Approach to Inclusive Market Systems (AIMS) for refugees and vulnerable groups

The Approach to Inclusive Market Systems (AIMS) is a collaboration between the ILO and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched in 2013. With over a decade of experience, AIMS promotes sustainable, market-driven livelihood interventions for refugees and host communities.

Rooted in the principle of doing development differently, AIMS applies the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach in the context of forced displacement. While traditional approaches to refugee livelihoods often rely on direct delivery of goods and services, AIMS focuses on understanding the overall system within which refugees and host communities live and work. This systems-based approach enables designing tailored interventions that improve how markets function, creating long-term, locally-rooted benefits both refugees and host communities.

AIMS is guided by a ‘push-pull’ strategy.

• Pull: Interventions focus on developing markets and value chains to increase the quantity and quality of opportunities available for the target group.
• Push: Interventions focus on developing the capacities and skills of the target group to effectively engage with the market, and access new opportunities.

Key areas of work:

• Global project support: We provide technical advice and hands-on support to ILO projects applying the AIMS approach around the world.
• Market systems assessment: In close collaboration with the UNHCR, country offices, and project partners, we support research and development of market systems assessments (MSAs). These MSAs form the basis for identifying sustainable and scalable livelihood strategies.
• Guidance and capacity building: Drawing on over a decade of experience, we offer an annual training course to support practitioners working with refugee communities in the design of livelihood interventions based on a solid understanding of market trends and demand. This training is in collaboration with the UNHRC, and hosted by the ITC-ILO.

More information on the AIMS approach is available here.