The United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting a research programme for the rural transport sector in Africa and Asia. The Research for Community Access Partnership (ReCAP) is strengthening the evidence base for more cost effective and reliable low volume roads and transport services. One of the projects supported by ReCAP is the "Economic Growth through Effective Road Asset Management" (GEM) with participation by Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania and the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The Implementation Phase of the GEM project commenced in July 2016 and ended in 2019. The research findings are presented in the "Rural Road Asset Management Practitioners' Guideline" and summarised in this article.