The guide to post-conflict needs assessments is the product of a partnership between the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction (CPR) Unit of the World Bank. The work was also generously supported by the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. In July 2003, UNDG/UNDP and the World Bank, with the support of BMZ, commissioned the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) to prepare a practical guide to post-conflict needs assessments, based on a review and analysis of past experiences, as well as research on other assessment methodologies in the context of humanitarian aid, conflict analyses and development cooperation. The aim was to provide a concise and practical guide to be used by country teams from our respective institutions, supported by additional material and references that could be of use to team members performing specific tasks. The guide also aims to be a source of information for other actors— bilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and government representatives—that need to understand the rationale, scope, timeline and results of the needs assessment process.