IMF | SARTTAC

Target Audience

Officials responsible for compiling and using balance of payments and international investment position (IIP) statistics. This is an intermediate course; and it requires a basic knowledge of the methodology and concepts underlying balance of payments and the IIP.

For the delivery of this course at SARTTAC in July 2017, officials should also be prepared to identify country-specific short- and medium-term capacity development needs. This would facilitate the further development of the SARTTAC’s work program on external sector statistics.

Qualifications

Participants should have a degree in economics, statistics, or the equivalent.

Course Description

This course, presented by the IMF’s Statistics Department, provides training on the methodology for compiling and disseminating cross-border position statistics, primarily the IIP and memoranda and supplementary position data items following the IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, sixth edition (BPM6). It also covers the Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey (CPIS) and the Coordinated Direct Investment Survey (CDIS), with a view to strengthening participants’ understanding of how these cross-border databases may be used to enhance the quality of the IIP, and to analyze external risks and vulnerabilities. The integration of stocks and flows will also be addressed.

The course is delivered primarily through interactive lectures and workshops. Lectures and class discussions focus on general concepts and compilation practices, while workshops provide participants with an opportunity to reinforce the knowledge gained through practical exercises. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss problems encountered in their work in compiling cross-border position statistics in their countries. The course will be based on the BPM6, the 2002 CPIS Guide, and the 2015 CDIS Guide; and will draw on the G-20 Data Gaps Initiatives (DGI), as relevant. 

Course Objectives

On completing this course, participants should be able to:

1. Describe the IIP, including compilation, scope, international standards, and best practices; and understand the source data requirements and methods for its compilation.

2. Develop a framework for compiling selected IIP series, including the collection and development of source data to implement statistical methods as applicable.

3. Gain practical experience in addressing specific issues related to the compilation and use of the IIP, CPIS and CDIS (including through peer learning opportunities).

4. Illustrate the relationship between the IIP and the balance of payments, and the integration of cross-border positions data into the broader macroeconomic framework.

5. Deepen their knowledge of the analytical use of cross-border position statistics.

6. Identify possible data gaps related to cross-border position statistics in their country, with the G-20 DGI-2 as a reference.