We tailor proven delivery mechanisms to local contexts to ensure plans turn into results.

Challenge

Too often, delivery is an afterthought. We are convinced that most transformations fail due to ideas that look good on paper but were never thoroughly tested with stakeholders on the ground. This leads to a dynamic of infeasible delivery timelines, poor sequencing of initiatives, and not having the right change agents to drive initiatives. In addition, delivery is often underresourced—staff who do not have the right capabilities, initiatives that do not have teams driving, and too little investment in monitoring.

What we do

At the McKinsey Center for Agricultural Transformation, we believe that delivery is an integral part of building a viable strategy. Over time, we have realized that it’s critical to engage all stakeholders, especially those closest to the ground reality, from day one. This allows us to identify the best change agents for each transformation initiative and to anticipate and plan for implementation challenges before they lead to delays and failure. We also focus on setting up a robust delivery structure (such as a project management office, or PMO) that has strong executive leadership, clear accountabilities organized around initiatives, and a set of milestones that trigger corrective action when not achieved.

For example, our experience suggests that tailoring project-management mechanisms to in-country contexts is particularly important. When the right delivery structures are put in place, they can concentrate talent, monitor implementation, and make problem solving more efficient. Most large-scale transformations in the private sector use versions of PMOs. We also have good examples of PMOs working to accelerate agricultural transformation (including in Ethiopia, Malaysia, and Morocco), and we can partner to apply these principles from public and private sectors to create practical delivery mechanisms.

Read our paper about planning and delivery to discover how to increase the odds of a successful rural transformation.

More about how we help clients

Transformation strategy

We partner with governments, donors, companies, and civil society to improve evidence-based planning and set priorities for accelerating agricultural transformation.

Private-sector engagement

We bring an “investor mind-set” to public-sector policies and support private investments needed to enable commercial opportunities that will create jobs and accelerate growth.

Building capacity

Transformation success depends on talented people—from top leadership to farmer-facing change agents. We tailor capacity-building tools based on global experience in transformation to in-country needs.

Data and analytics

McKinsey has a firmwide commitment to creating and applying next-generation analytics. We provide world-class agricultural transformation data and analytics to support partners.

Connect with the McKinsey Center for Agricultural Transformation