Efforts to reduce poverty frequently fail or are unsustainable because local institutions and the ways that these influence livelihoods of the poor are not fully understood. This Rapid Guide, oriented specifically towards field missions, is designed to be used by non-specialists, consultants and other members of multidisciplinary teams from development agencies and projects. The guide is a starting-point to assist mission members to gain a new perspective on development work with the very poor and to base their project design on reality.