IPBES has been mandated to develop a guide to help address conceptual, procedural and practical aspects of IPBES assessments at all scales, and to promote consistency across different scales. Accordingly, the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel, supported by time-bound expert group, has developed a guide that serves as a ‘Roadmap’ and to focus on key elements assessment practitioners may want to take into account when undertaking an assessment within the context of IPBES. The Guide has been developed for experts who are taking part in assessments approved under IPBES be they thematic, methodological or general assessments of biodiversity and ecosystems at global, regional and sub-regional level. The Guide is also meant to assist those who might want to undertake IPBES inspired assessment at sub-regional, national and local level and to help facilitate that such assessments are compatible with larger scale IPBES approved assessments. The Guide is a living document which will be updated and expanded overtime to reflect the work of the IPBES task forces, expert groups and experiences of experts involved in IPBES assessments.