COVID-19 has left almost no workplace untouched — including the World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator in Munich, Germany. We switched 50+ employees to remote-first work, kickstarted entirely virtual innovation bootcamps, and pivoted innovations to address the pandemic. Responding to rapid change might have made us more agile, but we have been running projects remotely long before the pandemic changed the landscape.
Set up within WFP, the largest humanitarian organization, the Accelerator leverages private sector expertise to tackle global hunger and create a sustainable future for all. It connects with WFP’s 20,000 staff worldwide and humanitarian operations in over 80 countries.
While the Munich office is the hub of the Accelerator’s work, the heart is in the field — where humanitarian needs are greatest, and the most promising innovative solutions can be applied, tested and scaled. We manage our projects in coordination with WFP Country Offices, across different time zones and geographies. As remote project management is now taking a front seat in the world of work, read our tips on how to navigate the complexity of remote work, distant colleagues, and challenging country contexts in which to deliver impact.