Back to How We Help Clients

International Development

Working in partnership with development agencies, governments, and private donors, we use our distinctive capabilities, deep expertise, and innovative delivery methods to achieve rapid and lasting impact.

Recent economic shocks, questions about the effectiveness of aid in stimulating growth and improving outcomes, and the need to demonstrate value for money have added to the complexity of the international development challenge. McKinsey brings fresh perspectives, analytical rigor, and innovative solutions to bear on the most urgent and complex issues in international development today. Working across all sectors, functions, and regions, we help government leaders and donor organizations to shape development programs that deliver tangible results quickly and improve the lives of millions.

Examples of our work

Over the past five years we have completed almost 500 development-focused projects worldwide. We support leading international development agencies, governments, and private donors in making their operations more efficient and effective, developing cutting-edge strategies and initiatives, and bringing projects to a successful conclusion on the ground.

Launching a global health partnership

We helped shape the governance, operations, and financing of a public–private partnership that invests billions a year in countries across the globe. Grants from the fund have helped treat 11 million people for HIV/AIDS, treat 17 million people for tuberculosis, and save 20 million lives.

Forging a new direction

An international development organization asked us to help develop a new operating model and three-year strategic plan. The results secured broad stakeholder support, gave staff clarity on direction, and prompted major agencies to agree to a 50 percent increase in funding.

Securing better educational outcomes

A ministry in a developing country sought our help to develop a model for basic education, a performance culture, and extensive teacher training. In its first year, the project trained almost 90,000 teachers, delivered 18 million textbooks, and improved learners’ language skills by over 8 percent.

Defining an agricultural strategy

A country in Africa faced agriculture productivity challenges that ranged from difficult market access to underdeveloped irrigation. The strategy-development program established a dedicated delivery unit, piloted solutions, trained farmers, and is set to increase GDP by $20 billion by 2025.

Supporting post-Ebola recovery

The presidential team of a country in Africa needed help restoring healthcare services, getting children back to school, and supporting vulnerable groups. Its national recovery plan secured $280 billion in donor funding and brought tangible gains in health, education, energy, water, and private-sector development.

Reforming schools in South Asia

A province reformed its educational system to fix poor outcomes, teacher shortages, and static enrolment. In three years, it got 1 million more pupils onto primary-school rolls, repaired or built more than 50,000 facilities, and boosted daily attendance rates from less than 80 to more than 90 percent.
Video

Battling polio in Nigeria

This video explains how the Nigerian government and its international partners, including McKinsey, used an innovative approach to drastically reduce the number of polio cases in the country.

How we work

Our expertise spans economic development and trade, education and youth empowerment, public health, disaster relief and reconstruction, agriculture and rural development, green growth, power and energy, financial inclusion, migration, and social inclusion.

  • Our deep expertise in the public and social sectors is complemented with more than 90 years of private-sector experience across all industries and functions.
  • We work as a trusted partner with heads of state, government ministers, and senior leaders of development agencies on their most pressing challenges.
  • We support our clients with projects from start to finish, using our proven delivery methods, tools, and solutions for diagnostics, analysis, strategy development, capability building, and implementation.
  • Focused units, such as our Africa Delivery Hub, enable us to gear our support to the pace and requirements of our clients in this sector.
  • We help shape the global development debate by investing in proprietary research, fresh thinking, and an extensive publishing program.
  • The McKinsey Global Institute and McKinsey Center for Government address critical economic and social challenges facing public and private institutions.

Our people

Penny Dash
Senior Partner, London
Works with senior management, chief executives, and leading clinicians to help redesign healthcare systems for improved clinical outcomes, efficiency, and value
Maya Horii
Partner, Tokyo
Advises public agencies, development institutions, investors, and private companies on challenges encompassing a range of strategic and organizational issues, including agriculture, energy, economic development, and private-sector development
Tania Holt
Partner, London
Leads McKinsey’s Healthcare work across Africa. Advises governments, development agencies, philanthropists, and private sector entities on topics of public health and safety, control of endemic diseases, pharma supply chains, and operational efficiencies
Kartik Jayaram
Senior Partner, Nairobi
Works to advance country and regional development and helps drive large-scale transformation in the public and private sectors
Michael Conway
Senior Partner, Philadelphia
Leads our global work in international development, public health, and biopharmaceuticals, helping leading organizations in public, social, and private sectors to address strategic, organizational, and operational challenges
David Fine
Senior Partner, London
Leads McKinsey’s global Public and Social Sector Practices, with deep commitment to strengthening public services and expanding employment worldwide
Salman Ahmad
Senior Partner, Karachi
Leads McKinsey’s work in Pakistan. Has broad global experience in helping governments and major companies tackle their key challenges and shape growth strategies. Brings deep expertise in telecommunications, financial services, and the public sector.
Eoin Daly
Senior Partner, Kuala Lumpur
Leads our Public Sector and Social Sector Practices in Asia, advising companies and governments on delivering performance transformations
Bobby Demissie
Partner, Addis Ababa
An expert in public-sector delivery and a leader in energy, health, and agriculture topics, serving public and private clients globally
Lutz Goedde
Senior Partner, Denver
Leads McKinsey’s work globally in agriculture
Tony Lee
Partner, Washington DC
Supports leading private-sector companies, development institutions, and governments across five continents. Draws on expertise in international development and global health to drive innovative solutions for pressing social issues.
Anu Madgavkar
MGI Partner, Mumbai
Leads MGI teams based in India, working on global as well as India-focused research
Ali Ustun
Partner, Istanbul
Supports public, social, and healthcare clients on a broad range of strategic, development, and organizational issues

Featured insights

Report

The opportunity in government productivity
– Governments face a pressing question: How to do more with less? Raising productivity could save $3.5 trillion a year—or boost outcomes at no extra cost.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

Lions on the move II: Realizing the potential of Africa’s economies
– Africa’s economic fundamentals remain strong, but governments and companies will need to work even harder to keep the region’s... economies moving forward.
Report

The closest look yet at Chinese economic engagement in Africa
– Field interviews with more than 1,000 Chinese companies provide new insights into Africa–China business relationships.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

How advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth
– A McKinsey Global Institute report finds that $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality.... The public, private, and social sectors will need to act to close gender gaps in work and society.
Report

How to improve student educational outcomes: New insights from data analytics
– By applying advanced analytics and machine learning, we have identified factors that play a critical role in student achievement.
More insights

Public sector

Social sector