Corporate Social Responsibility
Merck – Commitment to Corporate Responsibility means Commitment to Impact Measurement

At Merck, corporate responsibility is a daily commitment to tackle the world’s biggest health challenges while discovering better ways to make a positive difference in everything the company does. It is a simple promise that is embedded in the company and informs all individual actions. 

One significant component of Merck’s commitment to helping the world be well is achieved through charitable giving programs. Combined, Merck and the Merck Foundation contribute approximately $70 million annually to qualifying organizations whose interests and programs are aligned with the company’s strategic priorities in the areas of health, education, and communities.
Like many organizations with a significant charitable giving portfolio, focus on measurement and evaluation at Merck has evolved over the years. As the sophistication of the company’s charitable programs has increased, so too has the desire to demonstrate the effectiveness of the programs which they fund.

Today, whether funding a program for $1,000 or $5,000,000, Merck works with non-profit partners to develop a measurement and evaluation framework that is appropriate for the program – one that not only measures what goes into the program (such as dollars or units of medication), but also what comes out of the program (such as number of people trained) and what results (such as a reduction in prevalence of a particular disease) will be achieved. As a standard practice with multi-year programs, Merck works with non-profit partners to incorporate dedicated measurement and evaluation resources – both funding and human capital – into the project proposal and budget.

In 2011, the Merck Foundation entered into a partnership with Safe Water Network designed to improve health outcomes with safe water solutions in rural communities in India. The Safe Water Station Community Initiative is a three year, $1.5 million program focused on establishing an evidence base for the cost effectiveness and sustainability of decentralized safe drinking water stations, with a focus on building capacity to address factors contributing to waterborne diseases in water-challenged communities in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

In addition to providing the funding for the program, Merck also sent employees serving as Fellows in the company’s Richard T. Clark Fellowship for World Health program to the Safe Water Network in India. For three months, Fellows from India, Panama, and the United States worked side by side with the Safe Water Network on projects related to establishing a health impact assessment, creating behavior change and demand programs for clean water, and devising a communication and advocacy strategy to promote access and adoption of health and hygiene practices.

As we reflect on the second year of the Safe Water Station Community Initiative and enter into the final year of the program, it is evident that our commitment to measurement and evaluation has benefitted both Merck and the Safe Water Network. From ensuring clarity on project objectives and desired outcomes to providing a framework for discussing challenges and strategies for overcoming them, the shared commitment to measurement and evaluation by both Merck and the Safe Water Network has been critical to the success of the program.