The majority of the community-driven development programmes studies identify during the design stage, that limited access to finance is a key barrier to rebuilding and restoring livelihoods for poor households in fragile and conflict situations. Poor people need financial tools to:

1. Generate useful lump sums of cash for productive assets, preventative health care, school fees or major life events;

2. Weather bad times, including covering the costs of healthcare, or loss of income due to sickness or crop failure; or

3. Fund day-to-day expenses, for example storing irregular income  from farming or trade for basic daily needs.

This working paper looks at how these three needs can be met through a variety of financial tools, including savings, credit and insurance.