Extreme weather events such as cyclones and floods will drive increases in the incidence of sickness and death from malaria in Africa, according to a new study.
Since 2019, BCG has:
600+
completed more than 600+ development-focused projects
50+
across more than 50 countries
60+
supporting more than 60 development actors
2.5k+
with 2500+ consulting staff based in 25 offices in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America
Our Approach to International Development
BCG takes both its deep contextual knowledge of the international development system and awareness of key thematic challenges—combined with global functional capabilities and expertise in areas across operational excellence, technology, and AI—to create bold solutions that are attuned to the realities our clients face. Crucially, a significant share of our global staff and leadership are located full-time in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), allowing BCG to work hand-in-hand with key stakeholders where needed, and do so alongside our clients with authentically local and ground-trusted perspectives.
Program Strategy and Design
We support our clients with deep thematic experience and international development services expertise that spans the following seven key impact areas, delivering these services by drawing on our expertise in data analytics; upskilling and capacity building; digital, tech, and GenAI; development and climate finance; and impact measurement.
- Economic Development. We partner with governments and policymakers in LMICs to drive equitable economic growth and employment, accelerated through policy reform, investment attraction, innovation, and financial inclusion.
- Climate Risk, Adaptation, and Resilience. We work with governments and companies globally to develop mitigation and decarbonization solutions; strengthen climate resilience and adaptation approaches; reduce climate risk; secure green investment and finance; and protect nature and the environment.
- Food Systems and Food Security. We build sustainable food systems and promote food security using a systems-level approach to work across organizations in the public, social, and private sectors.
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Global Health. We enable health equity for all by building capabilities to enhance health care delivery, access, quality, and preparedness for pandemic response.
- Education & Skilling. We drive improvements to educational outcomes at scale across primary, secondary, and tertiary education systems and address skills shortages through training and vocational development.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We work across the DEI space to facilitate transformational change and ensure that the benefits of international development are accessible to—and impact—all stakeholders.
- Humanitarian Response. We support institutions in building capabilities to both effectively prepare for human and natural emergencies and manage the response and recovery in the short and medium terms.
Program Delivery and Execution Support
We have a broad suite of international development solutions and products, which we leverage to bring cutting-edge solutions to international development and support our clients capability to execute on a sustained basis. A few examples:
Investment Accelerator drives learnings from more than 1,000 businesses on what it takes to attract investment in LMICs. It has been used to support more than 15 investment agencies globally in the last ten years, developing pipelines of over $25 billion in deals. It has informed thought leadership globally on the topic, such as the World Economic Forum’s publications on public-private partnerships.
Social Ventures is a program that brings technological, entrepreneurial, and sector expertise to start-/scale-ups to accelerate the building of products and businesses that tackle the world’s most pressing issues.
AI/AA-powered decision support includes a broad range of AI and advanced analytics solutions that bring actionable insights on the impacts of global systemic changes (for example, climate, water risks, demographics) to clients to inform decision-making. Furthermore, we leverage advanced analytics to design optimal solutions, maximizing the socioeconomic return on investment and providing compelling quantitative evidence to catalyze funding and mobilize the full ecosystem
- GenAI-powered solutions apply generative AI’s content creation power and natural language interface to fast-track the solution of complex developmental problems (for example, scaling workforce upskilling programs, enhancing access to education) by supporting decision-making and/or delivering direct impact to vulnerable communities.
Organizational Effectiveness
International development actors have never been under more pressure to find operational efficiencies, while at the same time delivering and demonstrating impact through their activities and use of resources—all while navigating ever-more uncertain and complex contexts. Our international development services span the full spectrum of our functional capabilities to address client issues such as organization design, corporate strategy, localization strategy and implementation, and the increasing role of technology in transforming operations.
Our Clients’ Success in International Development
Learn how our BCG experts helped the UN Global Compact establish the Africa Business Leaders Coalition, which aims for a greener, more equitable Africa.
The learning passport, a UNICEF initiative created in collaboration with Microsoft and BCG, aims to improve learning poverty.
Video
June 12, 2023
How the 21st Century Techforce initiative partnered with BCG to build an ecosystem of tech talent that supports economic development in Puerto Rico.
Our Insights on International Development
Client Success
April 30, 2024
More Money, Fewer Problems: Closing Africa’s Climate Finance Gap
Investments in green sectors in Africa have grown significantly, despite persistent volatility and macroeconomic risks. The persistent gap in climate financing for Africa presents an opportunity to accelerate growth.
Client Success
May 17, 2024
A landmark BCG-United Nations Global Compact survey reveals how the private sector can accelerate the journey to women’s economic inclusion in Africa.
Client Success
Leaders from both the public and private sectors must take bold action to protect communities, organizations, and natural systems from the impacts of climate change. A new generation of data-driven and digital technologies will play a central role in this effort.
Client Success
In time for the 79th UN General Assembly, BCG experts share where global collaboration is most critical—and how it can help societies deal with disruption.
