MEFMI Delivers Maiden e-learning Course in Portuguese

As part of efforts to address language barriers faced by MEFMI’s Lusophone member countries (Angola and Mozambique), MEFMI delivered its first online course on Financial Negotiations Skills and Techniques in Portuguese. The course sought to address the challenge of assembling a team with an appropriate mix of skills to conduct effective negotiations that most governments in developing countries face. Addressing this challenge will place governments in a better position to extract the most beneficial terms possible from potential financial agreements.

The course, which ran from 16 March to 24 April 2020, followed the MEFMI e-learning structure which comprises weekly modules, quizzes and a case study. It was attended by a total of 34 officials drawn from relevant departments in the Central Banks and Ministries of Economy, Finance and Planning of the two countries. Mr. William Baghdassarian, a debt management expert from Brazil and Ms. Cristina Dimande of the MEFMI Secretariat were the course mentors.

The course equipped officials who mobilize resources for governments with the appropriate mix of skills needed for effective negotiation. They prepared a debt negotiation strategy for a hypothetical country that is distressed by the economic burden induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This helped to consolidate and reinforce their understanding of the concepts learnt and knowledge acquired during the course.

MEFMI expects the trained participants to use the knowledge gained from the course to negotiate financing for their governments on favourable terms and conditions. In the long run, this is expected to contribute towards a reduction in the cost of public debt and minimization of debt and related vulnerabilities.

Given the high response to the call for nomination of candidates for this course, coupled with the fact that not all the registered officials completed the course due to disruptions caused by COVID-19, MEFMI intends to offer the course again to allow more officials from the two countries to participate.  Further, MEFMI is also considering to offer more e-learning courses in Portuguese going forward.

Prepared by Cristina Dimande