Striking the Balance: External Evaluation of the European Centre for Development Policy Management 2007 – 2010

In 
order 
to
 provide
 accountability 
for
 its 
activities 
and 
to
 further 
its 
internal 
learning
 and
 institutional
 development,
 ECDPM
 has
 requested
 the
 external
 evaluation
 team
 to
 review
 the
 context
 and
 performance
 of
 the 
ECDPM
 during 
the 
period
 2007–2010, 
to 
assess
 how 
the
 Centre 
is 
evolving
 as
 an
 institution
 and
 to
 formulate
 recommendations
 for
 improvement.


For
 this
 evaluation,
 the
 team,
 consisting
 of
 two
 evaluation
 experts
 from
 Africa
 and
 two
 from
 Europe,
 analysed
 documentation,
 under took 
several 
‘site
visits’, 
interviewed 
about
 100
 stakeholders 
(mainly
 in 
Africa
 and 
Europe) 
and
 had
 discussions
 with
 ECDPM
 staff.


In
 preparation
 of
 the
 evaluation,
 ECDPM
 undertook
 a
 major
 internal 
assessment,
 which 
not
 only 
served 
well 
as 
a 
good 
starting 
point
 for
 the
 evaluation
 team,
 but
 also 
provided 
a 
peak 
learning 
event 
for
a ll
 ECDPM
 staff 
and
 a
 good 
first 
step 
for 
preparing
 for 
its 
next multi‐annual
 strategic 
cycle.

Main
 conclusions
:

• ECDPM’s
 strategy
 2007–2011
 forms
 a
 comprehensive,
 solid
 and
 well‐balanced
 framework,
 and
 contains
 relevant 
choices 
and
 well‐founded 
approaches.
 The
 Centre 
has 
been 
successful in 
elaborating 
and 
implementing 
this 
strategy.



• Its
 three
 programmes,
 Development
 Policy 
and 
International
 Relations
 (DPIR),
 Governance
 and
 Economic
 and
 Trade
 Cooperation
 (ETC),
 were
 well
 designed
 along
 relevant
 policy
 processes
 and
 have
 resulted
 in
 substantial
 outcomes
 and
 impact
 in
 EU‐ACP
 policies,
 cooperation 
and
 related 
capacities.
The 
Centre 
has
 provided 
‘high
 value 
for
money’.



• The 
challenge
 now
 is
 to
 remain 
relevant 
and 
effective 
in 
a 
complex
 and 
dynamic 
policy 
arena where 
institutional 
uncertainties,
 intrinsic, 
bottom‐up
 processes 
and
 major 
external 
factors, such
 as
 the
 role
 of
 China
 and
 various
 global
 crises,
 put
 the
 EU‐ACP
 relationship
 under
 pressure.


• Another 
challenge 
is
 to
 reinforce
 ECDPM’s 
presence 
in
 Africa—for
 reasons
 of 
legitimacy 
and,
 among 
other 
things, 
more 
intensive 
and 
direct
 interactions
 with 
key 
actors.


• ECDPM
 is 
a
 centre
 of 
excellence
 in
 terms
 of
 facilitation 
of 
policy 
processes 
and
 knowledge 
management. 
It 
has 
made 
progress 
with 
its 
partnerships, 
but
 the
 successes 
are 
mixed
 and
 transaction 
costs 
substantial.


• The
 Centre’s
 current
 funding
 structure
 can
 optimally
 support
 its
 typical
 process‐oriented
 approach,
 but 
there 
are 
considerable 
challenges
 regarding 
funding 
in 
the 
future.