The German landscape of foundations and think tanks. Notes du Cerfa, No. 139, Ifri, July 2017
The number of crises we face is rising, due to failing states, wars and armed conflicts, poverty and lack of good governance in many countries. State and society are constantly confronted with new challenges. These crises occur simultaneously and at an ever faster pace.
They also have effects on domestic politics, as the current refugee crisis and the terrorist threat by the so called Islamic State, for example, show. Government, Parliament, administration and their staff are therefore faced with many challenges and have to be well informed to make reflected decisions.
This policy paper intends to examine the existing consultancy services available to policy-makers. Its aim is to present the landscape of policy consultancy and its main actors in Germany, to note the ways of working and the subjects of choice, to specify what requirements a good consultancy service must satisfy in Germany, and finally emphasize which international challenges should receive priority attention. This study will be looking at think tanks in particular and trace back the historical development of foreign policy consultancy in Germany.
Nicole Renvert is Research associate at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP) and member of the board of the "Forum Ebenhausen" of the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Berlin. She has been a scientific collaborator at the SWP and has worked as a transatlantic relations specialist for several business foundations.
This paper is published in French only - Nicole Renvert, « Le paysage allemand des fondations et think tanks. », Notes du Cerfa, n° 139, Ifri, juillet 2017.