Course Description

Welcome to "Financial Programming and Policies, Part 2," an advanced macroeconomics course offered by IMFx that will elevate your skills in macroeconomic policy analysis and program design. This course simulates the real-world work of IMF desk economists, providing you with hands-on experience in country surveillance and program development using actual economic data.

What students will learn

• Construction of projections for various economic sectors (real, external, government, and monetary) under unchanged policy conditions
• Generation of consistent sectoral forecasts from accounting and behavioral perspectives
• Application of a macroeconomic model to analyze policy change effects
• Identification and assessment of economic vulnerabilities in emerging market economies
• Preparation of a comprehensive macroeconomic policy program scenario
• Design of an IMF-supported lending program for a case study country

Pre-requisites

Prior knowledge or completion of "Financial Programming and Policies, Part 1" is recommended. Students should have a solid foundation in basic macroeconomic concepts and be comfortable working with economic data and models.

Course Coverage

• Economic outlook analysis for a country case study
• Building a baseline scenario for major macroeconomic sectors
• Macroeconomic policy analysis and application
• Keynesian model of an open economy
• Monetary, fiscal, and exchange rate policies
• IMF-supported lending program design

Target Audience

This course is ideal for:

• Economics and finance professionals seeking to enhance their macroeconomic analysis skills
• Government officials involved in economic policy-making
• Students pursuing advanced degrees in economics or related fields
• Anyone interested in understanding the intricacies of IMF economic analysis and program design

Real-world Applications

1. Economic advisors can better assess country economic situations and propose policy recommendations
2. Financial analysts can make more informed investment decisions based on macroeconomic projections
3. Policymakers can design more effective economic programs to address imbalances and promote growth
4. Researchers can conduct more comprehensive studies on economic vulnerabilities and policy impacts
5. International organization professionals can better understand and contribute to economic surveillance and program work

Syllabus

Module 1-7: Economic Outlook Analysis and Baseline Scenario Building

• Analysis of country case economic outlook
• Projections for real, external, government, and monetary sectors
• Accounting and behavioral consistency in forecasts

Module 8-10: Macroeconomic Policy Analysis and Application

• Keynesian model of an open economy
• Monetary policy analysis and application
• Fiscal policy analysis and application
• Exchange rate policy analysis and application

Final Module: IMF-Supported Lending Program Design

• Comprehensive macroeconomic policy program scenario development
• Application of learned concepts to real-world case study