Partnership for Transparency is pleased to announce the publication of Strengthening Civil Society Engagement in International Financial Institutions Financing of Economic Policy Reforms: A Sri Lanka Case Study. With funding from the Open Society Foundations, PTF Advisors Nadishani Perera, Vinay Bhargava, and Gopa Kumar Thampi examined civil society engagement across six IMF, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank-supported budget financing operations implemented after Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis.
The study found two major gaps. First, civil society organizations were rarely told how their feedback influenced decisions, leaving many questioning whether their participation made a difference. Second, consultations were often inaccessible because they were held primarily in Colombo, conducted in English, and highly technical, which limited participation by regional organizations and marginalized groups. The authors conclude that IFIs should replace one-off consultations with predictable, transparent engagement processes that include stronger feedback mechanisms and more inclusive participation, helping ensure economic reforms are both more effective and more responsive to people’s needs.
“We believe this study can be used to inform all IFIs on how they can better listen to people’s concerns by engaging more effectively with diverse CSOs and explaining how they are able or not able to address their concerns,” Nadishana Perera, co-author of the study, said. “Doing this systematically will help the IFIs create an improved public understanding of their efforts to put people at the center of economic policy reforms.”
You can find the full study here.
