Securing Livelihoods

Secure livelihoods
Visions of a better future
A job is a privilege of a very small minority.
Aidan Eyakuze, associate regional director, Society for International Development
Summary of a meeting hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation
With insights from

2 Secure Livelihoods
The “Livelihoods” meeting was convened by the Rockefeller Foundation and the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Centre
with support from the Rockefeller Foundation.
The work of The Rockefeller Foundation is deeply rooted in the idea of improving
livelihoods, or bolstering the means by which people support themselves, because it
believes good livelihoods underpin human progress. The Foundation’s efforts in this area
range from helping smallholder farmers avoid post-harvest loss to spotlighting novel
approaches for training underserved U.S. youth to studying how targeted outsourcing
schemes might boost job opportunities for high-potential, disadvantaged youth in Africa.
Indeed, this work to support steady livelihood prospects is one of four “pillars” that
comprise the Foundation’s overall mission; the other three focus on improving health,
cities and ecosystems. Fortifying these four areas, the Foundation believes, can best
help it meet its two primary goals: advancing inclusive economies that offer opportunities
for broadly shared prosperity, and building greater resilience by helping people,
communities and institutions prepare for, withstand and emerge stronger from acute
shocks and chronic stresses.
Introduction from the Rockefeller Foundation

3Secure Livelihoods
Globally, livelihoods are under great strain as tasks previously performed by humans are
increasingly handled by machines. In some developing countries, there are not enough
jobs for the sheer number of youth, despite technological gains that are bringing income-
generating and financial-inclusion opportunities to people previously frozen out. Much of
the developed world, meanwhile, struggles with an aging workforce whose members will
increasingly tap strained government coffers. The specter of growing social unrest, fresh
financial crises and more climate-induced natural disasters adds another dimension to
global livelihoods uncertainty. Simply put, for a secure livelihood, people will increasingly
need more than one option to support themselves and their families. For policymakers
and civil society, the confluence of these driving and unpredictable forces will make
economic resilience and inclusion all the more critical.
To address this looming crisis, in August 2014 the Foundation hosted a meeting on
“Securing Livelihoods.” This was the fourth in its series of high-level meetings focused on
strengthening the Foundation’s work in its four pillar areas. By bringing together diverse,
sometimes opposing perspectives, the Foundation hopes to help develop strategies
and solutions to fortify humanity’s ability to anticipate and adapt to rapidly emerging
opportunities and challenges. For more information on the series, please visit www.
visionariesunbound.com.
The meeting, held from August 4 to 8 at the Foundation’s Bellagio Conference Center in
Italy, was convened by The Rockefeller Foundation and The Organisation for Economic
Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Development Centre. More than 25 high-level
participants, including employers, entrepreneurs, educators, academics, financiers and
development experts met to better understand current and future livelihoods challenges,
and to explore possible solutions. The Economist Intelligence Unit wrote this summary
report in full, with the exception of the introduction and conclusion, which were written
by The Rockefeller Foundation.

“Securing Livelihoods”
brought together
more than 25
experts to explore
ways to expand
and fortify livelihood
opportunities
Executive Summary
Many colliding forces and the rapid pace of change are bringing a seismic shift to
livelihoods. Drivers include powerful technologies and the automation of many tasks
previously performed by humans. Meanwhile, globalization has fueled outsourcing and
entrepreneurial opportunities in many countries.
But the benefits of these changes are not evenly distributed. Globally, record
unemployment and wide income gaps persist. Paradoxically, educators cannot
keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of today’s employers. In parallel, aging
workforces in some parts of the world and enormous youth populations in others
threaten livelihoods. Climate change–driven storms and floods may also erode
economic security and trigger natural resources and food scarcity. Political changes
and fiscal crises are both drivers and consequences of the unrest that often feeds on
hopelessness about the security of one’s livelihood.
But there is hope. Governments, universities and employers are forging cooperative
relationshipsthroughresearchefforts,job-stimulusinitiatives,newfundingarrangements
and training programs to better prepare people for the future. Educational institutions
If solutions focus only
on growth, we miss
the opportunity for
well-being.
Angela Wilkinson,
strategic foresight
counselor, OECD

5Secure Livelihoods
and think tanks are revamping curriculums. And employers are finding novel ways to
build a pipeline of skilled workers, lest their competitors leap ahead.
As the evidence mounts and attention shifts to urgent livelihoods needs, a number
of strategies have emerged from experts. Many of these surfaced in Bellagio. They
range from leveraging technology to connect and broaden livelihood skill-sets with
more customized livelihood opportunities; to harnessing innovation and creativity for
new types of flexible short- and long-term livelihoods and social support structures; to
designing holistic, lifelong learning and economic support mechanisms to sustain the
economic and more-intangible benefits of livelihoods. By building and strengthening
ties between educators, employers, local and national governments and other players
in the livelihoods ecosystem, we can fill current gaps and create new opportunities for
all, and in particular, the disadvantaged.
Four of these strategies were believed to be particularly effective at resolving some of
the critical, interlinked challenges to move forward in research and action in this area.
These future solutions illustrate ways that innovations in technology, social science
and policy can be combined to broaden livelihoods opportunities:
QUALITY OF LIFE MATERIAL CONDITIONS
Health status
Work-life
balance
Education and
skills
Social
connections
Civic
engagement
and governance
Environmental
quality
Personal
security
Subjective
well-being
Income
and wealth
Jobs and
earnings
Housing
GDP Regrettables
Sustainability of well-being over time
Requires preserving different types of capital over time
Natural capital Economic capital Human capital Social capital
Source: OECD Development Centre
Individual well-being

1. Technology as an enabler of lifelong learning. New technologies can be
quickly leveraged by all population segments for the greater good, for better access
to education. One proposed solution, called ”Plato,” calls for a standardized but
customizable structure that integrates advanced technology, such as universal
broadband and tablets, with human guidance, such as personal education guides
and career coaches. Through such a program, all communities and individuals
including the poor and vulnerable can constantly acquire and renew skills, tap into
opportunities, and forge stronger community ties in a portable manner, particularly
over critical transition periods.
2. Creative financing as a lever for change. Communities and individuals,
particularly the underserved need capital for specific reasons and at critical points in
their lives such as after secondary-school completion or before retirement, to acquire
new skills, search for work or start entrepreneurial endeavors. High-impact cash
transfers can help upskill individuals, finance apprenticeships or ease the adjustment
to better employment options. Funds might come from the public purse, philanthropy,
carbon taxes, social-impact bonds or peer-to-peer lending based on one’s age and
circumstances. Possible preconditions include education completion, a “life plan,”
secure money transfers and success metrics.

3. Government as a backstop for universal well-being, social inclusion and
income. The shift to a knowledge-based economy and the potentially devastating
impact of uncertain global forces demand that governments better meet their
populations’ basic needs. They can do this through guaranteed minimum incomes;
with safety nets for healthcare, pensions and unemployment; and by funding state-
backed local job, training and education incubators. But multisectoral collaboration
through, for instance, income earning and learning centers where individuals —
particularly the disadvantaged — can build community, collaborate and contribute
will be critical. Volunteer work options, in which individuals receive subsidies for
contributions to society, may include planting village gardens, improving infrastructure,
restoring ecosystems, or tutoring.
4. Cross-sectoral collaboration to formalize the informal and share its benefits.
Many new tools and approaches can help informal settlements gain legitimacy, social
protection and opportunity. These include technology, legislative developments and
community organizing. The “Live it up” working-group solution builds on these,
with technology as its cornerstone—in a mobile platform, software and tablets. The
”urban passport” it proposed is a universal, electronic ID card guaranteeing access to
education and healthcare, and protection in such areas as property ownership. Later
the card could help build financial inclusion through mobile banking services.
Increasingly, disruption is shifting the power and opportunity for livelihoods from
employers and governments to individuals and communities. Technology, institutional
failure and the fluid movement of ideas, education, people and capital portend a
brighter livelihoods future. These solutions provide ideas of how innovations in
technology, social science and policy can be combined to help fill gaps in the system.
We believe in this future. We hope you will join us on this journey.
EXECUTIVESUMMARY

7Secure Livelihoods
The world of work has changed profoundly in 200 years. Over that time, most
households left behind agricultural tasks to labor in industry, although different
regions are at different stages in this transition, and vast gaps remain in opportunity
and incomes between cities and rural areas. Many countries also harnessed natural
resources, technology and human intellect to build new industries—and in the process
built new educational systems to supply a ready labor pool.
This gradual but dramatic economic shift brought with it a host of issues and
opportunities. Long hours and often-unsafe working environments in factories pushed
many workers to form unions to demand fair pay and workplace safety. This shift
helped seed “social protection” programs providing healthcare, housing assistance
and unemployment insurance to help offset income depletion from illness, natural
disaster or job loss. Other “safety net” measures, such as maternity leave and
post-retirement pensions, are now common in wealthier countries, and are gaining
traction in countries where incomes are rising along with a more formal, or organized,
workforce. In most instances, governments have financed these measures through
payroll taxes, with private enterprise often supporting additional training. Collectively,
these and other elements form the fabric of “livelihoods”—or the ability to support
oneself now and in the future.
But today a number of colliding forces and the rapid pace of change are bringing
an even more seismic shift to livelihoods. Driving these changes are powerful
technologies and the automation of many tasks previously performed by humans.
Meanwhile, globalization and more relaxed employment and funds-transfer rules in
many countries have fueled outsourcing and entrepreneurial opportunities.
The benefits of many of these changes, however, are not evenly distributed. In many
parts of the world, record unemployment and wide income gaps persist between
those with sought-after skills and those who are unprepared for the modern economy.
In many countries, educators and governments cannot keep pace with the rapidly
changing needs of today’s employers. In parallel, widely diverging demographic shifts,
such as aging workforces in China and Russia and large unemployed youth populations
in many developing nations in Africa and the Middle East, threaten livelihoods. Climate
change adds another layer of complexity. By driving an increase in storms, drought
and natural disaster, climate change may erode economic security and trigger natural
resources and food scarcity. In more economically mature countries, shrinking social-
protection programs amid rising pension costs are other causes for concern. Political
changes and fiscal crises are both drivers and consequences of the unrest that often
feeds on hopelessness about one’s capacity to provide for oneself and one’s family
in the future.
Visions of a better future
Secure livelihoods
How do you move
from individual
entrepreneur to small
business? From
blueprint to scale?
Rachel Slater, research
fellow, Social Protection
Programme, Overseas
Development Institute

But there is hope. Governments, universities and employers are forging cooperative
relationships through research efforts, job-stimulus initiatives, new funding
arrangements and training programs that can better prepare people for the future.
Educational institutions and think tanks are revamping curriculums and pushing
policies and schemes to help create jobs. And employers are finding novel ways
to build a pipeline of skilled workers, lest their competitors leap ahead, that benefit
both them and their employees’ long-term prospects. Some corporations in wealthier
countries are also bolstering internal training efforts, in some cases reigniting earlier
practices many had abandoned. In the global south, microfinance organizations
and educated individuals are helping seed budding ventures that foster workforce
adaptability, resilience and constant reinvention. Still, the examples are too few, too
fragmented and too small scale to materially improve livelihoods globally. As the pace
of change in an uncertain world increases, there is no time to lose.
To accelerate action, in August 2014 the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and
Development (OECD) Development Centre and The Rockefeller Foundation brought
together more than 25 experts at its conference center in Bellagio, Italy. Over four
days of conversation, the group discussed overlapping areas of opportunity for critical
players in the livelihoods puzzle, including employers, entrepreneurs, educators,
academics, financiers and development experts.
Global leaders at the meeting explored these issues and challenged current
assumptions. They analyzed failures and identified strategies to overcome them—
and proposed big, bold ideas and approaches to implementing them. Participants
represented organizations ranging from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the
World Bank to Fundación Paraguaya and Cisco Systems (see list of participants in the
appendix); their diverse perspectives helped surface strategies to prepare the world
for and perhaps help it pivot toward a very different future.
“Be bold and audacious in your ideas; be practical in their implementation,” Vijay
Vaitheeswaran, China business and finance editor at The Economist, urged participants
at the meeting’s opening. “Think about the connections among the different threads.
We have a tremendous opportunity to strengthen links and shape organizational
change.”
SECURELIVELIHOODS

The urgent and complex nature of today’s enmeshed livelihoods challenges—and
the collective brainpower required to spark solutions both triggered by and solved
through these very challenges—has spawned much livelihoods research. Much of
this research addresses the root causes and consequences of livelihoods challenges.
A useful starting point for the livelihoods discussion is The Future of Livelihoods,
Shaping Factors and Key Issues, a report produced by an OECD consultant for
the meeting. The research outlines pressing livelihood-linked challenges driven by
economics, demographics, the environment and technology. Below is a brief overview
of these forces, with all statistics from the OECD unless otherwise noted:
Economics. The recent global financial crisis eroded gains made in prior years in
many countries, crimped household and corporate spending, and hampered the
hiring of new workers. High government debt levels in some countries led to cuts in
funding for education and for social-protection and job-creation programs.
But many of these changes may be structural and, thus, permanent. Irrevocable
technological forces are driving productivity gains as well as income inequality, as capital
generated by the high-skills information economy becomes increasingly concentrated
in fewer hands. Although economic growth is now more evenly dispersed across the
world, income inequality is rising within nations. The share of national income going
to the richest 1% of Americans has doubled since 1980, from 10% to 20%, roughly
where it was a century ago. America’s Gini coefficient for disposable incomes is 0.39,
up almost 30% since 1980. Sweden’s is up by 25%, while China’s has risen about
50%, to 0.42. Education and skills play a key role in this equation because better
livelihood options tend to favor those with both.
As a result, high unemployment persists globally, and the specter of jobless growth
hangs over many countries. Hardest hit, perhaps, are heavily indebted European
nations and the transitioning economies of the south, like India and Brazil, that
borrowed heavily during economic upswings. The debate continues about whether
governments should pursue further painful austerity measures or dedicate more state
funds to stimulate economic growth and job creation. Meanwhile, tougher banking
regulations imposed to avoid future financial crises have weighed on corporate
borrowing—and hiring.
Demographics. Due to better and broader access to healthcare, the developed
world is living longer; its families are smaller. Since the 1950s, average life expectancy
has risen by 20 years, while the average fertility rate has halved, according to the
Recent Research
How do you
transition from a
world in which most
people get their
livelihoods from the
provision of labor,
to one in which
livelihoods come
from the ownership
of capital?
Conal Smith, section
head, Well-being
and Household
Conditions, OECD

13Secure Livelihoods
World Economic Forum. As a result, higher pension and health-care spending in
many European countries is straining already stretched state budgets. On average,
spending on health and pensions by OECD countries stands at 7.8% and 6.6% of
GDP, respectively. How these programs will continue to be funded at these levels
remains an open question. Possible solutions include increasing taxes, the retirement
age or immigration.

Meanwhile, many developing countries face a very different problem: finding suitable
employment for populations with large numbers of people under age 30. Many speak
of a “demographic dividend” for countries on the cusp of economic growth. India
could add about 2% per annum to its per capita GDP growth over the next two
decades if it can find work for its many young people. But in Africa and many other
places, this goal has proved elusive because a country’s capacity to absorb youth
into the workforce is limited by sheer numbers. This “youth bulge” also concerns
policymakers, because without productive activity, the risk of social unrest rises,
which could, in turn, trigger more crime, drug trafficking and gang violence.
Stoking the fire for terrorism, cyber terrorism and black-market activities are expanding,
dense cities in a number of countries. Urbanization is increasing at an unprecedented
rate in Africa, triggered in part by the shift from agrarian to industrialized livelihoods.
RECENTRESEARCH

Today, over half the global population lives in urban areas, and this share is expected to
grow to 60% by 2030, led by developing countries. In 2015, of 22 megacities with 10
million or more inhabitants, only 6 will be in OECD countries. Although the centralized
nature of cities can boost access to job opportunities, education, healthcare and
transport, a rise in slums and pollution are often a byproduct of rapid development. In
some Asian cities, pollution has already reached levels that far exceed those deemed
safe by the World Health Organization. Repurposing farmland for homes and office
buildings also exacerbates deteriorating food security and ecosystems.
Environment. Weather pattern shifts induced by climate change have serious
implications for livelihoods. More drought, flooding, storms and sea level rise threaten
many industries; farming and fisheries could suffer from reduced rainfall or faster
water evaporation from glaciers due to rising temperatures. Diverse effects of climate
change are expected to lower GDP in East and South Asia by more than 5% by 2060.
Many experts believe that only decisive action by governments can begin to shift
this trajectory. The poor will likely suffer most because their houses are often ill-fit to
weather storms, and they are less likely to be insured against disaster.
Energy and natural resources. Rising global consumption of energy and raw
materials amid growing shortages will generate a host of challenges. Global economic
growth alone will fuel an 80% increase in energy demand by 2050, according to
the Paris-based International Energy Agency. Meanwhile, overall water demand is
forecast to rise some 55% over this period. The ensuing competition for water will
affect many economic activities and lives, particularly in Africa and the Southern and
Central parts of Asia. Around 2.3 billion more people than today are projected to live
in river basins experiencing severe water stress by then.
Technology. The transformative nature of technology is well known. Today, the
boom in mobile phones and Internet connectivity is improving access to healthcare,
education, markets, banking and civic involvement. Technology’s impact on livelihoods
will likely grow. The Internet now boasts 2.5 billion users, and 6 billion people have
access to mobile phones. Africa has twice as many mobile phones as the United
States; in Africa, and in many developing regions, phones are increasingly used for
payments, such as remittances and financial transfers, helping to fill the gap in more-
developed financial infrastructure, according to the Oxford Martin Commission.
Many hope that technology skill gains will help offset job losses as more routine
tasks are automated. Some 47% of jobs are at risk of being automated, according to
research by Carl Benedikt Frey of the Oxford Martin School and Michael A. Osborne
of the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. In 30 years,
labor’s share of global output has shrunk to 59% from 64%. Low-skilled jobs are
particularly threatened, but as technology advances, the risk is spreading to white-
collar occupations such as accounting, legal work and technical writing. “Within 20
years, we will debate whether humans should be allowed on our roads. There won’t
be much work for humans to do,” said Vivek Wadhwa, a fellow at Stanford Law
School, at the meeting.
Are there
technologies
emerging that
can enhance
productivity at the
lower end of the
skill chain?
Kevin O’Neil,
Associate Director,
The Rockefeller
Foundation
RECENTRESEARCH

Jobs are about
more than meeting
our needs, they
bring meaning
[and] anchor social
stability.
Adrian Wooldridge,
management editor at
The Economist
But as technology takes some jobs away, it also opens the door to others. Technology’s
potential to drive livelihoods growth was explored in two papers produced by The
Rockefeller Foundation and distributed prior to the meeting.
Job Creation Through Building the Field of Impact Sourcing describes the potential
to exponentially grow business-processing outsourcing opportunities for those at the
bottom of the pyramid in Africa, particularly disadvantaged youth, with examples of
successful ”impact sourcing” (IS) initiatives in India, South Africa and Kenya, based
on different business models. Data suggests that incomes for IS employees can rise
as much as 200%.
Digital Jobs in Africa explores opportunities for jobs based on telecommunications
and technology advances in Africa for high-potential youth in six African countries.
Even a 10% increase in telephone, mobile phone, Internet and broadband use in the
developing world can boost a country’s gross domestic product by up to 1.38%,
according to the World Bank. Because 60% of Africa’s unemployed are youth,
technology offers great promise. For a sense of the opportunity, look to Ghana. Youth
who work in the country’s IT Enabled Services Secretariat program earn more than
five times the minimum wage.
As this research shows, technological innovation coupled with the right training for
workers will open new doors to high-quality jobs in industries ranging from technology
to health and clean energy. Some believe innovation has lagged in recent years due to
shrinking corporate budgets in the wake of the global recession and social protests,
such as the anti-GMO movement in Europe. But others foresee an innovation wave,
fueled by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and robotics. With the right mix of
incentives and collaboration, they argue, the benefits will help boost even unskilled
livelihood possibilities and quality of life across the globe.

Indeed, to boost the prospects of livelihoods, great possibilities exist to exploit ”positive
spirals,” or common, overlapping areas of interest among many sectors through
mutually beneficial trade-offs. After animated discussion at the meeting, a number
of strategies emerged that incorporate a range of approaches, at different stages of
life that embrace resilience and reinvention, to broaden livelihood options. Broadly
speaking, these strategies focus on expanded roles for individuals, communities,
organizations and institutions—and a more holistic idea of livelihoods as a source of
meaning in life, and as an anchor of social stability. These strategies include:
1. Make inclusiveness the cornerstone of livelihood-building efforts.
In the past, the concept of livelihoods was restricted to the concrete subjects
of income-generating opportunities and safety nets. But demographic and
technological shifts demand that efforts to bolster livelihoods also consider the
more intangible benefits of good livelihoods, such as emotional satisfaction, social
interaction and contributing to society. By viewing livelihoods through this wider
lens, these fundamental needs and contributions can be better met across the
globe, particularly among the young, poor and aging.
2. Build connections between new players to fill gaps in the system.In the
past, educational institutions were tasked with upskilling individuals, governments
with meeting basic needs, and employers with creating jobs that generated income
for the general population. Today’s unpredictable and fast-changing world means
many of these roles have changed, thus opening opportunities for other groups,
initiatives and approaches to help fill unmet needs. Such gaps include urgent needs
for financial help and training during critical phases of life, such as postsecondary
school or retirement, because training, social-protection programs and employers
are no longer tightly linked in the developed world. Nongovernmental organizations
can also help fill government knowledge gaps regarding how to meet the needs
of the poor and vulnerable by imparting lessons learned about how communities
and individuals became more resilient and adaptable amid livelihoods challenges.
Fresh, cross-sectoral approaches will better and more quickly fill these gaps.
3. Shift responsibility to individuals to create ever-changing livelihoods
for a lifetime. Work is becoming increasingly self-directed as we move further
into the knowledge-based economy and as organizations demand more precise
skills than in the past, when humans performed many repetitive tasks. As a result,
opportunities and the approaches to livelihoods are many and varied. These include
freelance work, “bite-size” tasks, micro-jobs, just-in-time contracts and later-in-life
Strategies
New technology
platforms enable
reach, flexibility and
the portability of
solutions for better
livelihoods.
Angela Wilkinson,
OECD

STRATEGIES consulting. And in the agrarian world, this might mean self-sufficient agricultural
patches using advanced technologies such as drip irrigation, advanced storage
crop rotations—even the 3D printing of spare parts.
“With all these technologies, we can create community islands of self-sufficiency,”
said Jean-Francois Rischard, former vicepresident of the World Bank. Individuals
and communities that embrace the idea of control and responsibility for livelihoods
will best equip themselves for the future. But we will build more-resilient and
economically inclusive communities only if we have a broader global commitment
to disseminating and democratizing the access to appropriate knowledge and
technologies, with more-focused government and employer efforts to meet more
intangible livelihood needs.
4. But empower the community to broaden livelihood opportunities.
As the control and responsibility for livelihoods increasingly shifts to communities
and individuals, creatively pooling assets to meet needs previously filled by
governments and employers takes on new importance. In this “shared economy,”
homes, cars and other goods are leased to others for supplemental income and for
the redistribution of opportunity, while communities pool resources for insurance,
large investments or village infrastructure improvement. Volunteer contributions
such as gardening in a community garden or teaching could be rendered in
exchange for an income transfer and help build the pool of expertise. Financial
innovation, such as micro-insurance and the ability to decentralize service delivery
through technological advancements like off-grid electricity provision, make these
sorts of exchanges or micro-contributions possible.
5. And fortify the government’s role as spark and backstop, rather
than the key livelihoods driver. Even the most prosperous societies, at the
best of times, have not fully met the livelihoods needs of their people. Today’s
more-complex, demographically changing and uncertain world in which the social
contract between employer and employee for an income and social benefits in
exchange for work is eroding demands that individuals and governments take
on a more prominent role in meeting these needs. Individuals, communities and
the government, in particular, can help fund and stimulate job creation and build
social-protection programs that meet both income and softer livelihood needs,
such as safety nets and socially inclusive, community-based endeavors.
6. Tap into creative financing for government-backed income
transfers. Already stretched government budgets demand more creative and
broader approaches to funding more socially inclusive and effective livelihoods-
building programs such as cash transfers, guaranteed work programs, wage or
savings subsidies and grants for self-investment. Sources of funding for these
initiatives might include establishing or expanding carbon or wealth taxes—or
issuing social-impact bonds for social-protection and job-creation programs.
Enlisting the support of, and working with, potential new contributors such as
billionaire philanthrocapitalists, or tapping endowments from foundations will help

bolster resources for such programs. In this process, because some options
may be politically unpopular or the approaches new, aligning interests to forge
effective alliances across sectors will be critical. Broader acceptance of the idea
that we are transitioning from a world in which people’s livelihoods are based
on the labor provided to one based on the ownership of capital will help expand
funding sources.
7. Harness technology to build skills, connect interested parties to
build new businesses, and to disseminate news about livelihoods
opportunities to communities and individuals. Education and technology
are increasingly the root of secure livelihoods. But the benefits of technology
disproportionately flow to more-skilled and well-capitalized parties. Opportunities
abound to broaden education, skill-building and livelihood opportunities, with the
right medium and scale, particularly among those with fewer skills, and the poor
and vulnerable. “Before, technological revolutions happened over centuries. Now
they happen over years,” said Adrian Wooldridge, management editor at The
Economist. “As the pace of change increases, so does our adaptability.”
STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES 8. Leverage the free flow of people, ideas, education and money
to match skills and needs. In wealthier countries, migration has helped meet
changing labor needs, with those most in need employing economic migrants in
search of opportunity. Expanding this approach to tap into part-time or remote
work, through, for example, ”snackable” tasks over the Internet or in discreet
life phases, will help meet employer needs and generate income for households
and government-backed public goods provision. Many unmet needs can be filled
through innovative approaches that tap into the free flow of tasks and ideas across
borders, such as Task Rabbit, a website that helps match chores or jobs with
interested parties. Demographic concentrations (for example, the large pool of
high-potential youth in Africa) who can help meet demand for needs in countries
with aging populations (such as those of Northern Europe or China) make such
models complementary. “In Tanzania, 800,000 people join the labor force every
year and become “Me Incs,“ said Aidan Eyakuze, associate regional director at
the Society for International Development. “Our army of young people can provide
companionship, care and other services, like reading the newspaper to the elderly
elsewhere. Meanwhile, old people can impart wisdom.”
9. Embrace the idea of learning as a lifelong process. In the past,
education was a finite process, with a clear beginning, middle and end, to acquire
basic skills for secure, lifelong employment. That is no longer true. The rapidly
evolving needs of employers demand that individuals and communities constantly
acquire skills and knowledge that better equip them for livelihoods. In the process,
learning centers, job-creation incubators and the ability to work remotely or learn
from on-the-job training will play a more central role to tap the best from all people,
particularly the disadvantaged. “Education isn’t something that is ‘done’ to you.
Learning is something you do for yourself,” added Mr. Eyakuze. “Your university
will continue training you throughout your lifetime.”
10. Wring value from a world in which we may work far less by tapping
the strengths of communities and individuals to help solve critical
problems and build inclusiveness, foster human interaction and knowledge
acquisition. Employer or educator substitutes for the traditional workplace or
school, such as community learning centers, can help individuals and communities,
particularly the underserved, build confidence, spark ideas, develop contacts and
create a sense of community.

A number of possible solutions are emerging from such strategies, which seek to
expand the involvement of the state, community or individual, to open a universe of
livelihoods opportunities. These are often based on innovative technology, financing
or delivery models.
To settle on such solutions, experts are untangling the drivers, identifying obstacles
and ways to overcome them, and analyzing the roles of actors, such as government,
communities, corporations and markets. They are envisioning a different future
to draw out key themes and to imagine new possibilities that may inspire other
solutions, even if the specific action does not materialize. This process at the Bellagio
meeting helped surface mutually beneficial approaches and tools, and approaches
that might improve the prospects for livelihoods. Future solutions include:
1. Technology as an enabler of lifelong learning. When new technology
arrives, seasoned knowledge workers first tap into and benefit from its availability.
The rapid uptake of cellular phones in Africa and Asia, however, shows that new
technologies can be quickly leveraged by all segments of the population for the
greater good, for better access to healthcare, finance and education.
One such proposed solution, named ”Plato,” calls for synchronizing and
formalizing the availability of mechanisms for lifelong learning through a
standardized but customizable structure that integrates broadband and tablets
and any future emerging technologies with human guidance, such as personal
education guides and career coaches. And it connects these with existing
school networks and standards to fortify livelihood prospects. Through such an
approach, communities and individuals from all backgrounds, particularly the
underserved, can constantly acquire and renew skills, tap into opportunities and
forge stronger community ties in a portable manner.
“Education is a game changer, and social inclusion is more important than ever,”
said Tae Yoo, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Cisco Systems.
This process could be particularly powerful at the critical knowledge-acquisition
and transition periods, such as the prekindergarten, postsecondary and senior
levels, and for poor, vulnerable or transitioning populations.
“We want a lifelong learning environment that evaluates changing skills required
Future solutions
How do you
lead with
experimentation –
how do you push
that further, faster?
Conal Smith, section
head, Well-being
and Household
Conditions, OECD.

in different career groups, and that maps those to a long-term personal tutor
system,” added Ms. Yoo. “This system can match skills with jobs, and evolves
and adjusts throughout a learner’s life.”
2. Creative financing as a lever for change. Communities and individuals
need capital for specific reasons and at critical points in their lives, to acquire
new skills, search for work or embark on entrepreneurial activities. This need is
particularly acute for the poor and vulnerable. Earlier access to capital at these
moments will help individuals build it throughout their lives, through savings
accounts, investments and new ventures that generate income for themselves
and those they employ. These, in turn, can help spur job creation if ventures
scale up, and reduce resources needed for social-protection programs.
By harnessing high-impact cash transfers from governments, foundations or
other organizations, to help upskill individuals, finance apprenticeships, or to
ease the adjustment to better employment options through such critical periods
as postsecondary education or preretirement transitions, individuals are better
equipped for livelihoods over their lifetimes. Simply put, such cash transfers
connected to schools and the labor market can help overcome the ”failure to
launch” problem, particularly in developing countries that grapple with enormous
numbers of youth.
Sources that might help fund such a scheme include the public purse or
philanthropy; carbon or oil taxes; social-impact bonds; or peer-to-peer or youth-
to-youth lending, with the size and duration of such grants tied to one’s age
and specific national circumstances. But for such a program to be effective,
preconditions are critical. These might include education completion and some
sort of life plan, secure money transfers, and metrics to measure success
through school enrollment or workplace engagement. “The idea is to create a
larger ecosystem for better options, to shepherd youth to employment,” said
Kevin O’Neil, associate director at The Rockefeller Foundation. “This gets them
through a critical period and makes them employable for life.”
3. Government as backstop for universal well-being, social inclusion
and income. Full employment is an illusion. The erosion of the social contract
with employers, the shift to a knowledge-based economy, and the potentially
devastating impact of uncertain global forces demand that governments serve
as backstop to ensure that their populations’ basic needs are met while new
livelihoods models emerge.
The government can help meet these needs through a guaranteed minimum
income, by providing safety nets for healthcare, pensions and unemployment
insurance, and by funding state-backed local job, training and education
incubators.
But collaboration across many sectors for a broader government role as a
livelihoods facilitator will be critical. Joint efforts may include income earning
FUTURESOLUTIONS

and learning centers where individuals can build community, collaborate and
contribute toward work for all. Volunteer work options, in which individuals
receive government subsidies for some social contribution to society, may
include planting village gardens, improving infrastructure, restoring ecosystems,
tutoring or launching job-creation schemes.
“We envision a marketplace ranging from paid internships to private-sector jobs to
paid students, with the government running a portfolio of pro-bono contributions
and safety nets, in conjunction with community centers and incubators,” said
Vijay Vaitheeswaran of The Economist. “Everyone who wants to work can, and
meets [his or her] basic needs. “There are more paths to work than being paid.”
4. Cross-sectoral collaboration to formalize the informal and share its
benefits. The centralized nature of cities helps pool resources and opportunity
for large, diverse and dense populations. But this concentration can also seed
inequality, because all too often the poor and vulnerable are left with fewer
resources, rights and opportunities to make a living than formal settlements with
formal workforces. “How can we tackle the root causes of urban migration? How
do we eliminate or reduce stress migration?” asked Asher Hasan, founder of
Naya Jeevan. “We want to provide rural migrants a path to property rights and
sustainable livelihoods.”
In this regard, a number of new tools and approaches are now available to
communities of all means to help them on their path toward legitimacy, social
protection and opportunity. These include technology, legislative developments
and community organizing. The ”Live it up” working group solution builds
on these elements, with technology as its cornerstone—in a mobile platform,
software and tablets.
One possible solution may involve an “urban passport,” through a universal,
electronic identification card guaranteeing basic rights such as access to
education and healthcare, which brings protection in key areas including property
ownership. Over time, such a card could be used to build financial inclusion
through mobile banking services. By focusing on slums, the flow of migration from
rural areas to cities may recede, and better-paid opportunities and protection in
informal settlements may take root. “Livelihoods have two elements: income and
what you do it for,” said Conal Smith, section head, well-being and household
conditions, at the OECD. “If urbanization is losing your community then there is
a trade-off.”
FUTURESOLUTIONS

As we look ahead to a world in which livelihoods will suffer from many structural,
demographic and economic forces, we struggle with disruptive change.
But, paradoxically, as the solutions discussed above show, disruption is also shifting the
power and opportunity for livelihoods from employers and governments to individuals and
communities. New ways that livelihoods are fostered, funded and scaled up will broaden
opportunity, particularly for the underserved.
As we unravel the drivers and identify overlapping interests that, if connected and acted
upon, can help shift the current trajectory, technology, institutional failure and the fluid
movement of ideas, education, people and capital portend a brighter future across the
globe. But we must first fill gaps in the system, and governments must take on a vital
backstop role, to ensure universal well-being through stimulus funding, income transfers
and social protection.
In this optimistic scenario, the more empowered and tailored control of options will
improve our income earning, well-being and self-fulfillment prospects—through emotional
satisfaction and social contributions—at all levels, so that all of us can learn, adapt and
strengthen our means and abilities. We believe in this future. We hope you will join us on
this journey.
Conclusion

Top, left to right: Betty Sue Flowers, Jean Eric Aubert, Conal Smith, Imraan Valodia and Fernanda Bak
Middle: Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Kevin O’Neil, Jean-François Rischard, John Irons, Ahmadou Mbaye,
Angela Wilkinson, Aidan Eyakuze, Rachel Slater, Vivek Wadhwa, Carl Dahlman and Mamadou Biteye
Bottom: Mauricio Santa Maria, Benyamin Lakitan, Ashar Hasan, Carolyn Whelan, Busisiwe Ntuli,
Robert Garris, Tae Yoo, Janki Andharia, Samantha Silberberg, Adrian Wooldridge, Eriko Suzuta, Yang Du
and Luis Fernando Sanabria.
Livelihoods
Meeting Participants

1. Janki Andharia
Professor
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
2. Jean Eric Aubert
Consultant
OECD Development Centre
3. Sara Bernstein
Executive Director
Centre for Development and Enterprise
4. Mamadou Biteye
Managing Director
The Rockefeller Foundation
5. Carl Dahlman
Head of Global Research and Thematic
Division
6. Yang Du
Professor
Institute of Population and Labour
Economics
Chinese Academy of Sciences
7. Aidan Eyakuze
Associate Regional Director
Society for International Development
8. Betty Sue Flowers
Professor Emeritus
University of Texas at Austin
9. Robert Garris
Managing Director
10. Ashar Hasan
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Naya Jeevan
11. John Irons
Managing Director
12. Benyamin Lakitan
Senior Adviser
Ministry of Research and Technology,
Indonesia
13. Ahmadou Mbaye
Professor
University Cheikh Anta Diop Economics
14. Busisiwe Ntuli
Director, Technology for Sustainable
Livelihoods
Dept. of Science & Technology, South
Africa
15. Kevin O’Neil
Associate Director
16. Jean-François Rischard
Former Vice President
World Bank
17. Luis Fernando Sanabria
General Manager
Fundación Paraguaya
18. Mauricio Santa Maria
Former minister of Health and Social
Protection
Colombia
19. Rachel Slater
Head of Programme, Social Protection
Overseas Development Institute
20. Conal Smith
Section head, Well-being/Household
Conditions
OECD
21. Eriko Suzuta
Consultant
22. Imraan Valodia
Dean, Faculty of Commerce, Law and
Management
University of Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg
23. Vijay Vaitheeswaran
China Business and Finance Editor
The Economist
24. Vivek Wadhwa
Fellow
Stanford University Law School
25. Angela Wilkinson
Strategic Foresight Counsellor,
OECD
26. Adrian Wooldridge
Management Editor
The Economist
27. Tae Yoo
Senior Vice President
Cisco Systems
“Secure Livelihoods” was convened by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Centre with support
from The Rockefeller Foundation.

Securing Livelihoods

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