Options Consultancy Services was established in 1992 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the international social business, Marie Stopes International. Our initial work centred around providing technical expertise, programme design monitoring and evaluation support to DFID as the Resource Centre in Population and Reproductive Health. Improving access to reproductive and maternal health services remains a core area of our work.
The Millennium Development Goals placed a strong emphasis on maternal and child health, and improving the health of women and girls has remained central to Options’ mission. Our work has grown to encompass expertise across the health sector in order to build effective and equitable health systems.Since 1992, Options has worked in more than 50 countries, and has been responsible for launching a number of high profile programmes, most recently the Girl Generation and MamaYe! programmes. We lead and manage numerous health sector programmes on behalf of international donors, in particular UK Aid (DFID), KfW, the World Bank and foundations.StructureOur programmes operate through programme offices including in India, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Malawi, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique and Kenya. Our head office is in St Katharine Docks in central London.Options UK was launched in 2006, conducting high quality public health research, insight and analysis for health and social care organisations across the UK.In 2015 we set up a non-profit subsidiary, Options for International Health, to pursue new avenues for our work to transform the health of women and children.GovernanceOptions is a private limited company, wholly owned by Marie Stopes International (MSI). Our surpluses are given as Gift Aid to MSI and make a significant contribution to MSI’s mission of children by choice, not chance.Options' Board of Directors sets the objectives and strategic direction of the company. Simon Cooke, CEO of MSI is chair of the Board. Other Board members are Phillip D Harvey, Timothy W Rutter and Jo Elms.