The Challenge

MDRC, created in 1974 by the Ford Foundation and a group of Federal agencies, is best known for mounting large-scale evaluations of real-world policies and programs targeted to low-income people. The organization has also worked with others to design and evaluate such research programs. MDRC’s board audit committee requested an outside assessment of the firm’s corporate-level risk. Management selected NESC to perform this assessment.

The NESC Solution

NESC assembled a team of consultants with technical expertise in risk assessment. The group interviewed 21 senior- and mid-level MDRC employees, and evaluated external environmental factors. NESC delivered a comprehensive report that identified and quantified risk at two levels — operational risks and strategic risks — and offered recommendations to more effectively deal with risk in each instance.