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SEEP

Minimum Economic Recovery Standards ... 2010

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Minimum Economic Recovery Standards

Open PDF (1 MB)... Minimum_Econ_Recovery_Standards2_web

Summary The Minimum Economic Recovery Standards articulate the minimum level of technical and other assistance to be provided in promoting the recovery of economies and livelihoods affected by crisis. This book uses the same structure developed by Sphere (as described in the Handbook) for its standards, namely, key actions, key indicators, and guidance notes.The Sphere Project

The Minimum Economic Recovery Standards have been accepted as a companion standard to the Sphere Handbook 2011 Edition, which is produced by the Sphere Project and seeks to set minimum standards for humanitarian action.

From the Introduction

Increasingly, practitioners and donors who respond to disasters are recognizing the need for rapid, tailored support for the livelihoods, enterprises, and economies affected in the wake of a crisis. This is often done in parallel with emergency efforts to meet basic human needs for shelter, water, food, and health services. In the past, economic recovery assistance had been viewed as a later-stage activity. However, disasters—such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the prolonged conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake—illustrate that an economy continues to function during a crisis, albeit at a reduced or shrinking rate of growth. Affected populations require sources of income, at a minimum to survive and at best to thrive once again.

Focus of the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards

The programmatic focus of the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards is on strategies and interventions designed to improve income, cash flow, asset management, and growth among crisis-affected households and enterprises. These include four distinct technical program areas: financial services, productive assets, employment, and enterprise development. It emphasizes encouraging the re-start of enterprises and livelihoods strategies, and improving market productivity and governance.

Contact

For more information on this resource, contact Nisha Singh, Director of the Financial Services Community of Practice at the SEEP Network.

The goal of the standards is to improve the impact of economic recovery programming by building consensus on good practices.

Addressed in the standards are strategies designed to promote enterprises, employment, cash flow, and asset management among livelihoods in areas affected by conflict or disaster. In putting forth these standards, The SEEP Network, the sponsoring organization of MERS, aims to improve the capabilities and accountability of humanitarian and economic practitioners.

The published standards are intended to serve as a guide for three groups in particular:

• Practitioners experienced in emergency situations, but less familiar with economic recovery initiatives
• Practitioners experienced in economic development but unaccustomed to crisis environments
• Practitioners and programs working in multiple sectors in crisis environments, such as health, education, infrastructure, or HIV/AIDS

• Promote program quality and accountability
• Ensure consistency across programs
• Educate staff, partners, and grantees
• Negotiate with funders
• Learn basic requirements for operating with other sectors

“We used the SEEP Minimum Economic Recovery Standards as we were transitioning our program from emergency to recovery. Because this meant changing our strategy, as well as the mindset of the team, it was very useful to be reminded of key principles. Although the Japanese context is very different economically than most of the examples in the book, the structure of the standards offered us a framework for thinking through our programmatic options. Working with a team new to economic recovery work, it was also important to be able to point to an international community of practice with a history of documentation and learning.” -- Said in a strategy session by Mercy Corps’ team responding to the earthquake in Japan. Team leader Malka Older said the standards were useful to her group, which included some members entirely new to humanitarian work.