Putting people first

• The health and safety of our team is our utmost priority. Starting March 9, our entire team has gone virtual with the closure of our office in Arlington, Virginia.
• The Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), which are the starting point for everything we do, are important reminders of our duty to our people - next to us or halfway across the world.

• The SEEP Member Page and Member Directory are one-stop-shops to connect with fellow members, especially if you’re looking to find others in-country and field offices to create support networks for your colleagues. We understand that building human networks is still and most important. Make use of these resources and if you need a login to the Member Directory, please reach out.
  

New Guidance

Resilient Markets

• We've released a guidance note and are hosted a webinar on applying the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards in a COVID-19 response. The MERS Handbook is available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
• Sphere, along with all Humanitarian Standard Partners, is providing updated guidance on Applying Humanitarian Standards to Fight COVID-19.
• The Markets in Crises community of practice has released a COVID-19 statement, reiterating core principles of market systems work in crisis settings, and laying out short, medium and long-term actions to consider in a market-based response to COVID-19.

Savings Groups

• SEEP has published a set of recommendations on how to support Savings Groups and their members during this crisis.

Women's Economic Empowerment

• Led by ICRW, our blog notes Why Policymakers Need A Gender-focused Approach for Health and Economic Recovery from COVID-19.

Continuity

In these challenging yet virtual times, we are reaching out to members with our support, including: 

• Personal tips, our own tried and tested do’s/don’ts, and tools to help you adjust to an online/virtual work environment 
• A platform to host virtual meetings and small convenings for critical programming with our established infrastructure 
• Communications through mailings and other opportunities to boost urgent messaging 

Members, please get in touch with us and one of us will be there for you.