Fiscal Analysis and Forecasting (FAF)
Target Audience
Junior officials from ministries of finance and central banks who would benefit from a better understanding of the macroeconomic dimensions of fiscal policy.
Qualifications
Participants are expected to have a degree in economics or a related field, experience in macroeconomic analysis, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Course Description
This course, presented by the IMF Fiscal Affairs Department, offers participants a more extensive exposure to fiscal issues and the macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy than is possible in a standard course on financial programming and policies. Separate lectures are devoted to fiscal accounts and analysis, fiscal forecasting, fiscal sustainability, how the fiscal sector relates to the rest of the economy, fiscal dimensions in financial programming, and governance and fiscal risk management issues.
Workshops take up about half the course time. These cover fiscal accounting and analysis, fiscal forecasting and sustainability, and design of a fiscal baseline for a case study country.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:
• Prepare detailed analyses of revenue and spending developments, generate forecasts of revenue and spending aggregates, and discuss policy implications.
• Apply acquired knowledge and skills to group-based assessments of studies of real cases.
