Theres something wrong with EMMA: Information gaps in supply side of market based humanitarian response

Relief organizations are encouraged to understand, support, and make use of local market-systems before, during and after a crisis. Doing so supports economic recovery of the affected population and contributes to positive socioeconomic change. However, during a sudden-onset emergency, there is little time to assess and map markets to enable market-based programming. In the last 13 years EMMA and PCMA tools have become sector-standard to produce “rough and ready” market analyses. In this paper, a meta-analysis of published EMMA and PCMAs uncovers a skewed focus on the demand side of market-systems, (re)producing information gaps which limit relief organizations from engaging markets in supply side projects, such as local procurement. The paper offers some suggestions for refocusing the tools for both users and researchers, to meet the informational needs for humanitarian procurement.