Letter from Our CEO
The year 2020 was unlike anything I—or I bet anyone reading this—could have imagined. Abt Associates went fully remote on March 16 in the U.S., and we still are. Our offices around the world also went remote around that time, and some have reopened consistent with local dictates. The murder of George Floyd in May shocked and then spurred us to greater action to combat racism and promote equity throughout our organization and in our work. We saw the continued impact of climate change along with the growing polarization of the country in the United States, both—at least in part—caused by a dangerous dismissal of science and evidence. And we mourned the thousands of people who died every day from COVID-19.
Abt is meeting these challenges with a renewed commitment to become an anti-racist company and to significantly improve equity and opportunities for communities that are marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented around the world. Our efforts are singularly focused on those goals and on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this 2021 Mission Impact Report, we share our progress. We are leading multiple studies with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and our analysis of COVID-19 vaccine data showed the vaccines are effective. The results of these studies will be key to the U.S. government’s pandemic response going forward.
When the World Health Organization declared that disruptions to malaria control campaigns could lead to the collapse of an already-weak health system in Africa, we quickly revamped procedures and still completed spray campaigns in 16 countries, protecting more than 21 million people from malaria.
We undertook the first-ever study of homeless encampments in the United States, and our findings are giving policymakers at all levels of government new insights on potential solutions.
In Vietnam, the Philippines, and Myanmar, Abt-led programs are helping to shift cultural norms and break policy barriers that prevent women from achieving full participation in the economy.
In these turbulent and uncertain times, it is especially critical to remain committed to intentionality of our actions in the way we operate our company. I am pleased to reaffirm our support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labor, Environment, and Anti-Corruption. These principles ground our strategy and guide our actions as we deliver hundreds of programs around the world while remaining focused on protecting the health, safety, and economic security of our staff.
It has been quite a year. Even as we see the light ahead, our path is set: driving to equitable outcomes for those disproportionately affected by the challenges of our day and reaffirming equity as the cornerstone of our work.
About Us
What We Stand For
EQUITY
We are committed to applying our expertise to advance equitable outcomes that improve the quality of life and economic well-being of all people.
Science
and Evidence
We rely on science and evidence to uncover lasting solutions to entrenched challenges. We use data-centric approaches and lead with evidence.
Multi-sectoral
Solutioning
We believe that applying a systems-informed approach grounded in multi-disciplinary perspectives always delivers a more resilient, dynamic, and sustainable solution.
AGGRESSIVE CLIMATE
CHANGE RESPONSE
We believe climate change exacerbates every social and environmental challenge we address. We will integrate climate mitigation and climate resilience into all our work.
WALKING
THE TALK
We lead by example. From halving our own GHG emissions to measurably advancing gender equity to emphasizing ethics internally and with suppliers—we hold ourselves accountable and expect no less from our partners.
Equity
We are committed to applying our expertise to advance equitable outcomes that improve the quality of life and economic well-being of all people.
Science
and Evidence
We rely on science and evidence to uncover lasting solutions to entrenched challenges. We use data-centric approaches and lead with evidence.
Multi-sectoral
Solutioning
We believe that applying a systems-informed approach grounded in multi-disciplinary perspectives always delivers a more resilient, dynamic, and
sustainable solution.
AGGRESSIVE CLIMATE
CHANGE RESPONSE
We believe climate change exacerbates every social and environmental challenge we address. We will integrate climate mitigation and climate resilience into all our work.
WALKING
THE TALK
We lead by example. From halving our own GHG emissions to measurably advancing gender equity to emphasizing ethics internally and with suppliers—we hold ourselves accountable and expect no less from our partners.
What We Do
Our Reporting Framework
Our mission is to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. This is more than a statement. It’s a unifying concept that has defined us since 1965, and one that permeates everything we do, every day.
We advance our mission through three core impact pathways: Our Work—the products and services we offer our clients; Our People and Operations—how we operate our company; and Our Communities—the way we engage with communities in which we operate. Across each, we operationalize our mission through five mission impact goals to measurably distill our impact around the world: Good Health, Economic Security, Effective Governance, Equity and Inclusion, and Thriving Environment.
In addition to reporting on our own mission impact goals, we adhere to international frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). We are also deeply committed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). Abt has aligned the content submitted in this year’s Mission Impact Report to the relevant SDGs and UNGC Principles to demonstrate our contribution to both global agendas.
Our Work
Our People and Operations | Our Communities
A note on reporting time frames: This report spans multiple time frames depending on the topic in focus. This includes the 2020 calendar year, Abt’s 2021 fiscal year (April 2020 to March 2021), and our clients’ fiscal year designations. All relevant timeframes are noted throughout the report.
To download a pdf version of this publication, click here. Please send feedback or questions to impact@abtassociates.com
