IMCO — Who, what, why
The Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad (IMCO) was established as a legal entity in 2003 and its operations began in 2004. IMCO was founded by Roberto Newell with support from the Consejo Mexicano de Negocios (Mexican Business Council), which provided general operating support. Roberto Newell, a retired partner from McKinsey & Company, had the vision to create an institution that promoted Mexico’s competitiveness — defined as the sustained capacity of a country, city, or region to generate, attract, and retain talent and investment that creates better economic opportunities for all.
Receiving Hewlett Foundation grants since 2005, IMCO has become one of the most important civil society organizations (CSOs) dedicated to policy research in Mexico.
What
IMCO became a market disruptor in the Mexican knowledge sector and, as described on its website, continually encourages open public policy discussions without ideological bias. It wants these discussions to be based on rigorous analysis of evidence and hard data and use innovative and compelling communication strategies.
While competitiveness has been the backbone of IMCO’s agenda, the founding director took a holistic approach to address other factors that contributed to an inclusive, educated, and healthy society, including: gender equality, inclusive policies, equal pay, environment, and justice. This broad concept of competitiveness was a springboard for IMCO to later engage with issues beyond the traditional economic competitiveness agenda.
Why
IMCO’s competitiveness indices were created to identify favorable conditions for improving Mexico’s prospects for economic development. But it didn’t stop there. IMCO’s agenda shifted organically over time. At its inception, IMCO was focused on promoting better policies for a more competitive Mexico, then it broadened to focus on economic and public policy. And later it evolved to include governance/social issues. IMCO’s agenda shift was shaped both by the relevance of public policy and public finance on the competitiveness agenda, and by the sources of funding available.
Donors, particularly foreign donors, were not as interested in supporting IMCO’s rigorous economic competitiveness analysis. However, they did have an appetite for supporting work on governance policies — especially government transparency and accountability — which fostered an enabling environment for competitiveness. Opportunities to influence the public agenda emerged in this area.
