Help with social impact, DEI, and social sustainability case frameworks

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, you are incorrect in assuming these industries work any differently. For example, if an NGO is not handling their funding diligently, they will very soon not receive any more funds, so they of course also need to build solid business cases, and so should you in such a case study context.
• Moreover, thinking in "buckets" is rarely a wise idea, except for McKinsey, who typically ask about dimensions or factors specifically. You should still not talk about "buckets" - that's for collecting rainwater.
• Lastly, I would strongly advise you to consider working with an experienced coach like me on your structuring skills. I developed the "Case Structuring Program" to help exactly such candidates like you who struggle with case study structures.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

You’re right that these cases don’t follow the standard profitability/market entry playbook. The trick is to stay structured while showing awareness of the social and human element.

For DEI cases – start with where the company is today (representation, pay equity, culture). Then think about the talent funnel (recruitment, promotions, retention), internal policies and training, and finally how progress is measured and reported.

For social sustainability / supply chain cases – I’d begin by mapping the supply chain and identifying risks (labor rights, working conditions, wages, community impact). Next, look at levers the company can pull (audits, supplier codes of conduct, partnerships, traceability). Then consider stakeholder expectations (NGOs, regulators, investors) and how this ties back to the business case.

For general social impact cases – define the objective clearly (what outcome matters: livelihoods, access, equality), map stakeholders, assess levers (programs, partnerships, process changes) and evaluate feasibility and risks.

What I recommend is to clarify the goal, break the problem into areas you want to explore that balance impact and practicality and finish with concrete, measurable actions.

Happy to help you prep – feel free to reach out.
 

Best,

Evelina

Hi! 

Frankly: you’re asking the wrong question.

There is no such thing as a “special framework” for DEI, sustainability, or social impact cases. The whole premise (that these cases somehow require a different toolkit from “classic” profitability or growth cases) is a trap.

Strategy is strategy!

Whether you’re doing a project with McKinsey’s Social Impact practice, advising a global NGO, or serving a Fortune 500, the core skill is structured thinking under uncertainty. Not memorizing buckets.

Think about it:

• A DEI case might ask, “How do we improve representation in leadership?” That’s just a resource allocation and organizational design problem.
• A social sustainability case might be, “How do we restructure supply chains to cut emissions?” That’s an operations + cost vs. impact trade-off.
• A nonprofit growth case might be, “How do we scale services to reach twice as many beneficiaries with the same funding?” That’s efficiency, scaling, and prioritization.

Notice something? These are the same logical muscles you’d use to crack a market entry or profitability problem:

• Define the objective.
• Map the drivers.
• Prioritize where the leverage is.
• Quantify trade-offs.
• Synthesize a path forward.

What kills candidates is believing in “framework magic.” Social impact isn’t a new universe, it’s the same chessboard, just with different pieces. If you walk into the interview hunting for the “right DEI framework,” you’ve already lost.

Consulting firms are not testing your ability to recite buckets. They’re testing whether you can impose structure on the unknown. That’s why the strongest candidates can walk into any problem, be it malaria reduction in Africa or market expansion in Asia, and build clarity from first principles.

So stop looking for frameworks. Start learning how to:

• Break a vague question into solvable pieces.
• Ask sharp clarification questions.
• Build issue trees from the ground up, not from a template.
• Always link your structure back to the client’s true objective.

That’s how you’ll stand out. :)

Hope this helps!
Sidi

___________________

Dr. Sidi S. Koné

Former Senior Engagement Manager & Interviewer at McKinsey | Former Senior Consultant at BCG | Co-Founder of The MBB Offer Machine™

Please don't use buckets. Buckets is jargon for "boiling the ocean". Interviewers want to see targeted approaches with insightful questions that will lead to a clear answer, not a laundry list of "interestic topics to explore".

So what you need is to think how to break down a problem into its key parts, and how would a key decision maker decide over something.

I strongly recommend not to go for any frameworks (not that any would exist that can do the job on such a broad spectrum). 

Rather, try and practice structuring based on your own common sense and getting a handle on first principles thinking. 

Here's a material that might help with the basics of structuring and brainstorming:

• Expert Guide: Mastering Structuring & Brainstorming

And if you want to dig deeper, I run a class specialised on structuring here:

• Masterclass: First Principle Structuring

Best,
Cristian