ECDPM operates as an independent European think tank established in 1986 with a mission to promote international cooperation to address global development challenges. It has a mandate to provide evidence-based research and analysis, facilitate knowledge sharing through dialogue and communications, and act as a non-partisan broker between partners in Europe, Africa, and globally. ECDPM has over 65 staff from European and African backgrounds working across 6 programs and 2 offices in Maastricht and Brussels. Its 2017-2021 strategy focuses on areas like European external affairs, African institutions, security and resilience, migration, and economic and agricultural transformation in Africa.

1. How does ECDPM operate as a “think-and-do
tank” in a changing development context?
Mandate, roles, strategy, impact, partners and funding

2. Content of the presentation
1. Mandate
2. Roles and value added
3. Strategy and areas of work 2017-21
4. Impact areas
5. Institutional partners and resources
6. African partners

3. 1. Mandate

4. • Leading independent European think & do tank
(established 1986)
• Mission: promote international cooperation that
can effectively address key global development
challenges and generate inclusive and sustainable
solutions
• Linking policy and practice: working towards the
effective implementation of more coherent and
integrated development policies
1. ECDPM’s mandate

5. 2. Governance and management

6. • Board: comprises 8 members from Europe and
Africa, current chair: Nigerian
• Structure: Director and Deputy Director, 6
programmes, a Learning and Quality Support Unit
and several task forces for new areas of work
• Staff: Some 65 professionals, including 25 support
staff, from diff. European and African background
• Offices: Maastricht, HQ (The Netherlands) and
Brussels (Belgium)
2. Governance and inst. structure

7. 3. Roles and value added

8. 3. A combination of 3 core roles
Providing independent politically-informed and
evidence based research, analysis and advice
Facilitating uptake of knowledge through
dialogue, support to implementation, smart
communications and knowledge management
Acting as a non-partisan broker, leveraging our
expertise, knowledge and network in Europe,
Africa and the global world (Working with a
broad range of partners throughout the word)

9. 4. Strategy and Areas of Work (2017-
2021)

10. 1. European External Affairs
2. African institutions
3. Security and Resilience
4. Migration
5. Economic and Agricultural Transformation
1. Trade, Investment & Finance
2. Agricultural Transformation for Food Security
3. Private sector engagement
4. Regional Integration
6. Economic Diplomacy
4. Strategy and areas of work

11. 5. Impact areas

12. 1. Effective international cooperation frameworks
and tools for tackling global challenges
2. Legitimate and accountable public institutions and
engaged societies
3. Peaceful societies based on the rule of law, social
cohesion and human dignity
4. Sustainable economic transformation with shared
prosperity and decent jobs
4. Impact areas

13. 5. Institutional partners
and funding resources

14. 1. Focus on smart institutional funding:
• keep up independence and non-partisan broker role;
• take initiatives and be ahead of the curve.
• provide public information to audience of many thousands
2. Institutional partners: Netherlands, Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxemburg, Sweden,
Switzerland
2. Programme/project funding: EC, UK, Germany, France, Gates,
African RECs, Development Finance Institutions,
International organisations (OECD, UNDP, ..), Executing
agencies such as GIZ, SIDA, BTC, ADA, etc
6. Institutional Partners and Funding

15. 7. Partners in Africa

16. 1. Institutional partners: African Union, Regional
Economic Communities,…
1. Knowledge driven partnerships: multitude of
African think tanks and knowledge institutes
and platforms
2. Associates and Young International
Professionals (YIP)
7. Partners in Africa

17. Thank you!
www.ecdpm.org
European Centre for Development Policy Management