October 2021
Transformational Investment Capacity (TIC): Transforming MSF for Today and Tomorrow.
MSF launched the TIC 5 years ago to transform our current and future ability to address the medical and humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations around the world. The TIC is an international program that identifies, selects, funds, and accompanies transformational projects. We are now at the stage where multiple TIC projects are scaling up and making a recognized impact on our patients, staff, and organization.
What kind of impact has the TIC had so far?
The TIC Selection Committee has approved 65 projects to date. Some examples include:
-Strategic Transformation of the Market of Hepatitis C Treatments – has had tremendous success. The project team has tested a new combination of drugs that has shown a 97% cure rate in its clinical trial. The primary goal of the project is to promote a public health approach to HCV care and treatment in low- and middle-income countries.
-MSF Academy has seen great success with its intersectional training program. In 2020, MSF Academy had 481 medical staff enrolled in trainings to improve the skills of medical staff through theoretical knowledge, workplace training and clinical mentoring.
-TEMBO has created and launched an online platform to improve training for all MSF staff. The platform allows all MSF staff access to professional development to learn from any of the over 400 courses available to date and is reaching nearly 20,000 users.
-Patient Multi-media Engagement has tested and adapted new methods of reaching communities through digital media to assist underserved patients more effectively.
Successful projects are graduating from the TIC portfolio and transitioning into business-as-usual embedded within the organization to ensure long term sustainability. For example, the GeoMSF TIC project designed, developed, and tested its platform and has been absorbed by the GIS Center and is being used by MSF staff in the field. The Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities project, a TIC successfully implemented by MSF-Norway, has partnered with WaCA to ensure long term sustainability for the initiative.
What have been the key lessons learned?
Transforming the way MSF works can be challenging, but TIC project teams have gained valuable insights and the work they are doing is at the core of what MSF does. We held a webinar with TIC project teams from across the movement to share successes and lessons learned. We discussed how project management basics are critical for every project (structure, resources, etc.) and the importance of change management (engaging leadership, stakeholder buy-in, adopting a patient-centric approach). The teams highlighted the value in pushing transformational thinking, driving towards impact, the ability of project teams to adapt to the COVID-19 situation by pivoting their strategies and moving digital where possible.
What is the role of the TIC in MSF’s evolution?
The TIC provides a channel for turning innovative ideas and solutions into organizational transformation. The TIC will continue its role as an MSF-wide strategic partner for transformation, being involved in:
-Cross-OC / Partner Section initiatives, where two or more sections can test new models, tools or capabilities, and if successful, can scale across the movement.
-Incubator test and learn or feasibility studies, where teams can experiment and test new innovative solutions.
-Efficiency initiatives that increase effectiveness or leverage mutualization
-Catalyzing organization change, driving action on key strategic and transformational dossiers, e.g. MSF We Want to Be, IB Call for Change, Climate Change, Diversity equity and inclusion, and Anti-Racism.
Who is the TIC?
The TIC team is comprised of the Selection Committee and the Secretariat. The Selection Committee is composed of highly experienced, strategic thought leaders with the responsibility of evaluating proposals and accompanying accepted projects. The TIC Secretariat staff manage the day-to-day business of receiving, reviewing and supporting proposals and approved projects. You can learn more about the TIC team on our website.
Where should we go to learn more about the TIC?
To learn more about TIC projects and how to submit a proposal, we encourage you to visit the How To Apply section of our website or read and subscribe to our newsletter. In addition, our SharePoint site contains much more detailed information on projects.