The Center for Applied Research and Learning is an engine for technical leadership and learning at IFES. Our team is comprised of experts focused on cutting-edge democracy and governance issues, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and research and innovation. We work with colleagues across the organization to identify knowledge gaps, conduct innovative research and assessments, provide effective technical assistance to partners around the globe, develop new programming and training tools, and foster learning opportunities for democracy champions and emerging leaders. In conducting this work, we often collaborate with multilateral organizations, the private sector, policymakers, civil society organizations and international non-government organizations, foundations, and the legal and scholarly communities.

We are committed to effectively measuring the impact of our work through program evaluation, organizational learning, and adaptive management techniques. Through these efforts, we strive not only to constantly improve program design and implementation but also to meaningfully contribute to policy debates on the most pressing democracy and governance issues.