Strategic review of a global research centre
The challenge
The Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) is a specialist research centre within the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). It provides data collection, research, analysis, and policy and program engagement on mixed migration around the world.
Since MMC was set up in 2018 by bringing together several regional predecessors, it has grown quickly in size and scope. A formative review in 2023 looked at MMC's first five years. After three more years of growth, MMC asked us to review its performance, influence and organisational development over 2021–26. The review needed to show MMC's contribution to the sector, strengthen its strategic positioning, help it communicate with funders, and support its next stage of growth..
How we helped
We framed the review around seven questions agreed with MMC. They covered its unique value, its promotion of a mixed migration lens, concrete results, organisational strengthening, future opportunities, and strategic positioning within DRC.
We used three connected streams of inquiry:
Document review. We analysed more than 100 documents, including MMC's strategy, theory of change, grant reporting, governance records and past reviews. We built on the earlier formative review by coding its findings against the same seven questions.
Key informant interviews. We interviewed 43 stakeholders, including national governments, inter-governmental bodies, international NGOs, philanthropic foundations, academics, think tanks, media, and MMC and DRC staff. We sampled for diversity of sector, region and type of organisation, and ran interviews in English, French or Spanish with stakeholders in Africa, Europe, and Latin America. All interviews were confidential and de-identified.
Collaborative reflection. We facilitated a sensemaking workshop with MMC's senior management team to test and contextualise emerging findings and refine our recommendations.
We analysed the data thematically, using the review questions as the coding frame.
Looking forward
The review gives MMC an independent, evidence-based account of the value it adds and the results it has achieved. It clarifies how MMC can describe its value proposition, where it can grow its influence and organisational maturity, and how it can get the most from its place within DRC. Our recommendations were designed to feed into MMC's next strategy.
Alongside the full report, we produced four short case studies on priority topics to help MMC communicate its work to funders, partners and other stakeholders.
Client:
Mixed Migration Centre
2026