This field manual by the Women’s Refugee Commission has been developed to provide practitioners with usable information and helpful tools so that they can design and implement more effective livelihood programs — programs that are based on market demand and are contextually appropriate; programs that build on the existing skills and experience within the target population; and programs that enhance the dignity and options for the displaced.

The publication is based on two-and-a-half years of research and 10 field assessments covering all contexts of displacement: refugee, IDP and returnee situations, in camp settings, as well as in rural and urban areas. It is informed by several pilot projects in the Thai-Burma border, Burundi, and Bogota, Columbia, among others. It deals with a wide range of topics, including microfinance, enterprise development, markets and value chain assessments, remittances, and monitoring and evaluation.