Supporting the start-up of Millennium Challenge Corporation in Mongolia

“The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an independent U.S. foreign assistance agency that fights against global poverty. Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004 with strong bipartisan support, MCC provides time-limited grants that promote economic growth, reduce poverty, and strengthen institutions”. 

The challenge – recruiting a Senior Management Team in Mongolia 

In 2019, SRI Executive was appointed by MCC to design and implement a recruitment process for 16 senior level roles at their new country office in Mongolia. It was essential that the hiring process met MCC's requirements for a transparent, competitive and fair recruitment, as outlined in their Human Resources Manual. Furthermore, MCC mandated that Mongolian nationals fill these roles.   

MCC asked SRI Executive to fill the following 16 roles:  

1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) 
2. Deputy CEO, Programmes 
3. Director, Internal Audits 
4. Director, Communications  
5. Director, Administration 
6. Director, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Economic Analysis 
7. Director, Environmental and Social Performance (ESP) 
8. Director, Gender and Social Inclusion 
9. Director, Sustainability 
10. Director, Wastewater Recycling 
11. Director, Downstream Wells  
12. Director, Procurement 
13. Director, Finance 
14. Director, Legal (General Counsel) 
15. Manager, Information Technology  
16. Manager, Human Resources 

Our strategy – delivering and documenting a fully transparent hiring process 

Working alongside both the US and Mongolian governments required a detailed communication plan and strong project management skills. SRI Executive delivered an inception report that detailed our approach to the recruitment process, including a plan for engaging stakeholders, travelling to and working in Mongolia for appropriate periods, and securing suitable space in which to hold interviews. The report also outlined our processes for managing candidates’ applications, documenting shortlisting results and interview outcomes, and detailing the candidate selection processes. This document was used to demonstrate our compliance with MCC’s HR requirements.   

Our result – successfully appointing 16 positions on time and within budget 

SRI Executive's global structure and network enabled us to navigate different time zones, understand the nuances of cultural differences and identify any risks that could delay the project. This assignment required our knowledge and understanding of the diversity in candidature required for these multifaceted positions. We concluded the assignment on time, within budget and with the successful appointment of all 16 positions.