NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Sep 11, 2015) - The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has received an award from Consulting magazine, the industry's leading trade publication, for the firm's pro bono efforts to help the United Nations fight the Ebola crisis.
BCG won an Excellence in Social & Community Investment award for its work supporting the United Nations Mission for Emergency Ebola Response (UNMEER). The firm was one of 15 consultancies honored last night, along with the clients they served, at a gala dinner at Le Parker Meridien in midtown Manhattan. The awards -- now in their second year -- recognize "outstanding client service on a pro bono, discounted, or volunteer project in either local communities or globally."
BCG assisted the World Health Organization and the UN in developing a "30-60-90-day plan" to get the epidemic under control and subsequently joined the UNMEER deployment to West Africa, providing ground support for the team. The firm also worked closely with leaders from national governments, UN agencies, international agencies, and nongovernmental organizations on several of the most critical issues during the height of the crisis.
In addition, the firm provided key operational and strategic support to UNMEER leadership. BCG contributions included tracking the evolution of the outbreak and the progress of the response, modeling the resources needed to inform operational planning, and providing analytical support to inform other critical aspects of the response, such as bed planning in Sierra Leone at the outbreak's peak.
"This was the fastest operational response I have ever seen among UN entities, and I was heartened by the cooperation that enabled the effort," noted BCG senior partner Wendy Woods, the global leader of the firm's Social Sector practice, who accepted the award at the gala on BCG's behalf. "We were honored to contribute BCG's capabilities during this time of crisis."
Anthony Banbury, the UN assistant secretary-general for field support who served as UNMEER's head, explained that the dimensions of the Ebola crisis were beyond anything the UN had ever confronted. "The risks to the world were significant. We needed to move fast. This challenge was so complex that I knew I needed to call BCG."
"Had The Boston Consulting Group not responded positively to the UN's plea for help, I think history would have been different. In the end, BCG's contribution was essential in establishing the UN's Ebola response," added Banbury, who also spoke at the gala.
Joe Kornik, Consulting's publisher and editor in chief, called BCG's efforts "extraordinary" and said, "Although your firm's intentions were purely altruistic, we are honored to be able to publicly recognize BCG."