As a global learning network, SEEP’s activities reach a great number of dynamic institutions that share our vision of “markets that create opportunities for all to engage and prosper.” Our engagement focuses on supporting our partners and members to adopt and scale promising practices that hold the greatest likelihood of positive systemic change.

As an example of how we work with members in this capacity, we’re pleased to formally announce our partnership with Global Communities to mainstream the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) in their humanitarian assistance and economic development units. Through Mainstreaming MERS, Global Communities seeks to enhance their market-based approaches to economic recovery by integrating MERS into its program cycle and building capacity of staff to effectively apply MERS when and where appropriate. The Mainstreaming MERS partnership demonstrates Global Communities’ commitment to quality economic programming and a path to resiliency for vulnerable populations.

About the Partnership

This partnership is made possible through SEEP’s Mainstreaming the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) initiative. Launched in 2017, Mainstreaming MERS partnerships builds the capacity of high-impact organizations to use and apply the MERS within relevant business development, programming and operations functions. Through this partnership, Global Communities joins UNHCR’s Economic Inclusion Unit (our first mainstreaming MERS partner) in a committed effort to ensure economic recovery and development activities are conducted according to the industry best practices set out in the MERS.

SEEP and Global Communities

Global Communities is a global development organization committed to working in partnership with communities worldwide to bring about sustainable, impactful changes that improve the lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable. With a 60-year history, Global Communities facilitates community-led projects in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caucasus, the Middle East & North Africa and the Americas.

A SEEP member since 1996, Global Communities demonstrates an impressive investment in collaborative learning. Their contributions to SEEP’s global network include: case studies highlighting promising practices in disaster risk reduction for financial service providers, membership in SEEP’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Working Group, Savings Led Working Group and the Markets In Crises Community of Practice as well as consistent participation on SEEP advisory committees, field-based workshops, virtual events and global conferences.

Through the mainstreaming partnership, we will continue a path of good work with Global Communities. Our joint activities in the partnership include:

• A MERS opportunity analysis to inform the development of a tailored MERS Mainstreaming approach that fits the needs of Global Communities humanitarian assistance and economic development units;
• A MERS Mainstreaming Workshop designed to equip key staff in the organization with the skills, knowledge and resources necessary to apply the MERS in their work and to support others to do the same;
• And peer learning activities and technical support to facilitate the full integration of the MERS into operational practices.

We invite you to follow our progress as we share updates around our partnership through our newsletter, tweets and blogs. To learn more about becoming a Mainstreaming MERS partner, contact our Senior Program Manager for Resilient Markets, Sonya Salanti at salanti@seepnetwork.org.