Market Systems Development Principles & Terminology

The Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative and its Community of Practice bridge the humanitarian and development spheres with a diverse membership that brings together stakeholders ranging from refugee-led organizations (RLOs), international NGOs and national civil society, United Nations’ Agencies, donors, and the private sector. Through that membership, in particular the engagement of front-line responders and RLOs, RSRI has the capacity to convene unexpected discussions and to bring a fresh lens to humanitarian and development work, including encouraging market systems practitioners to stretch approaches to include displacement-affected communities and to consider their unique contexts and perspectives. This document is intended to outline the core principles that govern market systems approaches for displacement-affected communities and to clarify key terminology to inform future discussions.