Pros
Good place to start out if you are looking for a job in international development. Provides you with a helpful foundation for how the development industry operates in the current climate. Great place to start if you want to be a technical expert.
Cons
Very little engagement/autonomy with the field teams, and much of the project design and implementation is driven by technical experts in DC, not from the teams operating in the field. Strategic planning is supposed to come from HQ in DC, and not from the teams on the ground. Priorities are mostly around revenue generation and around people keeping their jobs, and not on genuine, good development practice. Very toxic organizational culture, including lots of division and internal competition between departments. Old conflicts from the acquisition still remain. Results in a lot of lost efforts and burn-out. Constant turnover and restructuring (I was there for 2 years and my team restructured 3 times). Lots of egos and competition for work, making it really difficult for young professionals to advance and learn the skills they need to be a strong development professional. Senior leadership does not seem to be aware of these issues, or if they are, they are not doing anything constructive about it.
