Re-anchoring Mutualisation to Operational Effectiveness
Purpose and Scope
This independent evaluation assessed the Amman Mutualised Support Office (AMSO) between 2023 and 2025, examining its design, governance and future feasibility under the Host Country Agreement (HCA). It reviewed whether AMSO’s configuration provides predictable, neutral and sustainable shared services to MSF’s Operational Centres (OCs) and identified the systemic conditions required to secure its long-term viability.
The analysis focused on AMSO as an organisational system—its governance logic, structural balance, and alignment with MSF’s operational and institutional frameworks—rather than on individual or team performance.
Context
AMSO was established to provide shared HR, Administration, Finance and Facilities services under the Host Country Agreement (HCA) in Jordan. Initiated in 2022 and jointly implemented in 2023 by OCA and OCG—with OCA acting as the backup section—it was designed to strengthen coherence, continuity and efficiency across support functions within a unified framework. OCBA, not part of the founding arrangement, signed a Letter of Intent in 2025 but has not yet advanced through the phased engagement initially foreseen. AMSO was operationally functional under an OCA–OCG delivery configuration. However, this functionality was achieved in the absence of a fully
consolidated mutualisation design. Minimum design parameters—such as agreed service boundaries, prioritisation rules, Back Office authority and risk-sharing arrangements—were never fully clarified and consolidated before delivery scaled up. As a result, operational continuity was ensured through practice and adaptation, while unresolved design choices remained embedded in day-to-day delivery rather than being settled through explicit collective decisions.
Methodology
The evaluation applied a qualitative, theory-informed approach, combining structured document review, semi-structured interviews, mini-assessments and focus group discussions with AMSO teams, Operational Centres and HQ stakeholders.
Five Evaluation Questions (EQ1–EQ5) guided the analysis, covering mandate clarity, service delivery consistency, governance effectiveness, user experience and systemic viability. Findings were triangulated across data sources and validated collectively with participating Operational Centres.
