April 28, 2025).*

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## Content in this bundle

- **IMF Engagement on Education Spending in Surveillance and Program Work; March 2025; TNM 2025/07**
  - [IMF Engagement on Education Spending in Surveillance and Program Work; March 2025; TNM 2025/07 (Markdown version)](/-/media/files/publications/tnm/2025/english/tnmea2025007.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
  - [IMF Engagement on Education Spending in Surveillance and Program Work; March 2025; TNM 2025/07 (PDF)](/-/media/files/publications/tnm/2025/english/tnmea2025007.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/tnm/issues/2025/04/28/imf-engagement-on-education-spending-in-surveillance-and-program-work-560719_