ECDPM's activities in relation to Knowledge and Innovation Beyond the three thematic programmes, the ECDPM continuously invests in evaluating and upgrading the effectiveness of its tools and systems. This ongoing innovation process not only feeds into the Centre's operations and strategy, but is also in demand for external projects. The ECDPM operates at the seams or interfaces between parties, between processes, and within processes of international development policy. Our focus is to strengthen the quality of policy processes, whether the aim is to develop or implement or evaluate policies. At the request of parties involved, we do this by dissolving blockages, averting stalemates or simply bolstering processes when support is needed. In this section of the website, you can explore a number of pages that describe a number of diverse activities of the ECDPM that can be grouped under the general header of knowledge and innovation. Capacity development What does capacity look like? How does capacity develop endogenously? What is the driving force behind successful capacity development? Does better capacity necessarily lead to better performance? What can outsiders do to support capacity development? These are the kinds of questions that a study under ECDPM leadership is trying to answer. Evidence-based learning Supporting efforts to ensure evidence-based learning in the context ACP-EU cooperation is part of the core mandate of the ECDPM. Beyond its thematic activities, the ECDPM is also involved in both a broader and more methodological level through facilitating communication between different stakeholders on learning in development cooperation. By doing so, we aim to further stimulate innovation in the sector. Research for development The ECDPM acknowledges the vital role that research, in a broad sense, can play in helping to reduce development policy management assymmetries between the European Union and the ACP group. During the past years, it has undertaken a number of activities that aim to contribute to redressing some of these assymetries. Monitoring and evaluation Monitoring and evaluation play crucial roles in helping to ensure and continuously inform the quality of development policy processes. This is why the ECDPM has worked extensively on this topic to help ensure that monitoring and evaluation are well equipped and able to play these roles.