DEG is an integral part of the Louis Berger Group, one of the largest multi-disciplinary consulting organizations in the world. DEG was formed as a division to market and provide economic services, which complemented the company’s engineering and environmental work. As a division, it has full access to all of Berger’s resources including: overseas offices (more than 60); multi-disciplinary staff (more than 2,000); extensive in-country contacts; multitude of donor relations (e.g. European Union); and extensive financial assets (more than $200 million in annual sales).

DEG provides economic and general planning services which promote equitable, democratic and sustainable economic growth. The range of services includes: policy analysis and implementation; sectoral planning and development; trade and investment promotion; microenterprise and business development; privatization; legal and institutional reform; strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation; and democracy-building and NGO strengthening.

DEG has a full time staff of PhD economists, MBAs, and other professionals with experience in: macro and trade economics, regional planning, micro and general business development, urban planning, trade and investment and strategic planning. Drawing on Berger’s corporate resources and contacts with financial institutions, we can manage and provide funds for large grants programs (up to $8-10 million per year). We also have in-house graphic designers, accountants, personnel recruiters and a quality assurance auditor.

Our approach, which supports Berger’s overall philosophy, is to promote a very collaborative and decentralized management system. In order to be responsive to our clients’ needs, DEG delegates and assigns responsibilities based on the comparative advantage that each business partner (firm and/or outside consultant) has to offer.

No. The engineering services of Louis Berger account for about 60 percent of the company’s total billings. This means that 40 percent, or more than $100 million in revenue, comes from non-engineering services. In terms of staff, more than 20 percent of our staff are in non-engineering firms.

We work extensively with U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Trade Development Agency, the World Bank, and the regional development banks (e.g. African, Inter-American, Asian, and European). We also have worked with The United Nations (DTDC, UNDP, and UNIDO); the Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS), the World Trade Institute, as well as many private clients and national governments.

As much as possible, we strive to place at least one full time person on all short-term and long-term assignments. This is critical for maintaining quality control and ensuring a rapid start-up of management, accounting and financial control systems.

The Development Economics Group combines the best attributes of being able to access a large company’s resources (the Louis Berger Group), with being small enough to be highly sensitive and responsive to every client’s needs. We operate in a corporate culture, which promotes and rewards collaboration among divisions and between the home and field offices.

Louis Berger has more than 60 offices overseas, which provide a number of highly useful services, including: contacts with ranking government officials; unique edge for hiring local staff easily and efficiently; and a good in-country understanding of constraints and opportunities facing NGOs and other private sector organizations operating in the country.