Mercy Corps
Analysis of management factors affecting complex program performance.
Project overview
Mercy Corps' complex programs raised a practical management question: which factors most affected performance, and what could the agency do about them? The analysis combined econometric methods, literature review, and structured datasets to produce guidance on support, oversight, reporting, proposal competitiveness, and management metrics.
Project story
Mercy Corps wanted to understand which management factors affected complex program success or failure. The project combined econometric methods, literature review, and structured datasets to move beyond anecdotal explanations and identify constraints that could inform operational guidance.
The analysis produced a dataset and a PowerPoint summary of results and recommendations tied to key variables. Findings informed agency guidance on support, oversight, reporting, proposal competitiveness, and management metrics. Recruitment and retention emerged as major performance constraints, giving teams a concrete mitigation pathway to examine.
Example deliverables
Concrete outputs or working assets the project produced or supported.
Decision problem
Mercy Corps needed to understand which management factors were affecting the success or failure of complex programs. The question required more than narrative review: the team needed structured datasets, literature review, econometric analysis, and practical recommendations for agency guidance and management metrics.
What the work involved
Analyzed key management factors using econometric methods, literature review, and structured program datasets.
Produced a dataset and PowerPoint summary with results and recommendations tied to key independent variables and management questions.
Translated findings into guidance on support, oversight, reporting, proposal competitiveness, and management metrics, with recruitment and retention identified as major performance constraints.
Outcome
Recruitment and retention were identified as major performance constraints and informed a mitigation pathway.
Evidence inputs
Review focus
Bring one decision, report, review process, or evidence problem. We will help identify the smallest useful place to begin.
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