01957cas a2200253 a 4500 AALejournalIMF014332 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781475516135 1018-5941 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL Debrun, Xavier. Strengthening Post-Crisis Fiscal Credibility : Fiscal Councils on the Rise / Xavier Debrun, Tidiane Kinda. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2014. 1 online resource (35 pages) IMF Working Papers <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students Institutions aimed at constraining policy discretion to promote sound fiscal policies are once again at the forefront of the policy debate. Interest in 'fiscal councils,' independent watchdogs active in the public debate, has grown rapidly in recent years. This paper presents the first cross-country dataset summarizing key characteristics of fiscal councils among IMF members. The data documents a surge in the number of fiscal councils since the crisis. It also illustrates that well-designed fiscal councils are associated with stronger fiscal performance and better macroeconomic and budgetary forecasts. Key features of effective fiscal councils include operational independence from politics, the provision or public assessment of budgetary forecasts, a strong presence in the public debate, and the monitoring of compliance with fiscal policy rules. Mode of access: Internet Kinda, Tidiane. IMF Working Papers; Working Paper ; No. 2014/058 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/001/2014/058/001.2014.issue-058-en.xml IMF e-Library