Conventional assessment frameworks do not provide an adequate basis for informed management decisions and development planning of the small-scale fisheries (SSF) subsector. Normative management frameworks and approaches have been developed as an evolution of conventional fisheries management, such as the 1995 FAO code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the ecosystem approach to fisheries. This document presents the conceptual basis of the integrated assessment and advisory process, introduces the framework and places the assessment within the broader planning and management cycle.