IMFx: Debt Sustainability Analysis

Course Description

The "Debt Sustainability Analysis" course offered by IMFx is an intermediate-level online program designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of debt sustainability and management strategies. This course delves into the critical aspects of assessing and managing public and external debt, with a focus on the frameworks used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

What Students Will Learn

• Understanding the factors that contribute to unsustainable country debt
• Assessing debt sustainability for public and external debt
• Developing effective debt portfolio management strategies
• Applying debt sustainability analysis (DSA) frameworks for advanced, emerging, and low-income countries
• Creating medium-term debt management strategies (MTDS)
• Analyzing debt sustainability under uncertain conditions

Prerequisites

• Basic knowledge of macroeconomics is recommended
• Familiarity with Microsoft Excel for completing exercises

Course Content

• Principles of debt sustainability
• Updated DSA frameworks for advanced and emerging markets
• DSA frameworks for low-income countries
• Country-specific data analysis
• Medium-term debt management strategy (MTDS) framework
• Debt sustainability analysis under uncertainty
• Macroeconomic variables impacting a country's debt
• Definitions and concepts of debt sustainability
• Debt management strategy development
• Public and external debt sustainability assessment

Who This Course Is For

This course is ideal for professionals working in finance, economics, or policy-making roles, as well as students and researchers interested in understanding debt sustainability and management. It is particularly valuable for:

• Government officials involved in economic policy and debt management
• Financial analysts and economists in the public and private sectors
• Researchers and academics focusing on economic policy and debt sustainability
• Professionals in international organizations dealing with economic development
• Anyone curious about the complexities of national debt and its impact on economic policy

Real-World Applications

The skills acquired in this course have numerous practical applications in the real world:

• Conducting debt sustainability analyses for countries or organizations
• Developing effective debt management strategies for governments or financial institutions
• Assessing the risks associated with public and external debt
• Advising on economic policies related to debt management
• Contributing to research and policy discussions on debt sustainability
• Evaluating the impact of macroeconomic variables on a country's debt profile
• Implementing debt portfolio management techniques in various economic contexts
• Analyzing and interpreting country-specific debt data
• Applying DSA frameworks to real-world scenarios in advanced, emerging, and low-income countries
• Incorporating uncertainty factors into debt sustainability assessments