The document discusses the sustainable livelihoods (SL) approach, emphasizing the necessity of focusing on people rather than just economic statistics to address poverty effectively. It critiques previous ineffective strategies and advocates for a holistic, dynamic, and capacity-building approach that considers the complexity of individual livelihoods, encompassing social, environmental, and institutional factors. The SL framework serves as a tool to assess and improve development initiatives, highlighting the interactions between assets, strategies, and the broader vulnerability context that affects the poor.

1. Sustainable Livelihoods (SL)

2. Why all the noise about SL? We’re getting serious about poverty What we have done in the past has not been too successful: a search for something more effective Initially: “direct impact on the poor” Later: a more analytical understanding of the complexity of poverty of the factors that affect poverty

3. Defining poverty Not just income / GDP but human development TIP Think people, not national statistics Uganda PPA: “ The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer” Not just the means to survive but the capability to thrive

4. Not being poor means that can sustain the capabilities, assets, and activities required for a means of living, have the ability to cope with stresses and shocks, and can maintain and enhance those capabilities and assets without undermining the natural resource base TIP These are the characteristics of a ‘ Livelihood’ (Chambers & Conway, 1992) people ...

5. If we put people at the centre of development, we need ... to be more holistic - poor people lead complex lives to be dynamic - like the threats and opportunities the poor face to build on their inherent potential - rather than what they have not got to consider macro-micro links - because people are affected by policies to mainstream sustainability - environmental, economic, social, institutional

6. And in particular ... We need to incorporate people’s own definition of desirable outcomes

7. The ‘Sustainable Livelihoods Approach’ is simply about putting these principles into practice

8. Sounds obvious ? But it’s not what we’ve been doing

9. What we did before (1)… [Taken from an analysis of livestock-sector projects] Supply of Technology, Inputs & Services [93%] often ‘production’ orientated missed the poor: not targeted towards the poor / inappropriate to the needs of the poor captured by the wealthy could not be sustained Move to ‘capacity-building’ in sector organisations instead

10. What we did before (2)… ‘ Organisational Development’ [49%] equipped people and organisations with the skills and resources to do a better job but, on the whole, little has changed new skills are not used the new-look organisation is not financially viable still tended to be ‘sector-specific’ and supply-driven because the ‘rules of the game’ never really changed

11. So we now think about ... Policies and Institutions as well [10%] creating the enabling environment for a better way of doing things by ‘changing the rules of the game’: locally nationally internationally

12. The SL Framework (1) Is simply a tool to help: plan new development initiatives assess the contribution to livelihood sustainability made by existing activities It: provides a checklist of issues highlights what influences what emphasises the multiple interactions that affect people’s livelihoods

13. The SL Framework (2) Helps us think holistically about: The things that the poor might be very vulnerable to The assets and resources that help them thrive and survive The policies and institutions that impact on their livelihoods How the poor respond to threats and opportunities What sort of outcomes the poor aspire to

14. Vulnerability Context Shocks Trends Seasons Livelihood Strategies Policies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes) Structures Government Private Sector Processes Laws Policies Culture Institutions The SL Framework Livelihood Capital Assets Human Social Physical Financial Natural Livelihood Outcomes + Sustainable use of NR base + Income + Well-being - Vulnerability + Food security

15. Vulnerability Context Shocks Trends Seasons Livelihood Strategies Policies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes) Structures Government Private Sector Processes Laws Policies Culture Institutions The SL Framework Livelihood Capital Assets Human Social Physical Financial Natural Livelihood Outcomes + Sustainable use of NR base + Income + Well-being Reduced vulnerability + Food security

16. Vulnerability Context Shocks Trends Seasons Livelihood Strategies Policies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes) Structures Government Private Sector Processes Laws Policies Culture Institutions Livelihood Outcomes + Sustainable use of NR base + Income + Well-being Reduced vulnerability + Food security Livelihood Capital Assets Human Social Physical Financial Natural

17. Vulnerability Context The external environment in which people exist Trends - population, resources, economic, governance, technology Shocks - illness, natural disaster, economic, conflict, crop / livestock pests & diseases Seasons - prices, production, health, employment

18. Vulnerability Context Shocks Trends Seasons Livelihood Strategies Policies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes) Structures Government Private Sector Processes Laws Policies Culture Institutions Livelihood Outcomes + Sustainable use of NR base + Income + Well-being Reduced vulnerability + Food security Livelihood Capital Assets Human Social Physical Financial Natural

19. What are these ‘assets’? Human capital - skills, knowledge & info., ability to work, health Natural capital - land, water, wildlife, biodiversity, environment Financial capital - savings, credit, remittances, pensions Physical capital - transport, shelter, clean water, energy, comms. Social capital - networks, groups, trust, access to wider institutions

20. It’s all about pushing out the ‘area’ of these assets TIP But it’s also about the sustainability of those assets Human Capital Natural Capital Physical Capital Social Capital Financial Capital

21. With your neighbour(s) ... Consider one form [H, N, F, P, S] of capital asset Why is this form of capital asset important? What could we do to build this form of capital asset directly indirectly

22. Vulnerability Context Shocks Trends Seasons Livelihood Strategies Policies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes) Structures Government Private Sector Processes Laws Policies Culture Institutions Livelihood Outcomes + Sustainable use of NR base + Income + Well-being Reduced vulnerability + Food security Livelihood Capital Assets Human Social Physical Financial Natural

23. People’s access to livelihood assets is affected by policies and institutions Or ‘transforming structures and processes’ Structures: organisations, levels of government, private sector behaviour Processes: policies, laws, institutional ‘ rules of the game’, incentives TIP Think micro, think macro, link micro to macro

24. Vulnerability Context Shocks Trends Seasons Livelihood Strategies Policies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes) Structures Government Private Sector Processes Laws Policies Culture Institutions Livelihood Outcomes + Sustainable use of NR base + Income + Well-being Reduced vulnerability + Food security Livelihood Capital Assets Human Social Physical Financial Natural

25. Livelihood Strategies - what do people do? Natural-resource based Non-NR / off-farm activities Migration / remittances Intensification vs. diversification Straddling Competition Short-term vs. long-term

26. Our interventions must recognise that people have different strategies to achieve different ends How important is “our” concern to people’s livelihoods? And whose livelihoods in particular? What else is important to people, and what conflicts might there be?

27. Vulnerability Context Shocks Trends Seasons Livelihood Strategies Policies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes) Structures Government Private Sector Processes Laws Policies Culture Institutions Livelihood Outcomes + Sustainable use of NR base + Income + Well-being Reduced vulnerability + Food security Livelihood Capital Assets Human Social Physical Financial Natural

28. Livelihood Outcomes - what are people seeking to achieve? More sustainable use of the NR base More income Increased well-being Reduced vulnerability Improved food security

29. Vulnerability Context Shocks Trends Seasons Livelihood Strategies Policies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes) Structures Government Private Sector Processes Laws Policies Culture Institutions Livelihood Outcomes + Sustainable use of NR base + Income + Well-being Reduced vulnerability + Food security Livelihood Capital Assets Human Social Physical Financial Natural

30. To my mind ... It’s about seeing development from the shoes of the poor, not the shoes of the scientist It has major implications for the way we work as specialists within a country programme as a donor agency with other donors

31. Not the same as ... Integrated Rural Development ‘Farming Systems Approaches’ Not incompatible with ... Sector-wide approaches Rights-based thinking Common sense

33. SL in Practice Working up new initiatives Reality checks on existing initiatives Where’s the big difference? Projects & Programmes Ways of working

34. Where’s the difference? Forced to look at context & relationships Vulnerability (inc. environment) Policies & Institutions Therefore more complicated than before but the ‘complexity’ has to be captured horizontal and vertical linkages internalising assumptions ‘ Process’, and policy dialogue, implicit

35. Projects & Programmes Explicitly related to people’s livelihoods but not necessarily sitting crossed-legged under a tree assess short-term livelihood interests against long-term environmental interests Holistic analysis, but not necessarily an holistic project balance between what is desirable and what is feasible ‘ entry points’ & ‘sectoral anchors’ / ‘institutional homes’ Longer, wider, ‘process’ projects, and ‘joined-up’ programmes More effective macro-micro linkages

36. Ways of Working More information, more analysis, better partnerships .... and more time Process appraisal - when is a project not a project? Seize opportunities - esp. with policies & institutions Teams:- DFID teams, consultancy teams make use of the neutral framework - space for everyone familiarising sectoral experts managing cross-sectoral teams synthesing through an SL lens