Background

Priorities of IME activities changed over years, following the challenges citizens and businesses encounter at the wake of reform. E.g. in 1993-1994 we focused of information disclosure and anti-fraud policies due to proliferation of pyramid schemes; then, at the eve of hyperinflation crisis of 1996-1997 IME launched the first electronic newsletter with information of debt management and macro-economic developments; and after the stabilization of 1997 we re-addressed our attention to sectoral, developmental and business environment issues.

IME's modus operandi is the following: the staff assess economic and reform trends and with the help of the board and the advisory board outlines priorities, which are to established by the board for a two year period. (The board meets four times a year; the executive director runs and represents the institute.) IME turnover for the last four years is 10% is private donation, 60% – revenue from services and the rest – institutional (ear-marked) grants. Service revenues are usually channelled to finance IME public policy initiatives.

There is hardly an important reform issue in the last twelve years that was left without attention by IME. It was awarded 2001 Special Prize of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria for "its overall contribution to the development of the civil society".

IME gave birth or indirectly supported the emergence of other non-profit and for-profit organizations, e.g. Access to Information Programme (1996), Economic Policy Institute (1997), and Industry Watch (2003) and become a founder or a member of numerous international organizations.