International Development & Trade

MSG believes a rising tide lifts all boats. Through our International Development & Trade practice, we provide strategic guidance and project-specific analysis to improve outcomes for our clients and benefit people around the world. Working to improve the global condition is a big job. Our approach is integration-focused: our client interaction is continuous, adaptive, and proven effective. This ensures that the evidence-based solutions we provide are actionable and directly support client outcomes.

MSG’s specialization takes a human- and systems-centered approach to understanding regional, country-level, and sector-specific context and leverages our diverse language capabilities and cross-sectoral subject matter expertise.

MSG’s Approach to Localization

We actively engage local partners and local governmental and community members to ensure our services and activities are relevant and embraced. We maintain accountability through proactive capacity building, transparent practices, and responsive governance. Our commitment to localized sustainability focuses on local buy-in and leveraging existing local systems to foster long-term development outcomes and stewardship.

International Development & Trade Lead

Sakil Malik
Vice President of International Development

Adina Keeling
Program Analyst

Core Clients

• U.S. Agency for International Development
• U.S. Department of Commerce
• U.S. Department of State
• U.S. Trade and Development Agency

MSG’s Approach to Training and Capacity Building

We prioritize collaborative partnerships that foster skill development and resource optimization through iterative training and capacity building. Our strategy equips our local partners with the tools and knowledge necessary to deliver conflict- and culturally sensitive services tailored to our service sectors.

MSG’s Approach to Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning

Monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning are the cornerstones of our commitment to evidence-based decision-making. MSG brings over two decades of expertise designing indicators and measuring outputs, outcomes, and impact to support real-time decision-making. We implement robust, digitized monitoring and evaluation systems that track progress, foster continuous learning, and support adaptive management. Our adaptive management practices integrate real-time data analysis and feedback loops to ensure our teams are positioned to course correct as programmatic or environmental needs dictate. These approaches reflect our dedication to evidence-based practices and sustainable solutions within international development and trade sectors.