The Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) sponsored by SEEP represent a consensus across agencies engaged in economic recovery and development on what constitutes an effective and appropriate response to help disaster-affected populations gain fair access to viable economic opportunities, allowing them to regain their livelihoods with dignity. In order to ensure sustained and long-term economic recovery from crisis, MERS needs to become an integral part of the development and implementation of humanitarian assistance. As the Sphere Guidelines are "common standards" and do not address economic recovery programming, the MERS were developed to address this gap. The standards highlight strategies designed to promote financial services, productive assets, employment, and enterprise development among livelihoods in areas affected by conflict or disaster. In putting forth these standards, SEEP aims to improve the capabilities and accountability of humanitarian and economic practitioners.