Our company
ADE is a private consultancy created in 1990.
Our mission is to contribute to improved public decision-making through independent policy advice.
Our clients include international institutions, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, NGOs, and national public institutions. We advise our clients on the entire policy cycle, from design to implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and strategic recommendations.
Our goal is to bridge the gap between research and policy by applying academic rigour to answer concrete policy questions.
We do so by drawing on our in-house technical expertise and our worldwide network of academic partners, specialised consultancies, and freelance experts. We are highly client-oriented, offering innovative and tailor-made solutions to meet the needs of each organisation. We guarantee excellence through our rigorous quality assurance systems. We are certified ISO 9001 since 1999.
Our history
ADE was created in 1990 by seven founders with strong backgrounds in economics and agriculture as well as with relevant working experience in academia, consultancy, public agencies, and international finance institutions. At the cross-roads of these worlds, the purpose was to provide independent services to improve public policies. The full name of the company is Aide à la Décision Économique. It reflects our francophone roots and the importance of economic analysis in the company’s DNA. We nowadays use generally the acronym ADE, as we came to operate globally and to offer a wide range of services.
ADE has contributed over these three decades to shape, implement and evaluate public policies and programmes all over the world. We started with projects in Western and Eastern Europe. Over the years, the company expanded its expertise in a wide range of services, sectors, and regions. ADE staff grew from the 7 founders to a dozen persons around 2000 up to 45-50 staff members today. We also collaborate with about 100 freelance experts worldwide per year.
ADE has, among other things, been a key European actor defining and professionalizing evaluation methods and practices since the 1990s.
We are proud of our history and remain convinced of the importance of providing independent, evidence-based services to policy makers, our contribution to building a better world.
Our values
Excellence
We constantly search for the best quality and most timely delivery of services. Our clients can count on our professional competence, intellectual rigour and creativity to deliver actionable solutions.
Ethics
We foster an environment of integrity, inclusiveness, and social responsibility. We stand for independence and objectivity. We aim to contribute to the common good and improve society sustainably. We make promises we can keep.
An entrepreneurial spirit
We are solution-oriented, always considering the needs and constraints of different stakeholders. Our dynamism, flexibility and innovative spirit allow us to adapt and develop our services while maintaining our high-quality standards.
A team spirit
We treat people with respect and consideration. We promote diversity of ideas and profiles to maximise synergies and knowledge sharing throughout our team. The strength of collaboration lies in mutual support and respect, transparent communication, and a positive mindset.
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