Working in Impact Consulting

When people think of humanitarian and development work, the UN or big NGOs tend to come to mind. However, people interested in research, management, evaluation, and more might find that working for an impact consulting firm can better match their interests and expertise.

First, what is impact consulting? While traditional management consulting focuses on improving businesses to increase profit, impact consulting focuses on supporting actors ranging from governments, NGOs, and social impact organisations to improve their impact in the world. Consulting work is generally project-based with a limited time on a particular project. While freelance consultants get paid based on projects they bid for, receive, and then deliver on, people working for an impact consulting firm are usually regular employees who take on different projects that the firm itself bids for.