When our Social Sector Practice was invited to join a partnership of UN agencies and private pharmaceutical companies battling HIV and AIDS, we were eager to contribute. The UN-AIDS Accelerating Access initiative sought our help specifically in crafting a complicated plan that would dramatically increase the availability of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in Uganda, without overwhelming the nation's existing – and fragile – infrastructure.
 
This feature will provide you with an insight into how McKinsey solves problems for clients. Although this engagement in Uganda represented a departure from our usual private-sector assignments, it employed the same rigorous problem solving approach we bring to business issues.

Dozens of McKinsey consultants applied for a spot on the team. Two physicians, an AIDS expert, a business analyst from Cameroon, and a Thai national who had done post-graduate research on AIDS were among those selected. Team members immersed themselves in research to prepare for a fact-finding trip to Uganda, with each consultant assigned a particular sub-issue.

The problem the team tackled was how to effectively distribute ARVs to up to 50,000 Ugandans without overwhelming services and creating unacceptable costs. To cover all the bases, team members keyed in on four different portions of the problem, what we call workstreams: