The PVA itself evolved from a workshop convened by ActionAid in Dorset, UK in 2000. The workshop recognised the importance of vulnerability in development and emergencies-related work. It also identified that one of the gaps was in translating the knowledge of vulnerability into practice. Specific areas included how to build community resilience to disasters; link emergencies and development; influence policy and most of all motivate the most vulnerable. The workshop agreed to develop a guide on PVA that will be used by field staff. Thereafter a series of studies took place in conjunction with Swansea University (Centre for Development Studies) in Bangladesh, India and Ghana. A field test of PVA was conducted in The Gambia (May 2003) culminating in the formulation of this PVA guide.