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This paper examines the performance of emerging market economies (EMs) during the recent global crisis and draws policy conclusions. It considers how EMs were affected by the initial impact of the crisis, examines the extent to which they were able to undertake countercyclical policies to moderate the impact, and highlights factors that have influenced the pace and timing of their recovery. Finally, it considers policy challenges facing EMs as the crisis subsides. This paper sheds light on the role of reserves in crises, and provides contextual background for work on the future financing role of the IMF.

This progress report presents key conclusions and recommendations from an IEO evaluation of the IMF’s response to the global financial and economic crisis and an update of the IEO evaluation of the IMF’s approach to capital account liberalization, both issued since October 2014. It also describes ongoing IEO activities.

Since the 2021 Annual Meetings, the IEO has made considerable progress with three ongoing evaluations, while two management implementation plans (MIPs) to follow up on recommendations from previous evaluations have been approved by the Board. In addition, to mark its twentieth birthday, the IEO organized a virtual conference to reflect on experience from its second decade and consider future challenges. We have also contributed to the ongoing work on institutional integrity at the IMF, drawing on a stocktaking of material contained in past evaluations and are considering additional work on these issues as we select two new evaluation topics later this year.

Since the October 2017 report to the IMFC, the IEO has completed an evaluation of the IMF’s work in fragile states and an update of its 2007 evaluation of IMF exchange rate policy advice. The office continued work on two evaluations, on IMF financial surveillance and on IMF advice on unconventional monetary policies, as well as an update of the 2008 evaluation of structural conditionality. It also launched an update of IEO’s 2008 Evaluation of IMF Governance. The IEO welcomes recent steps taken by the IMF to follow through on Board-endorsed recommendations of its 2016–17 evaluations.

Over the past six months, a key theme has been ensuring strong follow-up to IEO evaluations, a priority stressed by the recently competed External Evaluation of the IEO. Of particular note, the Managing Director has issued a statement highlighting actions planned to strengthen the IMF’s engagement with fragile states following our recent evaluation, and this statement is being presented to the IMFC for endorsement. In addition, the IEO has completed two updates of past evaluations, advanced work on two ongoing evaluations (on IMF financial surveillance and on IMF advice related to unconventional monetary policies), and is now considering its future work program in light of the External Evaluation.

Like everyone else, the IEO is now adapting to new realities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. During the five months after the 2019 Annual Meetings, the IEO completed two reports, continued work on two ongoing evaluations, and launched one new evaluation. The IMF also made good progress in following up on past IEO evaluations, including completion of a triage exercise aimed at dealing with the backlog of off-track actions. Unfortunately, IEO work plans are now being affected by the current crisis, as the Fund’s work is necessarily dominated by the challenge of meeting members’ urgent needs. Planned IEO engagement with the Board has been delayed and the schedule for ongoing and new evaluations has to be extended. Nevertheless, the IEO will continue to advance its work program as best it can within the new constraints.