The Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) are an industry consensus on economic recovery for the humanitarian sector and are recognized as aCompanion Standard to the Sphere Handbook. Since the Second Edition of the MERS Handbook was
published in 2010, our industry has advanced rapidly. The rise of cash transfer programming, leaps forward in ICT and mobile banking, new tools for market analysis and monitoring, and a
deepened understanding of pathways to support communities’ resilience, make it the right time for a revision of the MERS Handbook.
A Collaborative Process
The MERS revision process for the Third Edition Handbook was launched during a “Writeshop” in Washington, D.C. on January 27 and 28, 2016. During
the Writeshop, high-level experts from the Steering Committee and other stakeholders came together to form technical working groups for each Standard with the objective of updating,
rewriting, and revising the Second Edition MERS Handbook.
The revision process subsequently included a series of regional convenings to ensure a broad consultative process. The following regional consultations hosted
by the SEEP Network and partner organizations have engaged field practitioners and technical experts, thanks to the generous support of the American people through a grant from
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA):
