Annual report 2022-2023

In 2023, the ESDC conducted a revamped prioritisation exercise for the academic year 2023-2024, evaluating and prioritising training requirements, as derived from Member States’ input and EU policy orientations. Our obligation is to deliver on the requirements of Member States and the EU, by paying particular attention to more recent key domains, without neglecting those more traditional courses that remain relevant. These areas include hybrid threats, maritime security, space, climate change and foreign information manipulation and interference, and – very importantly – leadership skills for CSDP missions. During the last year, the ESDC has actively engaged in productive and structured lessons learnt processes, both internally and externally. As part of the Knowledge Management mandate within the EEAS Integrated Approach to Security and Peace Directorate, the ESDC is part of the annual Conflict Prevention and Crisis Response lessons process, validated by the PSC. Internally, it conducted evaluations of its working practices and procedures through dedicated team retreats, with the involvement of external facilitators. Important, easily recognisable results can be seen for example in the return to the presence-only policy of ESDC courses, but also in a more streamlined communication. Tangible outcomes include the periodic review of all curricula through the EAB and the regular update of autonomous knowledge units (AKU) used for pre-course eLearning. More than 30 curricula were reviewed and six AKUs updated or created. The 2024 review process will provide for further substantial and actionable evaluation of activities.