The Logistics Emergency Team: Pioneering and Sustaining a New Partnership Model

Overview & Synopsis

The Logistics Emergency Team (LET) case explores the formation and evolution of a multi-company cross-sector partnership to deploy pro bono logistics services to support a coordinated humanitarian disaster-response. It follows the complex journey of transforming an abstract concept into an operational alliance that aligns corporate competitors and bridges the business-humanitarian divide. The case offers insights into collaborative partnership management at the collective and individual company level, illustrating how the scope expanded from natural disaster response to include disaster preparedness and complex emergencies. This required creativity, technology and innovation, while navigating the inherent constraints of each sector. By the end of 2024, with a strong record of successful deployments and amid shifts in the humanitarian landscape, the partners faced a critical decision: whether to continue, expand, or restructure for the future.