Human Development
The Human Development Practice Area at MSI includes work in:
- health, including HIV/AIDS;
- education;
- gender equity;
- social protection;
- child labor;
- workforce development;
- labor markets; and
- human trafficking.
Though diverse, the projects included in this practice area embody MSI’s ability to tailor a tool or methodology to a social sector need, while bringing the rigor and commitment that MSI is known for. They also bring a commitment from MSI and its clients to improving the human condition through interventions and programs tailored to some of the world’s neediest and most at risk populations.
On gender equity specifically, MSI has developed procedures and interventions to integrate gender considerations into program strategies in the areas of economic policy, private sector development, education, democratic initiatives, and environmental protection. The firm has also been a leader in developing performance indicators and evaluation methods that reflect the effects of programs on people's lives. These indicators and methods are designed to help address the effects of gender and other relevant criteria on access, participation and success.
On health-related issues, MSI has implemented long term projects, analyses, evaluations, and assessments in the global health sector across the developing world for more than two decades. MSI is committed to improving public health programs in the United States and abroad having carried out health programs in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Additionally, the firm developed an HIV/AIDS toolkit consisting of a policy change toolkit and links to more than 100 relevant documents and websites.
MSI has also:
- Utilized its M&E and assessment expertise to develop and implement plans for monitoring compliance with HIV/AIDS activity requirements and U.S. policy and legislation regarding family planning programs; provide Missions and partners with systematic analysis to improve the knowledge of health and HIV/AIDS activities; and to provide up-to-date, balanced, multi-disciplinary assessments for country teams in Africa on sector-level improvements;
- Developed and widely disseminated scaling up tools for reproductive health fields; and
- Utilized strategic management to help clients convert policies into action in the U.S. and abroad. MSI has devoted particular attention to policy changes that are organizationally or politically difficult to implement and to situations where enhanced transparency and public participation are priorities. As global health programs and funds increase worldwide, two substantial examples of managing policy change involve MSI’s work with vertical health funds and its development of an HIV/AIDS toolkit.
The projects highlighted at left provide additional information about MSI’s work on the other areas of our Human Development work.
