IMFCEF

Target Audience: Mid- to senior-level officials working in the payment, technology, monetary policy, international economics and financial stability departments at the central bank and in positions with similar responsibilities.

Qualifications: Participants should have experience in the operations and/or oversight in one or more of the following areas: payments, legal, technology, monetary policy, international economics and financial stability. A background in basic macro-economics could help.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department, focuses on reshaping cross-border payments in the digital age. The course is designed to be interactive by relying on a combination of lectures, case study simulations, and panel discussions. Lectures first focus on an overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge on how innovative digital means of payments (central bank digital currencies and stable coins) could be used for international transactions. The course then analyzes the benefits (e.g., lower frictions and in the end costs, broader access to international payments) and risks for the economies, focusing on implications for monetary policy, financial stability, capital flows and the international monetary system. Potential policy responses are then discussed. Participants are then encouraged to apply this basic understanding of cross-border payments in hypothetical case studies and panel discussions.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials in central banks and ministries of finance or economy who are directly involved in diagnosing the state of the macroeconomy and making projections.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics, or equivalent experience; good quantitative skills; and proficiency in the use of Microsoft Excel. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Financial Programming and Policies, Part 1: Macroeconomic Accounts and Analysis (FPP.1x) or the online Macroeconomic Diagnostics (MDSx) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course is designed to strengthen participants’ ability to comprehensively assess a country’s macroeconomic situation, including the current state of the economy; the stance of fiscal and monetary policy; financial stability; exchange rate misalignments; vulnerabilities in the different sectors; and the medium-term outlook, especially the sustainability of public and external debt. The course emphasizes practical tools for use in dayto-day macroeconomic analysis and relies on case studies relevant to the region where the course is given to illustrate how these tools are applied and how they can contribute to the policymaking process.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Analyze potential output, calculate output gaps, and diagnose the outlook for the economy.
• Assess the stance of current fiscal, monetary, exchange rate, and financial policies.
• Assess macro-financial linkages, including through the analysis of financial sector soundness indicators.
• Assess the medium-term prospects of the economy, especially the sustainability of public and external debt.
• Identify possible external and internal economic risks and vulnerabilities to economic growth and identify policies to address them.

Target Audience: The workshop is primarily designed for senior officials of customs administration field offices who have direct responsibility with the assessment of customs value and senior officials of the HQ-based valuation units.  

Qualifications: Applicants are expected to be involved in the area of valuation of goods.  

Language: The workshop is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic. 

Course Description: This workshop is presented by experts from the International Monetary Fund Fiscal Affairs Department and METAC. It covers the following areas:

• Legal and regulatory framework for the valuation function (Customs law shall comply with World Customs Organization’s (WCO) Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) standards, in particular with standards set forth in Chapter 4, and the provisions of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).
• Overview of international instruments on the application of customs valuation (WCO Guide to Customs Valuation and Transfer Pricing[1],  WTO Valuation Agreement[2] , General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)/Article 7: Valuation methods, WCO Technical Committee Decisions on Valuation[3], etc.).
• Information and Communications Technology support opportunities (valuation databases[4] and automated valuation risk assessment applications (like ASYCUDA Valuation Module (ASYVAL).
• Customs valuation when declared customs value of goods is deemed and/or found undervalued during the import clearance process and post clearance audit.
• Methods used to determine the value of intangible goods.
• Use of the Valuation Declaration Form and the customs valuation adjustments.
• Advance rulings applied for customs valuation.

Course Objectives: The primary objective of this workshop is to provide participants with an overview on effective application of the customs valuation procedures based on international standards as the value is an important input for the collection of duties and taxes on imports.

For additional information concerning the content of the workshop, please address your inquiries to Mr. Djamel Bouhabel, METAC Customs Administration Advisor, at: DBouhabel@imf.org

Target Audience: Mid- to senior-level officials in ministries of finance or economy, involved in fiscal reporting, management of fiscal risks, budget preparation and fiscal transparency reforms, Supreme Audit Institutions, central inspectorates, civil society organizations.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience and basic background in fiscal transparency.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The four-day virtual course presented by the Middle East Technical Assistance Center (METAC) aims at bringing together various officials from Ministry of Finance and other key institutions (such as central inspectorates and Supreme Audit Institutions) from countries in the region to enhance key benefits and aspects of fiscal transparency. The course will:

• Present the results of the latest Open Budget Survey and train participants on the Open Budget Index methodology.
•  Describe the key elements of the four pillars of fiscal transparency, based on the Fiscal Transparency Code of the IMF.
• Discuss practical examples of countries that made progress on the fiscal transparency agenda.
• Describe the various practical tools available (such as the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency) to improve fiscal transparency.

The course will contain both lectures and practical exercises conducted in groups for an interactive peer exchange. This will require the active collaboration of participants to share experiences and provide inputs.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Summarize the key aspects of fiscal transparency, according to the Fiscal Transparency Code of the IMF and the Open Budget Index methodologies.
• Know how to use the various tools available to improve fiscal transparency.
• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the fiscal transparency of their own country relative to regional and international comparators and identify approaches and actions to strengthen fiscal transparency.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Benoit Wiest, Public Financial Management Advisor, METAC, at: bwiest@imf.org

Target Audience: Junior to mid-level government officials in ministries of economy, planning, and finance; treasuries, central banks, independent fiscal agencies, and other agencies involved in the analysis, design, conduct, and assessment of fiscal policy.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or finance, or equivalent work experience; good quantitative skills; and proficiency in the use of computers to analyze data. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the Financial Programming and Policies (FPP) and the Fiscal Policy Analysis (FPA) course before enrolling in this course. Familiarity with Microsoft Excel is essential as many workshops are conducted in Excel.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course reviews the role of government and objectives of fiscal policy; revisits essential macrofiscal tools and methodologies; and identifies a country’s fiscal framework as the set of institutions that design and conduct fiscal policy. The course stresses the need for high-quality information, transparency, and responsibility in order to hold governments accountable for their medium- to long-term fiscal objectives. The course concludes with thematic presentations by participants.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Describe recently introduced institutions to enhance fiscal policy effectiveness.
• Critically assess the quality of data for fiscal policy.
• Design fiscal rules for specific national problems.
• Use an in-year tool to monitor fiscal performance.
• Contribute to building a medium-term budget (for consolidation or stimulus) while limiting recession risks and respecting sustainability.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials working on monetary operations and financial stability in central banks or other monetary authorities.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience with monetary operations and financial markets

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Central Bank Operations Division of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCMCO), is dedicated to the central banking challenges in fixed exchange rate arrangements without capital controls. The course covers three topics: (i) managing systemic liquidity; (ii) setting up collateral frameworks as well as emergency liquidity assistance (ELA), and (iii) stress testing the central bank balance sheet. While, in theory, capital flows alone could manage domestic liquidity and stabilize short-term rates at the right level, short-term rate volatility could arise in the absence of central bank intervention in the domestic market due to friction cost between the local and international money markets, counterparty risk perception in the domestic market, and prudential liquidity regulations. Moreover, central banks operating under a fixed exchange rate arrangement are exposed to exchange rate risk and negative carry trade on their assets that could be acute if the domestic interest rate spread needs to widen to defend the exchange rate parity. The technical aspects of the course will focus on (i) the optimal operational set up to reduce domestic interest rate volatility, and to address bank liquidity risks effectively while protecting the central bank’s balance sheet, and (ii) the stress-testing of the central bank balance sheet items under adverse scenarios to pro-actively monitor and manage risks and articulate monetary policy with financial stability.

The course gives participants the opportunity to learn and apply new tools used or created by MCM for the purposes of calibrating open market operations, managing systemic liquidity risk, and stress testing central bank balance sheets, also incorporating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, the course allows participants to share their experiences on market operations, stress testing methodologies, and risk mitigation policies. Much of the course consists of lectures and of hands-on modules that expose participants to concrete experiences, including inputting data, designing scenarios, stress-testing the central bank balance sheets at different horizons, and interpreting the results. MCM experts will then discuss how to articulate the outcome of the risk analysis with policy decision making. The concrete policy outcome could be to fine-tune the calibration of open market operations and improve the structural liquidity management tools, as well as differentiating the usage of monetary policy instruments and ELA depending on the stress scenarios.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• Manage liquidity in a way that is supportive of the exchange rate and monetary arrangements as well as market development.
• Develop collateral and emergency liquidity assistance frameworks that are robust to the constraints related to the monetary policy regime.
•  Design different stress scenarios and estimate the central bank balance sheet at risk at different horizons.

Target Audience: This course is designed for senior level government officials and technical representatives from national ministries in MENA directly contributing to the Transport and Trade Regional Integration agenda through their portfolio, as well as representatives from other relevant multi-sectoral platforms (e.g., customs) engaged in the supply chain agenda. Three representatives from each country will be selected.

Qualifications: Participants will be senior level representatives from ministries of Transport, Economy, Finance, Trade, or Investment, playing a decision-making role in the design, implementation, oversight and/or evaluation of national projects, programs or policies related to regional integration, supply chains, and logistics.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent measures to contain it highlight how an acute shock can disrupt an interconnected world economy. International supply chains have been subjected to stress at the national and global levels. The experience demonstrates the need for policy options that strengthen the resilience of supply chains without undermining the benefits of open and rules-based international trade. Anticipating and understanding the nature of these stresses is key to obtaining an accurate diagnosis of the problem. It will allow policy makers to identify the appropriate policy responses and provide insights on how to prepare for future shocks. The course will help government officials on the following fronts: identify potential risks, determine government role, develop strategies and guidelines, and shock diagnostic.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Dr. Muneeza Mehmood Alam, Senior Transport Economist, at: malam5@worldbank.org and Mr. Radoslaw Czapski, Senior Transport Specialist, at: rczapski@worldbank.org.

Target Audience: Mid- to Senior level of banking supervisors in charge of the supervision of banks.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to be involved in banking supervision and familiar with bank regulation and supervision issues.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This regional course, presented by the IMF-CEF and the IMF-Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC), aims at strengthening banking supervisors’ skills and capabilities in methods and tools for risk-based supervision (RBS). The course begins by introducing RBS concepts and tools. The focus then turns into presenting the implications of the Covid 19 crisis on banking supervision and regulation, the policy measures and exit strategies adopted by countries in response to the pandemic, as well as the current challenges faced under the “New Normal” (Post-Covid 19). Through a mix of lectures and practical applications, the course will cover the assessment of the various banking risks, including credit, liquidity and operational risks, with a highlight on enhancing the risk assessment methodology for a better coverage of risks with the changing environment.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Describe the main components and tools of RBS and their importance for effective supervision.
• Learn from other countries’ experience in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis and the exit strategies adopted.
• Develop their forward-looking awareness of the potential risks.
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of their country’s approach to risk-based supervision and ways to improve the assessment of risks.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Nehmat Hantas, Banking Regulation and Supervision Advisor, METAC, at: nhantas@imf.org

Target Audience: This course is designed for senior level government officials from the ministries of industry, trade, agriculture, economy, and planning as well as SME and local development agencies and authorities. 

Qualifications: Participants will be senior level representatives from the ministries of industry, trade, agriculture, economy, and planning as well as SME and local development agencies and authorities, playing a decision-making role in the design, implementation, oversight and/or evaluation of cluster, sectoral or national development policies, programs and projects.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description:  The objective is to help policymakers to improve their skills in Industry Analysis, Strategic Segmentation and Value Chain Analysis and Benchmarking. These widely used business strategy tools are applied with a different lens, to identify market failures that hamper private sector development and design non-disruptive public policies to address them.

Content of Training: The first three sessions of the course cover the basic concepts and techniques of Industry Analysis developed by Michael Porter, the five forces model, the strategic segmentation of industries and the value chain. The last two sessions present examples of policy design. The program uses 10 short (1:45h) case discussions, based on the Harvard Business School case method. The sessions require previous case reading and preparation (minimum 1 hour per case). The mornings will be dedicated to case studies and the afternoon to application cases. The following themes will be covered:

• Day 1: Common Pitfalls in Sector Specific Projects
• Day 2: Five Forces and Strategic Segmentation
• Day 3: Strategic Segmentation Exercises
• Day 4: Policy Implications

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Emiliano Duch, Lead Private Sector Specialist, at: educh@worldbank.org and Mrs. Meriem Ait Ali Slimane, at: maitalislimane@worldbank.org

Target Audience: Junior to senior officials interested in understanding fiscal policy and its macroeconomic implications.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have taken undergraduate courses in macroeconomics or have equivalent experience and have a basic background in microeconomics and econometrics. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the Financial Programming and Policies (FPP) course.

Language: The course is conducted in Arabic.

Course Description: This course provides an overview of the concepts and techniques used to analyze how fiscal policy can help ensure macroeconomic stability and sustainable long-term growth. This hands-on course is built around the core macrofiscal topics needed to analyze fiscal policy. The learning units include general empirical findings, Microsoft Excel-based workshops, case studies, and selected topics of regional interest. The course will be of interest to officials who wish to better understand how fiscal policy can affect the economy and the related tools of analysis.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Use fiscal policy to attain key government objectives: macro-stability, equity and efficiency, and sustainable long-term growth.
• Use the tools and techniques acquired to assess the country’s fiscal stance, fiscal multipliers, and debt sustainability.
• Assess the key elements of tax and expenditure policy.

Target Audience: Government officials in charge of economic policy and development policy, including competitiveness, productivity, economic diversification, private sector development, investment and trade, and sectoral development.

Qualifications: Participants should have notions of economics, economic development, industrial policy and other areas related to the development of the private sector in a country.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course is conducted by OECD staff and international experts in competitiveness and private sector development, the course focuses on analysing and sharing instruments and policies to enhance national and sub-national competitiveness. The course analyses:

• The main challenges and opportunities for increasing competitiveness in MENA countries.
• The prevailing definitions and metrics of competitiveness and their reach and limitations.
• Experience in the implementation of structural policies, especially those aimed at promoting the development of the private sector.
• Case studies from MENA and OECD countries.

The course combines active discussions of those topics and practical exercises. The participants are invited to place the methodologies and tools from the course under the perspective of their own countries and are encouraged to share their own experiences and practices.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Gain knowledge on approaches to defining what is important for increasing competitiveness and analyse different tools to support specific economic sectors or activities. 
• Debate the reach and limitations of those approaches and discuss the policy mixes and institutional set-ups to competitiveness strategies.
• Present the practices and experience of their own institutions and learn from peers.
• Expand their professional networks.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Jaroslaw Mrowiec: Jaroslaw.mrowiec@oecd.org

Target Audience: Mid-level officials in central banks, ministries, or other supervisory authorities working on foreign exchange regulation and supervision, systemic risk assessments related to capital flows, and the management and liberalization of capital flow more broadly or interested in learning about the conceptual and operational issues related to the use of capital flow management measures.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience with implementing foreign exchange regulation or supervision and/or be familiar with capital controls.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Capital Flows Unit in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCMAICF) [jointly with LEG] discusses the benefits and risks associated with capital flows, the design of foreign exchange (FX) regulatory frameworks, the IMF approach to capital flow liberalization, and the recently revised Fund policies on current and capital account openness. The course also presents the IMF’s macroeconomic policy framework on managing capital inflow surges and disruptive outflows as set out in the Fund’s Institutional View (IV), as well as the Fund’s macroprudential policy framework and how systemic risk stemming from capital flows may be mitigated.

Throughout the course, there will be a focus on actual country examples of using CFMs and CFM/MPMs to manage capital flows, measures affecting current transactions, and on country experiences with capital account liberalization. The course concludes with a panel discussion where participants exchange knowledge and share country experiences.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Have an understanding of the benefits and risks associated with capital flows.
• Understand how Fund policies with regard to the liberalization and management of capital flows aims to facilitate countries in reaping the benefits of capital flows while mitigating their risks.
• Have insight into how to design FX regulatory frameworks and systems of CFMs, as well as the challenges which may arise in practice.
• Be familiar with the key elements of Fund policies on current transactions and how they differ from the IMF guidance on capital flow policies.
• Be able to identify systemic risk stemming from capital flows and how macroprudential policy measures (MPMs), as well as CFM and CFM/MPMs, may be used to mitigate those risks.

Target Audience: Government officials involved in developing macroeconometric models and forecasting for the analysis, design, and implementation of macroeconomic policy.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics, or equivalent experience; and a background in econometrics. They should also be comfortable using EViews for econometric applications. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Macroeconometric Forecasting (MFx) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course gives government officials a rigorous foundation in the estimation of macroeconometric models and their application for forecasting and policy analysis in central banks, ministries, and public research institutions. Participants work in groups on hands-on estimation and forecasting exercises.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify the bases for a number of model specifications.
• Use EViews software to apply modeling techniques to country data and replicate results from important published research papers.
• Apply the techniques learned to country cases from their region to forecast and analyze a policy issue.
• Apply appropriate tools available in the EViews econometric package to their own work or research and that of other countries.

Target Audience: This course is designed for senior level government officials and technical representatives from national ministries in MENA directly contributing to the decarbonizing the transport sector and the use of renewable energies agenda through their portfolio, as well as representatives from other relevant multi-sectoral platforms (e.g., environment) engaged in the combating climate change agenda. Three representatives from each country will be selected.

Qualifications: Participants will be senior level representatives from ministries of Transport, Energy, Environment, Economy, Finance, or Investment, playing a decision-making role in the design, implementation, oversight and/or evaluation of national projects, programs or policies related to decarbonizing the transport sector by bridging the gap with the energy sector.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: Bridging the gap between the transport and energy sectors is crucial for the international transport community to achieve universal, efficient, safe, and green mobility. Currently, only 3.3 percent of transport is powered by renewable energy and the sector is responsible for roughly one quarter of global energy-related GHG emissions. Leveraging synergies between transport and energy can improve energy efficiency in transport and mitigate their climate impact. Dramatic reductions in GHG will be needed in the coming decades to keep global warming well below 2°C and avoid dangerous climate change. Without rapid and ambitious mitigation action, transport emissions could more than double by 2050. Following the Avoid/Shift/Improve framework, policymakers can link the two sectors together. The course will help government officials on the following fronts: (i) Promote less travel through better integration of land use, transport, and energy planning (avoid), (ii) Have the opportunity to shift to more energy efficient modes of transportation, such as walking, cycling, and public transport (buses, bus rapid transit, rail), and (iii) Improve available technology though technology (fuel economy standard, tires, fuel switching, electric vehicles, taxes and incentives, scrappage, feebates) and behavioral policy (eco-driving, congestion charging).

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Dr. Muneeza Mehmood Alam, Senior Transport Economist, at: malam5@worldbank.org, and Radoslaw Czapski, Senior Transport Specialist, at: rczapski@worldbank.org .

Target Audience:

The course targets AML/CFT experts who are interested in contributing to the assessment of countries’ AML/CFT framework, including as part of the MENAFATF’s mutual evaluation round. In particular, the course targets:

• Legal experts and policy-makers responsible for developing AML/CFT laws and policies including those relevant to implementing Targeted Financial Sanctions and transparency of beneficial ownership.

• AML/CFT supervisors.

• Investigators and prosecutors responsible for the enforcement of the ML offense, terrorist financing offense and other financial crimes.

• Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) analysts.

Qualifications:

Candidates who meet the criteria listed below may be nominated:

• Have practical experience of at least 5 years in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing, for example with supervisory authorities for financial institutions and other reporting entities under the FATF standards, Financial Intelligence Units, or with law enforcement agencies.

• Participated in a training course on international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing that adheres to the current round of mutual evaluation processes, organized by the IMF, the MENAFATF, the FATF or any other international financial institution.

Language:

The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description:

Most countries around the world have committed to undergo regular assessments of their AML/CFT framework as part of their membership to the FATF and/or one (or more) of the FATF-style regional bodies (FSRBs). These assessments are part of the FATF/FSRBs peer review process and referred to as mutual evaluations. To ensure a consistently high quality of its mutual evaluations, the assessment bodies organize assessor training for these experts.  It teaches assessors how to analyze (i) a country’s level of technical compliance with the FATF Recommendations and (ii) the extent to which the country’s AML/CFT measures are effective in meeting the outcomes set in the methodology.  It notably includes a mock assessment.

Through the training course, the performance of the trainees will be evaluated according to a detailed mechanism established for this purpose. Completion of the training is a precondition to participation, as an assessor, in a mutual evaluation, but not a guarantee of participation.

Course Objectives:

Participants will:

·       Develop a general understanding of how the FATF Recommendations and Methodology fit within the framework of a Mutual Evaluation.

·       Understand the purpose of the Mutual Evaluation, including the purpose of conclusions (i.e. ratings) and recommendations to countries.

·       Realise what is expected of them in conducting the evaluation, and the roles of other parties involved.

·       Understand how effective interviews and active listening skills are carried out.

·       Understand who the readers of the Mutual Evaluation report are, and how to pitch the report to address their needs.

·       Understand the overall structure of the Mutual Evaluation report, as well as what each section should include.

·       Recognise the avenues of communication that should be kept open between the assessment team and the assessed country.

·       Understand the need to maintain transparency during the assessment, so that assessed countries are familiar with the Mutual Evaluation process.

·       Recognise what the discussion of the report at the FATF’s or relevant FSRB’s Plenary will entail, and how to prepare of them.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials working on financial supervision or financial stability in central banks or other supervisory authorities.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience with stress testing, Basel regulations, and financial stability analysis.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM), discusses recent developments in stress testing for banks, insurance companies, and mutual funds. It gives participants the opportunity to learn and apply new tools used or created by MCM for purposes of stress testing and systemic risk analysis, also focusing on the COVID-19 crisis. New, emerging topics in stress testing, such as feedback loops between real and financial sectors, asset fire-sales, and climate change and fintech related risks are also covered. Some of the tools are integral to the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) and technical assistance missions. Moreover, the course allows participants to share their experiences on stress testing methodologies and financial stability analysis. Guest speakers from industry are also invited to discuss risk management concepts and stress testing methodologies relevant to Islamic financial institutions. The course reviews stress testing objectives, methodologies, techniques, and good practices. Much of the course consists of hands-on modules that expose participants to the entire stress testing cycle: from entering data and estimating macro-financial models to designing scenarios, selecting assumptions, running tests, integrating feedback loops between financial and real sectors, communicating the results, and incorporating them in policy decision making, for example, by informing the calibration of capital and liquidity buffers.

Throughout the course, the focus is on the scenario design, solvency and liquidity elements of the stress testing exercise and their interactions. The course concludes with a roundtable discussion where participants exchange knowledge and share country experiences.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• Identify main sources of financial stability risk.
• Summarize the principles for developing macro-financial stress scenarios.
• Link changes in macroeconomic and financial variables with financial results and measure their relative impact.
• Assess the resilience of individual entities and the financial system to solvency and liquidity stress.
• Develop and incorporate models that capture second round effects or interactions between different risk types.

Target Audience: Government officials involved in WTO negotiation matters.

Qualifications: More precise information will be provided closer to the course date and will also be posted on the CEF website.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: WTO courses, presented by experienced staff, cover specific issues related to WTO agreements. They cover the legal and economic foundations of WTO rules, explain legal and institutional provisions of specific WTO agreements and rules, explore how the WTO agreements affect trade-related economic policies, and how the WTO serves in resolving trade disputes.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Samer Seif El-Yazal, at: samer.seif@wtorg

Target Audience: Public sector officials whose main responsibility is compiling and disseminating public sector debt statistics.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics, public financial management, statistics, or equivalent experience.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, conducted by the Statistics Department, focuses on the conceptual framework of public sector debt statistics as presented in the Public Sector Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users 2011 (PSDSG 2011), as well as on the practical aspects of public sector debt data compilation. Basic concepts, accounting principles, and detailed classifications are dealt with in the context of the methodology that is harmonized with the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014) and the System of National Accounts (SNA 2008). The course examines coverage and accounting rules of the public sector debt statistics framework, valuation, classification, selected methodological issues, and the sources and methods used for compiling the statistics. It also deals with debt data reporting to the IMF and World Bank. The course is organized around a series of case studies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• Define gross and net debt and explain the basic concepts and accounting principles for the compilation of public sector debt statistics.
• Classify public sector debt positions according to the PSDSG 2011 classifications.
• Apply general principles to classify an entity in the public sector, as well as in the relevant subsectors of the public sector, such as the general government and public corporations.
• Report quarterly public sector debt statistics covering—at a minimum—the central government, to the IMF and World Bank.
• Meeting data users’ needs to ensure relevancy.

Target Audience: Junior to mid-level officials who work with exchange rate policy and analysis.

Qualifications: Participants should have an advanced degree in economics, or equivalent professional experience; and be comfortable with Excel and Excel-based applications. Before taking this course, it is recommended that applicants take either the Financial Programming and Policies (FPP) or the Macroeconomic Diagnostics (MDS) course. Participants should also have a working knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and EViews.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course gives a comprehensive overview of exchange rate analysis and policy. The first part:

• Introduces key definitions and concepts used in exchange rate analysis, such as real exchange rate misalignment.
• Discusses how changes in the real exchange rate may affect external adjustment and growth.
• Presents methodologies to estimate the equilibrium real exchange rate and explains the IMF external balance assessment (EBA) approach to measure the degree of real exchange rate misalignment.
• Covers several aspects related to foreign exchange (FX) intervention: objectives, modalities, effectiveness, and ways to assess the adequacy of foreign exchange reserves, and their management.

The second part of the course covers the macroeconomic policy tradeoffs related to different exchange rate regimes, the choice of exchange rate regime, and the main exchange rate policy challenges in developing and emerging market economies, such as the use of hybrid regimes, forced and unforced exits from pegs, and the reasons behind “fear-of-floating.”

The course concludes with a discussion of currency crises, macroeconomic policies to prevent them, and the analytical tools used to anticipate them.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Assess whether FX reserves are adequate using standard and new indicators of reserve adequacy.
• Assess the effectiveness of interventions in the FX market, using case studies of interventions.
• Measure the degree of real exchange rate misalignment using different models and methods, including the EBA.
• Construct systems for early warning of currency crises using data on nominal exchange rates and international reserves.
• Estimate the probability of experiencing a currency crisis using panel data econometric techniques.
• Customize models and techniques taught in this course (including EBA, reserve adequacy metrics, early warning systems) to home country data, and use those that are relevant to their work for policy analysis.

Participants will also be able to:

• Describe the exchange rate regime choice and how country-specific features could influence the choice.
• Identify policy inconsistencies that may lead to currency crises.
• Identify policy measures to prevent them.

Target Audience: This course is designed for senior level government officials from the health, education, social protection and labor market sectors who are engaged in the human capital project of the World Bank. In addition, representatives from the ministries of finance, economy, and planning covering human development will benefit from this course.

Qualifications: Participants will be senior level representatives from the relevant ministries and agencies engaged in the human capital project of the World Bank, who are playing a decision-making role in the design, implementation, oversight and/or evaluation of national policies, strategies and/or programs related to accelerating human capital formation in their respective countries.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: Human Capital – which consists of the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate throughout their lives, enabling them to realize their potential as productive members of society - is being recognized as a key driver of sustained economic growth.  Countries that aim at diversifying their economies, creating jobs, and achieving shared prosperity need to invest in their people.  This four-day course is designed to engage participants in understanding how human capital contributes to increased productivity and economic growth; learning from the global experiences on improving human capital; identifying the best practices and strategies for improving education and health outcomes as well as skills development, particularly for the youth; and learning about innovations to improve human capital using technology and behavioral insights.

Interactive sessions and country case studies on various course topics would be shared and discussed among course participants, who are expected to present how these experiences can help their countries accelerate human capital formation.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Dr Christopher Herbst, World Bank Program Leader for Human Development in the GCC Region, at: cherbst@worldbank.org

Target Audience: Central bank officials serving on governance and oversight bodies, and/or senior central bank staff responsible for accounting, financial reporting, auditing, risk management, internal control, legal, or reserve management operations.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a university or postgraduate degree in accounting, business, economics, finance, or law, or have earned professional certifications in auditing (chartered or certified public accountants, internal auditors, information systems auditors) or finance (certified financial analysts).

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the finance and legal departments, is designed to give central bank officials interactive exposure to the IMF safeguards assessment methodology. It has a special focus on central bank governance and highlights the importance of independent oversight, transparency and accountability for improving financial safeguards. It also provides a forum for central bank staff to exchange views on their experiences in reinforcing safeguards and governance frameworks and dealing with emerging issues. The course incorporates interactive lectures and discussions addressing crucial assessment areas, especially external and internal audit mechanisms, financial reporting, and the system of internal controls with an emphasis on management of international reserves and lending operations. The course also reviews the concepts underlying autonomy and good governance in central bank legislation.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of their central banks’ safeguards and governance frameworks.
• Identify specific steps to improve financial safeguards.
• Use leading practices for central banks in the areas of good governance, central bank autonomy, accountability, and transparency.
• Describe and explain the requirements of the IMF safeguards policy and the importance of implementing safeguards recommendations.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials from central banks, ministries of finance, and other government agencies tasked with the design and execution of gender-responsive policies.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or social sciences, or equivalent experience, and to be proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel.  Applications from officials currently engaged in gender-responsive policy formulation and implementation, or those with a past background in these areas, will be given preference.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course provides an overview of the linkages between gender equality and macroeconomics; highlights the gender-unequal impact of COVID-19 and its possible macroeconomic consequences; stresses the importance of closing gender gaps for an inclusive, sustainable recovery; and discusses policies (including measures related to taxes, expenditures, public financial management, and structural issues such as financial access) to address gender inequities at the macroeconomic level.  The delivery emphasizes active learning through a mix of facilitated break-out sessions, homework assignments, and presentations by participants.  The goal is to help participants apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired to analyze the key gender-related challenges in their own country and formulate prioritized reform programs.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the links between gender equality and macroeconomics, including in terms of growth, inclusiveness, diversification, and sustainability.
• Use key sources of gender-disaggregated data and relevant toolkits to assess countries’ progress towards gender equality, including how this has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of gender equality on macroeconomic performance.
• Discuss key policies and measures to address gender inequality, including appropriate gender-budgeting practices.
• Formulate prioritized reform programs to address gender inequality in their own country.

Performance Evaluation: Two multiple-choice quizzes will be given, one at the beginning of the course and another at the end, to ascertain participants’ progress.

Target Audience: Mid- to senior- level participants with experience in the following areas: financial regulation and supervision, financial stability, digital payments, technology, and monetary policy.

Qualifications: Participants should have experience in regulation/oversight operations and/in one or more of the following areas: regulation and supervision, payments, legal, technology, monetary policy, and financial stability.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: New technologies and fintech business models can lead to new challenges to financial stability when used at scale, or when utilized by regulated/unregulated financial/nonfinancial institutions. Fintech is technology enabled innovation in financial services. The use of technology in financial services has greatly increased over the past decade driven by Big Data, the availability of smartphones and greater processing power and storage. Fintech is delivered by smaller start-ups, BigTechs, or traditional financial institutions. It is being used across financial services to generate efficiencies and lower costs for firms, improve compliance (through RegTech) and helping regulatory authorities achieve their objectives (through SupTech).

Digital money is a specific element of fintech that focuses on technology-driven innovation in the payments sector. The use of private digital money, such as e-money and some types of stablecoins, has been increasing in recent years, as mobile penetration has increased. Coupled with this, central banks have been exploring the possibility of issuing CBDC, a digital liability of the central bank available for both retail and wholesale transactions. Currently, more than a hundred central banks are researching and experimenting with CBDC issuance, and several pilots are ongoing.

This course, presented by the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department, aims to explore such developments and challenges, providing an overview of regulation of fintech and a framework for understanding public and private digital money.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Understand global fintech developments and regulatory responses;

·   Identify risks caused by different delivery channels: start-ups, BigTechs, or traditional financial institutions;

·   Understand key areas of fintech development including SupTech, RegTech, Crypto Assets and Blockchains;

·   Understand public and private digital money (such as CBDC, e-money, and stablecoins), macro-financial effects, risks, and policy implications; and

·   Identify key regulatory challenges in relation to fintech and digital money within their jurisdictions.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials from central banks, ministries of finance, and other government agencies tasked with the design and execution of policies related to macroeconomics and climate change issues.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or equivalent experience and be proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel. It is strongly recommended that applicants first complete the online Macroeconomics of Climate Change: Science, Economics, and Policies (MCCx-SEP) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course provides an overview of the science and economic costs of climate change, discusses adaptation and mitigation policy options for tackling climate change—including pricing carbon emissions as well as greening the economy with the removal of fossil fuels subsidies—while taking stock of the global climate debate, and analyzes challenges and opportunities related to transitioning to greener economic models.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·                Assess the costs of climate change.

·                Design comprehensive strategies for implementing mitigation commitments and investment in the net-zero transition.

·                Work with climate data to help analyze the macroeconomic impact of climate change issues.

Target Audience: This course is designed for senior level government officials and technical representatives from national ministries in MENA directly contributing to the women economic opportunities agenda through their portfolio, as well as representatives from other relevant multisectoral platforms (e.g. social funds, national women machineries) engaged in the gender and jobs agenda. Three representatives from each country will be selected.

Qualifications: Participants will be senior level representatives from ministries of labor, economy, industry, social protection, health, education, agriculture or women affairs, playing a decisionmaking role in the design, implementation, oversight and/or evaluation of national projects, programs or policies related to women’s economic participation.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The objective of this proposed course is three-fold: (i) provide participants with a thorough understanding of key challenges/constraints facing females in joining and staying in the labor market in MENA; (ii) understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s economic participation; and, (iii) share knowledge and best practices on innovative interventions aimed at improving women’s economic opportunities, specifically focused on childcare provision, entrepreneurship, legislation and gender diversity in the workplace.. As women’s participation in the labor market is increasingly becoming a priority for governments in MENA, this proposed course is intended to provide participants with the knowledge and inspiration to strengthen country level policies and programs that directly contribute to creating a more enabling environment for women’s economic participation.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Nahla Zeitoun, Senior Social Protection Specialist, at: nzeitoun@worldbank.org, Ms. Jonna Maria Lundvall, Senior Social Scientist, at: jlundwall@worldbank.org and Ms. Angela Elzir Assy, Labor Market Specialist, at: aelzir@worldbank.org

Target Audience:  Government officials directly involved - at a technical, practical and/or policy level - in the negotiation and/or implementation of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs).

Qualifications:  The Workshop is targeted at participants who are directly involved - at a technical, practical and/or policy level - in the negotiation and/or implementation of RTAs and who, in this context, liaise with the WTO.  A maximum of 30 participants will be retained by the selection committee of the WTO.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The Workshop is targeted at government officials who are directly involved - at a technical, practical and/or policy level - in the negotiation and/or implementation of RTAs and who, in this context, liaise with the WTO. Participants will be exposed to issues such as adherence to WTO rules on RTAs, transparency of RTAs in the WTO system, coexistence of regional and multilateral trading systems as well as issues related to negotiations.

For additional information concerning the content and admission to WTO courses offered at the CEF, please address your inquiries to Mr. Samer Seif El-Yazal: samer.seif@wto.org

Target Audience: Government officials in line ministries and public entities in charge of public procurement and infrastructure policies and projects.

Qualification: Officials with a relevant experience in procurement and/or infrastructure projects wishing to improve their knowledge and decision making capacity to enact policies related to these topics.

Language: The workshop is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The goal of this four-day course is to deepen participants’ understanding and knowledge of the main principles, policies, tools, and instruments to enhance public procurement systems. Those principles can be applied to all procurement projects including infrastructure projects. This course also covers the whole procurement cycle from the needs analysis to the completion of the contract.

The course is conducted by the OECD and the IMF and uses both theory and case studies based on the experiences of the OECD and MENA countries. Participants are encouraged to also share their own national experiences. Speakers have a deep and varied knowledge of the topic from the public and private side. The course is conducted in an informal and frank manner to encourage general participation and lively discussions.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

– Gain in-depth knowledge on how to enhance public procurement systems and how to implement efficient policies;

– Learn how to manage complex procurement and infrastructure projects covering the whole procurement cycle: the preparation phase, the implementation phase, and the termination phase;

– Gain in-depth knowledge of governance and risk assessment of the procurement areas which are most vulnerable including large infrastructure projects;

– Be provided with multiple and concrete examples of projects and how to maximize success and value for money; the examples are based on the OECD and peers experience; and

– Expand their professional networks and learning from other participants.

For additional information concerning the content and admission to OECD workshop, contact Ms. Kenza Khachani: Kenza.KHACHANI@oecd.org or Mr. Paulo Magina: Paulo.MAGINA@oecd.org

Target Audience: Compilers of consumer price indexes (CPIs).

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or statistics; or equivalent experience.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, is intended to broaden participants’ understanding of the concepts and methods of compiling CPIs. It provides an overview of the index number theory and its practical implications in terms of choosing the index number formula at lower and higher levels of aggregation. The course covers the sources and methods for developing weights and sampling areas, items, outlets, and varieties. New and emerging data sources as well as new collection technologies are discussed. Frontier issues including how to better measure the digital economy are included. Linkages to the 2008 SNA are highlighted, including the related principles of scope, coverage, and valuation. The course covers the following topics:

• Calculating elementary and upper-level indexes.
• Methods for handling temporarily and permanently missing prices.
• Introducing new outlets, items, and varieties.
• Adjusting prices for quality changes.
• Chaining and linking indexes with updated weighting structures.
• Meeting data users’ needs to ensure relevancy.

The course follows the principles and recommendations of the CPI Manual (2020).

Course Objectives:  Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Apply recommended index calculation methods.
• Apply methods for dealing with such index compilation challenges such as unavailable items, quality change, and keeping an index up to date.
• Assess how well a CPI meets international guidelines for best practice.

Target Audience: Junior to mid-level officials from emerging markets and low-income countries interested in understanding and analyzing the conduct of monetary policy and its interaction with the rest of the economy.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics, or equivalent experience; and be comfortable using Microsoft Excel and Excel-based applications. This is an overview course. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed a few general macroeconomic courses, such as Financial Programming and Policies (FPP) and Macroeconomic Diagnostic (MDS), face-to-face or online.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course gives a comprehensive overview of monetary policy regimes, monetary transmission mechanisms, and the role of monetary policy in macroeconomic stabilization. The course bridges the gap between theory, empirical evidence, and operational experience by illustrating the optimization problems and tradeoffs involved in monetary policy decisions. The learning process moves from lectures introducing the basic concepts to hands-on workshops. Case studies are used to reinforce participant understanding and to help them compare and assess a variety of experiences.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Analyze how monetary policy decisions are made under various regimes to deliver price stability.

·   Identify how these decisions are transmitted to the real economy.

·   Evaluate how the economy and monetary policy respond to macroeconomic shocks under various monetary policy frameworks, demonstrated through a group presentation to their peers.

Central bank practitioners should also be able to:

·   Design a sound monetary policy framework.

·   Prescribe policies consistent with the framework chosen.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials involved in economic and strategic planning; monitoring and evaluating policy strategies for reducing poverty and inequality; and promoting job creation.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or social sciences, or equivalent experience. It is strongly recommended that applicants have taken the online Financial Development and Financial Inclusion (FDFIx) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course is designed to increase participants’ understanding of the concepts of inclusive growth and give them analytical and operational tools to evaluate, measure, and monitor how macroeconomic policies can affect growth, poverty, inequality, and job creation. Lectures introduce the basic concepts of inclusive growth, with a special focus on long-term sustainability, and workshops offer participants an opportunity to apply the concepts and think about the design of inclusive growth strategies, drawing from country case studies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:  

·   Interpret measures of poverty and inequality.

·   Analyze the role of macroeconomic policies in promoting growth and equality and reducing poverty.

·   Identify obstacles to inclusive growth and prioritize reforms.

·   Design an inclusive growth strategy for their own country.

Target Audience: Compilers of national accounts statistics employed by agencies responsible for official national accounts statistics.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics, or statistics; or equivalent experience.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the IMF Statistics Department, covers theoretical and practical aspects in the compilation of national accounts statistics based on the conceptual framework of the System of National Accounts 2008 (2008 SNA). The course consists of lectures covering advanced methodological and compilation issues of the 2008 SNA and workshops consisting of practical exercises in compiling the accounts. The main aim of the course is to train participants in the compilation of more advanced parts of the accounting structure including supply and use tables, input-output tables, satellite accounts, labor and productivity statistics, and advanced price and volume topics.  The course starts with review of the sequence of accounts with a focus on how these accounts can be extended to address specific user needs. The main lectures and workshops include:

·       Supply and use tables.

·       Input-Output Tables.

·       Trade in Value Added.

·       Satellite Accounts.

·       Labor and Productivity Statistics.

·       Advanced topics in price and volume measurement.

·       Emphasis is also placed on sharing country experiences among the participants.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·       Understand the main extensions of the 2008 SNA.

·       Describe the compilation of Supply and Use Tables and Input-Output Tables.

·       Discuss the various uses of Supply and Use Tables and Input-Output Tables.

·       Discuss the importance and role of satellite accounting.

·       Explain the different price and volume measurement techniques and their use in compiling national accounts statistics.

Target Audience: Financial sector supervisors and regulators with responsibilities that include cyber risk regulation and / or supervision at central banks and agencies charged with supervising financial institutions.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have at least one-year of experience in general regulation and supervision of financial institutions.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM), provides an introduction to an intermediate level of training on cyber risk regulation and supervision to non-specialist financial sector supervisors.

The course: (i) reviews recent trends in the technology adopted by supervised entities, the evolving threat landscape and their implications for cyber risk and financial stability; (ii) outlines the key elements of cyber risk regulations; (iii) discusses supervisory approaches and tools; and (iv) presents key cybersecurity concepts, covering governance, risk assessment, and information sharing, based on international standards and best practices.

Sessions will focus on providing practical lessons and tips that can be used by regulators and supervisors, as part of their daily supervisory activities. The sessions will be instructional, as well as interactive, through group exercises, case studies and information sharing discussions.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Understand the basics of information technology solutions used in financial institutions, the cyber threat landscape, and key characteristics of cyber risk and its place in the enterprise-wide risk management framework.

·   Define and summarize the key components of cyber risk regulation and sound approaches to supervising cyber risk.

·   Understand the financial stability implications of cyber risk and have an insight on ways to enhance the cyber resilience of the financial sector.

Target Audience: Mid- to senior-level officials in ministries of finance or economy, treasuries, cash management or debt management offices.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience and basic background in cash and debt management; and have basic proficiency with Excel.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The four-day course presented by the Middle East Technical Assistance Center (METAC) aims at bringing together mid- to senior-level officials of ministries of finance from countries in the region to enhance their understanding as well as share practical experiences in cash management. The course will:

·   Provide an overview of institutional arrangements for cash management and discuss approaches to strengthen its key functions within the broader setting of budget execution.

·   Explain the functioning of a Treasury Single Account (TSA) and its location, structure, and coverage.

·   Describe the elements of cash flow management, including the methodological steps for cashflow forecasting, identification of financing gaps, and the role of cash buffers.

·   Discuss the coordination with debt management.

The course will contain both lectures and practical exercises conducted in groups for an interactive peer exchange. This will require the active collaboration of participants to share experiences and provide inputs.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Summarize the key institutional arrangements for efficient cash management and the coordination with other core functions of ministries of finance.

·   Understand the methodological steps for effective cashflow forecasting.

·   Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the cash management practices of their own country relative to regional comparators and identify approaches to strengthen cash management arrangements.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Mr. Jonas Frank, Public Financial Management Advisor, METAC, at: jfrank@IMF.org

Target Audience: Mid- to senior-level officials working in the regulation, supervision and oversight, cyber and financial stability departments at the central bank and financial sector supervision and in positions with similar responsibilities.

Qualifications: Participants should have experience in regulation/oversight operations and/in one or more of the following areas: payments, cyber, legal, technology, monetary policy, and financial stability.

Course Description: This course is presented by the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department. The course is designed to be interactive by using a combination of lectures, case studies, and panel discussions. On FinTech, the workshop will focus on global developments in the regulation of fintech, the implications of Big Tech in financial services, policy implications of a technology neutral approach to regulation, the growth of Supervisory Technology (Sup Tech) and the need for public-private collaboration in Regulatory Technology (Reg Tech). On digital money, the course will focus on the private digital money (such as stable coins and E-money), policy implications, macro-financial effects, and risks. On cyber, the workshop will explore best mitigation practices, international best practices, three lines of defense, information sharing, incident reporting, testing and coordination. The course will include practical case studies on the regulation of financial technology and self-assessment exercises on key aspects of digital money, providing participants with the opportunity to put learnings into practice through group exercises and presentations.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to explore such challenges, providing an overview of regulation of fintech, including challenges related to digital money and cyber risk.

Target Audience: Officials from debt management offices, ministries of finance, and central banks who deal with topics related to government debt in low- and lower-middle income countries.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or finance, or equivalent experience.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, provides capacity building for debt managers on sound practices in debt management, debt reporting, and investor relations to support debt management operations and improve public debt transparency. The course uses the Revised Guidelines for Public Debt Management as the foundation for discussing the key requirements and benefits of publishing comprehensive, accurate, and timely debt data, including through regular debt reports or bulletins. Officials are trained on the importance of transparency for effective investor relations, market development, and sound debt management. The course enhances the capacity of the government to efficiently support public debt management through debt reporting and investor relations practices grounded in core debt management principles.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the importance of regular debt reporting in the context of the Revised Guidelines for Public Debt Management.
• Explain the cost-risk characteristics of a debt portfolio, including guaranteed debt.
• Calculate relevant debt portfolio indicators and redemption profiles.
• Describe the importance of regularly publishing debt bulletins and annual debt management reports.
• Produce debt bulletins, debt reports, and investor relations presentations.
• Discuss relevant investor relations practices that improve debt transparency.

Target Audience: This social protection core course is designed for senior government officials, including specialists, policymakers, and technical practitioners from national ministries in MENA, directly contributing to the social protection, labor, and jobs agenda through their portfolio. And representatives from other relevant multi-sectoral platforms (e.g., social development, social affairs, and social security) engaged in the social protection, labor, and jobs agenda.

Qualifications: Participants will be senior-level representatives from ministries of Social Protection, Labor, Social Affairs, Social Development, Social Security, Social Protection, who play a significant decision-making role in the design, development, implementation, oversight and evaluation of national projects, programs or policies related to social protection agenda.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description:  The World Bank SPJ GP and World Bank SPJ MENA will design and deliver a 4-day virtual course on “Social Protection Delivery Systems” for MENA countries from Jan 9-12, 2023. The SPJ MENA team will organize and implement the course with significant collaboration and contribution from IMF-CEF and SPJ Global Practice. The course is designed at a critical time as countries globally recover from the COVID-19 pandemic mobilizing the delivery of shock-responsive social protection systems to help their citizens. The course will be designed keeping high-level public officials from the MENA region to address critical topics in social protection, such as the policy framework, design, and implementation of Social Safety Nets, Social Insurance, and Economic Inclusion Programs. The course will cover international best practices on recent advancements in social protection delivery systems and synthesize global knowledge and first-hand experience. Further, it will strengthen WB’s engagement by providing an opportunity for MENA officials to engage and collaborate with WB experts on efficiently delivering social protection during COVID and developing long-term social protection solutions for a post-COVID world.

World Bank Task Team Leader responsible for the core course: Mr. Ahmet Fatih Ortakaya, Senior Social Protection Specialist, at: aortakaya@worldbank.org supported by team members Ekaterina Pankratova, Senior Social Protection Specialist; Ines Rodrigues Caillava, Social Protection Specialist, at: irodriguezcailla@worldbank.org; and Vasumathi Anandan, Consultant, at: vanandan@worldbank.org

Target Audience: Central bank officials and officials from regulatory agencies responsible for compiling monetary statistics.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or statistics, or equivalent experience. Previous completion of the MFS-I course in person or virtual is recommended.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the IMF Statistics Department, introduces the fundamentals of compiling monetary statistics, with special attention to other financial corporations (OFCs). It also gives an overview of financial statistics and national accounts. The course material is based on the Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide (MFSMCG). Although the course summarizes the main principles underlying the compilation of monetary statistics, it assumes participants already understand these principles (e.g., having participated in the MFS-I course). The core of the course deals with characteristics of various OFCs (insurance corporations, pension funds, non-MMF investment funds, etc.), their typical balance sheet structure, and their role in the financial sector. The course also covers some aspects of financial statistics, dealing with financial flows and stocks of all sectors of the domestic economy and their interactions with the rest of the world; the balance sheet approach to vulnerability analysis; and the relationships between monetary, balance of payments, government finance, and national accounts statistics. The course consists of lectures and case studies to familiarize participants with practical aspects of compiling monetary statistics for OFCs and the basic principles underlying the compilation of national accounts. At the end of the course, participants are expected to make a short presentation on monetary statistics compilation issues in their own countries.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·                Describe the role of OFCs in the financial sector and the related implications of data collection for monetary statistics purposes.

·                Distinguish between different types of OFCs.

·                Compile OFC monetary statistics according to IMF standardized report form 4SR for OFCs.

·                Apply the main principles of financial statistics and national accounts.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials in central banks and other government agencies dealing with regulation of the financial sector.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or finance or equivalent work experience.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development, is designed to give participants a foundation in central bank digital currencies. In this course, we will assess the business case for CBDC adoption from the perspective of users and central banks. After some motivations and introductory remarks on digitalization, the course will discuss the different forms of CBDCs, and present considerations for CBDC design and a conceptual framework. The course will present the benefits, costs and risks related to CBDCs. In addition, CBDCs will be studied in terms of their implications for financial stability and bank intermediation, the monetary policy transmission, financial integrity, and financial inclusion. Some time will be devoted to regulatory considerations, both at the national and international level. Case studies will allow participants to reflect on and discuss country experiences and test their understanding of how and why some strategies have been successful while some countries have chosen not to proceed with the implementation of CBDCs.

A longer (face to face) version of the course will have participants prepare final presentations on a set of predetermined issues.

Course Objectives Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·    Explain the economic rationale for the use of CBDCs compared to other payment instruments.

·   Use the framework to think about the design and implementation of CBDCs.

·   Use the concepts introduced in the course to assess the benefits and costs of CBDCs.

·   Identify threats to financial stability and various risks based on country case studies.

·   Extract lessons from country pilots to try to prevent design pitfalls.

Target Audience: Senior officials from ministries of finance and tax administrations whose responsibilities include advising ministers on tax policy issues or managing tax administration, or officials from central banks working in areas related to the design of tax system. Their duties are likely to include policy analysis and evaluation; drafting policy memos; drafting tax laws; and in tax administration managing organizational issues, strategic planning, information technology, and other major operational functions.

Qualifications: Participants involved in policy areas are expected to have a degree in economics, law, or a related field, and experience in producing analytical reports. Participants involved in tax administration areas are expected to be senior managers from the top two levels of their agency.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the IMF Fiscal Affairs Department, is designed to broaden participants’ knowledge of the main difficulties for government in designing, administrating, and monitoring of a modern tax system. It briefly outlines the theoretical underpinnings of tax policymaking and discusses practice and implementation with an emphasis on the region the course is directed to. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences and develop strategies to improve their tax systems and how they are administered. Through lectures and workshops, the course will:

·       Provide an overview of policy design principles and their implications for tax administration—establishing linkages between tax policy and administration and how each function feeds into the other.

·       Review design issues for major taxes that form modern tax systems (e.g., broad-based consumption and income taxes, environmental taxes, and small business tax regimes), and discuss approaches to tax policy making in specific economic settings, such as resource-rich countries and fragile and conflict-affected countries.

·       Review tax administration management and governance issues, drawing on experiences within and beyond the region.

·       Discuss tax compliance challenges across taxpayer segments and tax types, and risk mitigating methodologies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·                Summarize key tax policy design principles and their implications for tax administrations, such as how to link tax policy and tax administration; how each function feeds into the other; and how design principles may differ in different economic settings.

·                Identify the core elements of the major taxes in modern tax systems, such as broad-based consumption and income taxes or small business tax regimes.

·                Recognize the impact and consequences of specific policies usually in place in some countries (reduced rates, exemption, tax incentives, delay in refund tax credits such as VAT, restrictions to input tax deductions in the VAT or expenses in the CIT, etc.).

·                Understand the main problems affecting international taxation and the tools to reduce them (transfer pricing regulations, exchange of information among countries, etc.).

·                Describe and analyze the organization of tax administrations, their principal functions, and common barriers to their reform.

·                Understand tax administration good practices, including those related to tax enforcement.

·                Identify the main tax compliance risks and understand how to address them.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials and compilers responsible for or planning to introduce or develop residential property price indexes (RPPI).

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or statistics; or equivalent experience.

Language: The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the IMF Statistics Department, identifies the key uses of RPPIs; reviews data sources and methods for compiling RPPIs; and outlines strategic issues for country-specific application. Emphasis is given to the importance of evaluating alternative data sources for compiling RPPIs in terms of coverage, timeliness, richness in terms of supporting a quality-mix methodology, suitability of a price measure, and weighting. Trade-offs involved in selecting data sources are considered, as are strategies for longer-run development of data sources. The methodological component of the course emphasizes the quality-mix problem: a change in the mix of properties transacted each period can bias measures of change in average prices. Mix-adjustment by stratification and hedonic regression are the main methods used to deal with this issue and interactive workshops deal with these topics. The course also highlights how data source and methodological issues are intertwined and follows the principles of the 2013 Handbook on RPPIs published by Eurostat, International Labor Organization (ILO), IMF, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the World Bank. Practical advice on RPPI compilation will draw on the 2020 RPPI Practical Compilation Guide published by the IMF.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·                Explain the nature and uses of RPP.

·                Identify the strengths and weaknesses of possible data sources for RPPIs.

·                Select the most appropriate method for RPPI compilation based on the availability of data.

·                Apply different methods for compiling RPPIs.

·                Make recommendations, where necessary, for the further development of data sources.

Target Audience: Officials from ministries of finance, economy, and planning, and central banks, who advise on or help implement macroeconomic and financial policies.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics, or equivalent experience; and be proficient in the use of spreadsheets. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Financial Programming and Policies, Part 1: Macroeconomic Accounts and Analysis (FPP.1x) or the online Financial Programming and Analysis, Part 2: Program Design (FPP.2x) course.

Language: The course is conducted in Arabic.

Course Description: This course explains how to diagnose macroeconomic imbalances and correct them through a coordinated set of adjustment policies. It covers the principal features of the four main macroeconomic sectors (real, fiscal, external, and monetary) and their interlinkages, highlighting both accounting and behavioral relationships and using data from a country case study.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Analyze economic and financial developments of a country in the region using historical data and a hands-on, Excel-based framework.

·   Create consistent one-year macroeconomic projections on the assumption that policies do not change.

·   Identify economic vulnerabilities and risks in a baseline scenario and policy measures to address them.

·   Prepare an adjustment scenario that reflects the policy measures and their macroeconomic impact.

·   Identify further policy goals and measures beyond the one-year horizon that will be incorporated into a medium-term framework.

Target Audience: Officials of all levels in central banks, ministries of finance, and other governmental agencies with macro-fiscal units (e.g., cabinet office, parliament), who monitor and assess country-wide and regional multisectoral vulnerabilities and risks.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics, or equivalent experience; a basic background in econometrics, and familiarity with the use of software for econometric applications.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course complements the Macroeconomic Diagnostics (MDS) course by enhancing participants’ ability to assess fiscal, financial, and external vulnerabilities in an integrated fashion, using several diagnostic tools to capture tail risks.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Assess risks using fiscal, financial, external, and real sectors’ vulnerability indicators.

·   Describe how vulnerabilities can morph into distress, leading to crises as a result of adverse shocks or a flawed policy mix.

·   Use diagnostic tools (including tools currently employed in IMF surveillance), to track multi-sectoral vulnerabilities and predict indicators of tail risks.

·   Adapt diagnostic tools, (organized as templates of country vulnerability reports), to their country data.

Target Audience: Government officials in line ministries and public entities in charge of anti-corruption policies and projects.

Qualification: Officials with a relevant experience in managing anti-corruption programs and projects, including initiatives to promote detection and reporting of corruption.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The goal of this four-day course is to deepen participants’ understanding and knowledge of the potential of public sector’s role in fighting corruption. The course is conducted by the OECD and the IMF and uses both theory and case studies based on the experiences of the OECD and MENA countries. Participants are encouraged to also share their own national experiences. Speakers have a deep and varied knowledge of the topic from the public and private side. The course is conducted in an informal and frank manner to encourage general participation and lively discussions.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

·   Gain in-depth knowledge on how to enhance public/private dialogue in the fight against corruption.

·   Learn how to manage projects that involve public and private stakeholders in the fight against  

Corruption.

·   Be provided with multiple and concrete examples of projects and how to maximize success and   

   value for money; the examples are based on the OECD and peers experience.

·   Expand their professional networks and learning from other participants.

For additional information concerning the content and admission to the course, please contact Ms. Catherine Marty: Catherine.MARTY@oecd.org and Ms. Diane Pallez: Diane.PALLEZ-GUILLEVIC@oecd.org , and Mr. Jaroslaw Mrowiec: Jaroslaw.mrowierc@oecd.org

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials from central banks and government agencies dealing with regulation of the financial sector. Preference is given to applicants working on issues directly related to financial development and inclusion.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a basic knowledge of economics or finance, or equivalent work experience. Knowledge of econometrics is helpful but not required. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Financial Development and Financial Inclusion (FDFIx) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course explains the macroeconomic relevance of financial development and inclusion. Beginning with an analysis that defines the role of finance in the economy, the course reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on the impact of finance on macroeconomic performance and growth. It also addresses policies to encourage financial development (market-enabling policies) and limit its potentially destabilizing effects (market-harnessing policies). The course introduces financial inclusion as an integral dimension of financial development—a perspective that has only recently received proper attention because for many years the discussion instead centered on the concept and measurement of financial depth. The course reviews the indicators currently used to measure financial inclusion, its distinct macroeconomic impact, and the main policy strategies usually pursued.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Measure the degree of financial development and inclusion for a country or countries using a wide range of standard indicators.

·   Identify the shortcomings of various indicators and recognize the possible need to collect more detailed microeconomic data.

·   Use a simple analytical model to predict the likely outcomes of different policies on financial inclusion.

·    Assess policy options and strategies for financial development and inclusion from a macroeconomic perspective by identifying potential tradeoffs and possible impediments.

·   Formulate a strategy for policies to support financial development in a country, taking into account initial conditions and links between the financial sector and the macroeconomy.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials at ministries of finance, other ministries, and government agencies involved in setting fuel prices or fuel subsidy policy.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or a related field. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is desirable.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Fiscal Affairs Department, explores recent developments in subsidy spending on fuel products, their macroeconomic impact, and their social implications. Building on country-specific case studies, the course elaborates on key elements of successful reforms, such as measures to protect low-income groups adversely affected by lower subsidies, implementing an automatic pricing mechanism, and designing an effective communication strategy The course also disseminates tools for measuring subsidies and assessing their distributional impact as well as alternative fuel pricing mechanisms that can help smooth the transmission of international fuel prices to domestic prices while protecting the budget. Participants may be asked to make presentations on their own country’s experience in setting fuel prices and reforming subsidies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Explain the different rationales for energy subsidies and identify possible barriers to the reform of fuel subsidies.

·   Estimate the magnitude of fuel subsidies.

·   Evaluate the distributional implication of fuel subsidies and their reform.

·   Design an effective reform strategy drawing on lessons from country experiences with reform.

·   Use tailored tools to measure fuel subsidies, guide the choice of alternative fuel pricing mechanisms, and estimate the impact of a fuel subsidy reform on household welfare.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials in central banks, regulatory agencies, supervisory authorities, ministries of finance, deposit insurance funds, and other agencies with responsibility for bank supervision, bank resolution, and the operation of financial safety nets..

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience in bank supervision, bank resolution (policy issues or operational experience) and/or depositor protection.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, provides a comprehensive overview of conceptual and operational issues related to the restructuring and resolution of weak banks. Among the topics discussed during the course are:

• Identification and supervision of weak banks: common causes of banking problems and how to identify them as well as early intervention tools and supervisory approaches for dealing with weak banks.
• Operational preparedness: institutional foundations of the financial safety net and inter-agency coordination; building blocks of effective resolution regimes (guided by the Financial Stability Board’s Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes); recovery and resolution planning; initiatives to test operational preparedness; and the role of deposit insurance and depositor preference.
• Crisis containment: liquidity support, government guarantees, and exceptional administrative measures to stop persistent liquidity outflows.
• Bank restructuring and resolution: initiation of resolution proceedings; resolution options for systemically important and non-systemic banks; cross-border resolution; system-wide diagnostics and restructuring strategies; and policy considerations and instruments for public capital support
• Dealing with distressed assets: market failures and policy reforms; approaches for resolving nonperforming loans—supervisory policies, insolvency and debt enforcement, distressed asset markets and the role of asset management companies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the building blocks of crisis preparedness and management.
• Identify weak banks and devise strategies for dealing with them.
• Pinpoint key design features of effective resolution regimes and options for enhancing operational preparedness.
• Identify stabilization options in response to financial panic and design credible strategies for bank restructuring and resolution at an individual and system-wide level.
• Compare options for dealing with distressed assets.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials in central banks, regulatory agencies, supervisory authorities, ministries of finance, deposit insurance funds, and other agencies with responsibility for bank supervision, bank resolution, and the operation of financial safety nets.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience in bank supervision, bank resolution (policy issues or operational experience) and/or depositor protection.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, provides a comprehensive overview of conceptual and operational issues related to the restructuring and resolution of weak banks. Among the topics discussed during the course are:

• Identification and supervision of weak banks: common causes of banking problems and how to identify them as well as early intervention tools and supervisory approaches for dealing with weak banks.
• Operational preparedness: institutional foundations of the financial safety net and inter-agency coordination; building blocks of effective resolution regimes (guided by the Financial Stability Board’s Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes); recovery and resolution planning; initiatives to test operational preparedness; and the role of deposit insurance and depositor preference.
• Crisis containment: liquidity support, government guarantees, and exceptional administrative measures to stop persistent liquidity outflows.
• Bank restructuring and resolution: initiation of resolution proceedings; resolution options for systemically important and non-systemic banks; cross-border resolution; system-wide diagnostics and restructuring strategies; and policy considerations and instruments for public capital support.
• Dealing with distressed assets: market failures and policy reforms; approaches for resolving nonperforming loans—supervisory policies, insolvency and debt enforcement, distressed asset markets and the role of asset management companies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the building blocks of crisis preparedness and management.
• Identify weak banks and devise strategies for dealing with them.
• Pinpoint key design features of effective resolution regimes and options for enhancing operational preparedness.
• Identify stabilization options in response to financial panic and design credible strategies for bank restructuring and resolution at an individual and system-wide level.
• Compare options for dealing with distressed assets.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials from central banks, ministries of finance, and other government agencies tasked with the design and execution of policies in resource-rich countries (RRCs).

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics, or equivalent experience; and be proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel. It is strongly recommended that applicants first complete the online Macroeconomic Management in Resource-Rich Countries (MRCx) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course discusses macroeconomic policy issues and challenges faced by RRCs. The course provides participants with an understanding of: the macroeconomics of growth and diversification, fiscal policy management, macroeconomic policy coordination, and public-sector asset management in RRCs. The course incorporates lectures, hands-on workshops, debates, and case studies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:  

·   Analyze economic performance in resource-rich countries, including in terms of growth, inclusiveness, diversification, and sustainability.

·   Design appropriate fiscal frameworks, applying suitable fiscal benchmarks to determine whether to consume, save, or invest the proceeds from the sale of natural resources.

·   Identify the appropriate macroeconomic policy responses to commodity price shocks.

·   Design policies to promote transparency in the management of natural resources, including in terms of the appropriate institutional structures for sovereign wealth funds.

Target audience: The course targets a diverse pool of professionals from Ministries of Finance, Central Banks and other key public agencies including the Leader/President/Prime Minister’s Office, the Supreme Audit Institution, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Accountant General's Office. These agencies are critical in shaping and implementing a country’s anticorruption strategy and policies. 

Qualifications: Applicants are expected to be mid-to senior level qualified professionals with several years of experience of policy making and/or working on addressing vulnerabilities to corruption in the fiscal area. 

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The training—to be presented by IMF staff and led by the Fiscal Affairs Department—will set out a detailed road map to identify and address vulnerabilities to corruption in the public financial management cycle. It will cover systems and institutions for both revenue and expenditure management. It will also present indicators and red flags that can alert policy makers and oversight agencies of possible challenges and weaknesses, and the potential macro-fiscal implications and costs of corruption. The course will include examples and case studies from the region. This course aims at helping country authorities build their institutions and skills to fight corruption. 

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to: 

·   Identify the legal instruments, mechanisms, and strategies that need to be in place to both prevent and prosecute corruption. 

·   Better understand the need for a strong rule of law and how it relates to corruption. 

·   Understand mechanisms for international cooperation designed to fight corruption. 

Target Audience: Policymakers and public officials with an interest in learning how to improve policies, programs, and communications through behavioral science. Ideal participants will have access to an interest in making changes and improvements to institutional policies at different levels.

Qualifications: Participants will be senior-level representatives from the relevant ministries. Prior knowledge of the field is not required, but an interest in learning innovative approaches to complex policy problems is encouraged.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description:  In the last decade, behavioral insights have gained a huge momentum in governments as policymakers are increasingly turning to behavioral sciences to tackle intractable policy challenges. Behaviorally informed policy emphasizes the importance of context for decision making and behavior. It examines a wide set of influences, paying attention to the social, psychological, and economic factors that affect what people think and do. It addresses details in bureaucracies, technologies, and service delivery that are often overlooked in standard policy design but that dramatically influence the effectiveness of development programs and projects, especially in low-income contexts. Behaviorally informed policy can provide creative solutions to difficult challenges, often at a low cost. Finally, it helps policymakers themselves avoid some of the decision traps and biases that affect all individuals. 

Led by staff from the World Bank’s Mind, Behavior, and Development team, this course will provide practitioners with concrete tools and guidance for diagnosing, designing, and implementing behaviorally informed projects and policies. 

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Zeina Afif, Senior Social Scientist with the World Bank’s Mind, Behavior & Development Unit (eMBeD), at: zafif@worldbank.org

Target Audience: Mid- to senior-level officials working in the payment systems oversight departments of central banks and in positions with similar responsibilities.

Qualifications: Participants should have experience in the operations and oversight of financial market infrastructures (FMI), such as payment systems, securities settlement systems, and central securities depositories.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM), focuses on the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (PFMI), which aim to enhance safety and efficiency in payments, clearing, settlement, and recording arrangements, and more broadly, to limit systemic risk and foster transparency and financial stability. The course is designed to be interactive by using a combination of lectures, case study simulations, and panel discussions. Lectures focus on the 24 principles and 5 responsibilities for authorities under the PFMI, the Disclosure Framework, and Assessment Methodology, and on topical issues on cyber resiliency, distributed ledger technology, and digital innovations. Participants, after gaining a basic understanding of the standards, apply them to a hypothetical country to assess the level of compliance of its payment system, securities settlement system, and central securities depository. Moreover, the self-assessment exercises are based on targeted principles and cover legal basis, credit risk, collateral, default management, liquidity risk, central securities depositories, money settlements, general business risk, and operational risk. After the hands-on self-assessment experience, results are discussed through group presentations and de-briefings. (Note: The course may be subject to further changes to accommodate remote delivery).

Target Audience: Government officials in charge of, or participating in, service trade negotiations (at the bilateral, regional and/or multilateral level) or, alternatively, officials with responsibility for the regulation or supervision of a given service sector and working together with the trade in services officials.

Qualifications: The workshop is targeted at participants who have experience and current job descriptions directly relevant to the subject of the Workshop (i.e., trade in, or regulation/supervision of services). At equal level of competence, preference will be given to applicants for whom the training will be most relevant, and who have already undertaken the WTO E-Learning course on the GATS − or equivalent training provided by another competent international organization.

Language: The workshop is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: The workshop will address major trends in services trade and review key features of the GATS, with a particular focus on the scheduling of specific commitments. The workshop will also cover key trends in regional trade agreements, and update participants on the state of play in the negotiations on services domestic regulation and on services-related elements of negotiations on e-commerce.

For additional information concerning the content and admission to WTO courses offered at the CEF, please address your inquiries to Mr. Samer Seif El-Yazal: samer.seif@wto.org

Target Audience: Compilers of national accounts statistics employed by agencies responsible for official national accounts data.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or statistics; or equivalent experience.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, is intended to broaden participants’ understanding of theoretical and practical aspects in the compilation of gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), changes in inventories (CII), consumption of fixed capital (CFC) and stocks of non-financial assets (NFA). It provides an overview of their definitions, coverage, valuation, and representation in the System of National Accounts (SNA). The course covers the sources and methods for estimating GFCF and CII at current prices and in volume terms and the perpetual inventory method to estimate CFC and capital stocks. Alternatives to the PIM to estimate NFA are discussed, focusing on methods for the stock of owner-occupied dwellings for calculating imputed rents. Frontier issues, including how to better measure intellectual property products are also included. The course covers the following topics:

• Asset boundary in the 2008 SNA.
• Recording of GFCF, CII, CFC and NFA in the sequence of accounts and the supply and use tables.
• Valuation differences between business and national accounting standards.
• Data sources and estimation methods for GFCF and CII.
• Price and volume decomposition of GFCF and CII.
• Calculation of CFC and NFA with the perpetual inventory method and alternative methods.

Training methods include a balanced mix of lectures and hands-on exercises. Emphasis is also placed on sharing country experiences among the participants.

Course Objectives:  Upon completion of this workshop, participants should be able to:

• Have a clear understanding of the representation of GFCF, CII, CFC and NFA in the system of national accounts and their interrelations.
• Apply methods for estimating GFCF and CII at current prices and in volume terms.
• Understand the principles and practice of estimating CFC and NFA using the perpetual inventory model.
• Assess how well their GFCF, CII, CFC, and NFA estimates meet international guidelines.

Target Audience:  Public sector employers and employees, accountants working in the public sector, national and local governments, policy makers specializing in the public sector, and international donors.

Qualifications: If participants already have a professional accountancy qualification, this qualification can be a valuable source of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – offering an opportunity to top up existing competencies with specific technical knowledge and skills around IPSAS. If participants do not hold a professional accountancy qualification, it offers them the opportunity to gain formal recognition of their IPSAS knowledge and skills.

Language: The course is conducted in Arabic.

Course Description: The course provides the fundamental requirements of accruals-based IPSAS following a standard-by-standard basis, for the benefit of preparers, auditors, and users of financial statements. It also gives guidance on how to use IPSAS in practice, with the aid of questions, cases and interactive exercises and explaining the difference between the cash basis IPSAS and accruals-based IPSAS. It is a great source of the essential IPSAS knowledge and principles that prepare finance professionals for the increasingly global marketplace.

The course is a blended learning program combining a fully flexible online qualification that can be accessed anytime, anywhere with a focused in person 5-day workshop for a more efficient, convenient solution to meet your training needs. The online course includes all the study materials.  There will be an online test at the end of the course made of 25 multiple-choice questions based on the course. Participants are required to answer 13 questions correctly to pass and get the certificate (Cert IPSAS). They will have 3 attempts to pass.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Mona El Chami @ melchami@worldbank.org

Target Audience: Junior to senior government officials engaged in setting policy for the financial sector, particularly the staff of central banks, financial regulators, and any other agencies involved in micro- or macroprudential oversight.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics or finance, or equivalent work experience; a basic understanding of econometrics; the ability to interpret econometric results; and working knowledge of Excel. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Financial Market Analysis (FMAx) course and the Financial Sector Surveillance (FSS) course because understanding and assessing financial sector risks is important to the design of mitigating policies.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course, presented by the Institute for Capacity Development, begins with an overview of how risks are transmitted within and between the financial and real sectors. Participants then examine the design and impact of financial sector policies for mitigating vulnerabilities starting with the rationale for both microprudential and macroprudential policies. The interactions between macroeconomic and prudential policies are also discussed. Although the emphasis is on preventive strategies, the course discusses policies to deal with financial distress situations. The combination of lectures, case studies, and hands-on workshops allows participants to discuss and experiment with various policies to gauge their outcomes, intended and unintended. Those who are primarily interested in risk assessment are referred to the Financial Sector Surveillance course, where that is the focus.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

•  Identify channels through which shocks are transmitted between the financial sector and the real economy, and within and between financial systems.

•  Analyze relevant micro- and macroprudential policies, how they are likely to interact with other policies, and any possible unintended consequences.

•  Recommend macroprudential tools to prevent and mitigate systemic risk and identify likely specific implementation challenges.

• Assess the effectiveness of microprudential and macroprudential policies.

Target Audience: Senior leaders and mid-level officials in central banks, ministries, or other supervisory authorities charged with systemic risk assessment, macroprudential oversight or policies, or interested in learning about the conceptual and operational issues related to the use of macroprudential frameworks or policies.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have familiarity or experience with financial sector risk assessments, financial sector supervision, and/or be familiar with macro-financial linkages.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: The course presents the Fund’s approach to assessing systemic risks and deploying macroprudential policy tools, highlighting key principles in the IMF’s Guidance Notes, country experiences, and empirical analyses using IMF’s macroprudential databases. The course elaborates on how to assess systemic vulnerabilities and to map such assessment into decisions on how to deploy and calibrate macroprudential policy tools, for broad-based, sectoral, and structural vulnerabilities. It also provides a discussion of countries’ institutional frameworks to manage systemic risks. The course provides in-depth discussion of topical areas of advice, including use and implementation of positive neutral capital buffers, macroprudential tools to contain risks from the sovereign bank nexus, calibration of borrower-based tools, and the interaction between macroprudential and other macroeconomic policies.

Course Objectives: Upon completion, participants should:

• Have gained a deep understanding of the concepts of systemic risk and macroprudential policies.
• Understand the desirable elements of institutional frameworks needed for macroprudential policy to be successful.
• Have an understanding of the benefits and costs associated with macroprudential policies and also the limits of what can be achieved with macroprudential policies.
• Be familiar with the different macroprudential instruments and the indicators that are often used to guide decision making about tightening or loosening such instruments.
• Understand how to identify systemic risk stemming from cyclical or structural vulnerabilities and how macroprudential policy measures may be used to mitigate those risks.

Target Audience: Mid- to Senior level banking supervisors in charge of supervision of banks.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to be involved in banking supervision and familiar with bank regulation and supervision issues.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This regional course, presented by the IMF Training Center for Economics and Finance (CEF) and the IMF – Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC), aims to build capacity of banking supervisors in establishing minimum supervisory expectations and guiding banks in creating and maintaining robust and comprehensive frameworks for estimating adequate expected credit losses on financial instruments, and establishing internal supervisory examination processes to evaluate the adequacy of those frameworks.  In so doing, the course will cover various aspects of IFRS 9 and its expected credit loss (ECL) approach to estimating credit loss provisions, notably classification and staging of financial instruments, key and common definitions, ECL model development, management, and supervisory assessment, and regulatory and accounting provision approaches.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·       Classify financial instruments based on IFRS 9 and evaluate the staging criteria of banks.

·       Describe the role of governance and control in an effective ECL framework.

·       Understand the role of Supervisors in banks’ implementation of IFRS 9.

·       Establish minimum supervisory expectations for banks in implementing and maintaining their ECL frameworks.

·       Identify and interrogate the key components of an effective ECL framework.

·       Understand the treatment of ECL anomalies such as credit forbearance, purchased or originated-impaired (POCI) financial instruments, other problem assets, in economically stressful periods.

·       Learn from implementation challenges from other countries’ experiences.

For additional information concerning the content of the course, please address your inquiries to Ms. Nehmat Hantas, Banking Regulation and Supervision Advisor, METAC @ nhantas@imf.org

Target Audience: Officials from ministries of finance, economy, and planning, and central banks, who advise on or help implement macroeconomic and financial policies.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have a degree in economics, or equivalent experience; and be proficient in the use of spreadsheets. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Financial Programming and Policies, Part 1: Macroeconomic Accounts and Analysis (FPP.1x) or the online Financial Programming and Analysis, Part 2: Program Design (FPP.2x) course.

Language: The course is conducted in Arabic.

Course Description: This course explains how to diagnose macroeconomic imbalances and correct them through a coordinated set of adjustment policies. It covers the principal features of the four main macroeconomic sectors (real, fiscal, external, and monetary) and their interlinkages, highlighting both accounting and behavioral relationships and using data from a country case study.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Analyze economic and financial developments of a country in the region using historical data and a hands-on, Excel-based framework.

·   Create consistent one-year macroeconomic projections on the assumption that policies do not change.

·   Identify economic vulnerabilities and risks in a baseline scenario and policy measures to address them.

·   Prepare an adjustment scenario that reflects the policy measures and their macroeconomic impact.

·   Identify further policy goals and measures beyond the one-year horizon that will be incorporated into a medium-term framework.

Target Audience: Mid-level to senior officials in central banks and ministries of finance or economy who are directly involved in diagnosing the state of the macroeconomy and making projections.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have an advanced degree in economics, or equivalent experience; good quantitative skills; and proficiency in the use of Microsoft Excel. It is strongly recommended that applicants have completed the online Financial Programming and Policies, Part 1: Macroeconomic Accounts and Analysis (FPP.1x) or the online Macroeconomic Diagnostics (MDSx) course.

Language: The course is conducted in English only. Due to the technical nature of the course, English proficiency is a prerequisite.

Course Description: This course is designed to strengthen participants’ ability to comprehensively assess a country’s macroeconomic situation, including the current state of the economy, the stance of fiscal and monetary policy, financial stability, exchange rate misalignments, vulnerabilities in the different sectors, and the medium-term outlook, especially the sustainability of public and external debt. The course emphasizes practical tools for use in day-to-day macroeconomic analysis and relies on case studies relevant to the region where the course is given to illustrate how these tools are applied and how they can contribute to the policymaking process.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

·   Analyze potential output, calculate output gaps, and diagnose the outlook for the economy.

·   Assess the stance of current fiscal, monetary, exchange rate, and financial policies.

·   Assess macro-financial linkages, including through the analysis of financial sector soundness indicators.

·   Assess the medium-term prospects of the economy, especially the sustainability of public and external debt.

·    Identify possible external and internal economic risks and vulnerabilities to economic growth and identify policies to address them.

Target Audience: Mid- to senior level banking supervisors.

Qualifications: Participants are expected to have experience in prudential banking supervision, and familiar with banking regulation and supervision issues.

Language: The course is conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.

Course Description: This regional course, presented by the IMF-CEF and the Monetary and Capital Markets Department (Financial Supervision and Regulation Division), aims at strengthening banking supervisors’ skills and capabilities in methods and tools for risk-based supervision (RBS) of the banking sector. The course begins by introducing the RBS approach and challenges for effective implementation of RBS in prudential regulations and supervisory processes. The focus then turns into presenting RBS assessment methodologies of banks’ financial soundness, with highlights on governance and risk management frameworks, as well as various risk domains (credit, liquidity, market, and operational), referring to existing supervisory bank-rating models for illustration. Through a mix of lectures, practical applications, and interactive Q&A, the course provides guidance on using risk-based assessment and rating to decide relevant supervisory priorities and early intervention measures to address bank fragilities.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the importance and methodology of risk-based banking supervision.
• Develop risk-based and forward-looking assessments of banks’ risk profiles that may enable preventive and corrective supervisory action targeting weak banks.
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of their country’s approach to risk-based banking supervision and ways to improve early identification of material risks to enhance effective banking supervision.
• Incorporate the risk-based approach into supervisory objectives, action plans, organization, and processes.