Sustainable Livelihood

The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework • It’s ONE WAY of “organising” the complex issues surrounding POVERTY • It’s NOT the ONLY WAY • It needs to be:

Modified o Adapted o Made appropriate to local circumstances o Made appropriate to local priorities o

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Why an ‘approach’? It’s about trying to see development standing in the shoes of the poor not from the shoes of: the ‘expert’ or the ‘service delivery manager’

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'A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material and social resources) and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base' (Chambers, R. and G. Conway, 1992).

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Livelihood Job "A livelihood, on the "A job connotes one other hand, is particular activity or engagement in a trade that is number of activities performed in which, at times, exchange for payment. neither require a It is also a formal formal agreement nor agreement, as are limited to a manifested by a particular trade. contract, between an Livelihoods may or employer and may not involve money. Jobs invariably employee...... . A job do. Livelihoods are can, however, self-directing. .... . comprise part of an Livelihoods are based overall livelihood, but on income derived does so only to Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences 5 from "jobs", but also

What is a livelihood? • A livelihood comprises -- the capabilities, – assets (material and social) – activities required for a means of living. • Not just the means to survive but the capability to thrive

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The Sustainable Livelihood Framework -1 Is simply a tool to help: o plan new development/adaptation initiatives o assess the contribution to livelihood sustainability made by existing activities It: o provides a checklist of relevant issues o highlights what influences what o emphasizes the multiple interactions Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences that affect people’s livelihoods

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The Sustainable Livelihood Framework -2

Helps us think holistically about: o

o o o o

The things that poor rural households 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 they respond to threats of climate change What sort of adaptation strategies are open to them Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Principles of SLA • People-centered: beginning by understanding peoples’ priorities and livelihood strategies. ● Responsive and participatory: responding to the expressed priorities of poor people. ● Multi-level: ensuring micro-level realities inform macro-level institutions and processes. ● Conducted in partnership: working with public, private and civil society actors. ● Sustainable: environmentally, economically, institutionally, and socially. ● Dynamic: ensuring support is flexible and processoriented, responding to changing livelihoods. ● Holistic: reflecting the integrated nature of people’s lives and diverse strategies. Building on strengths: while addressing vulnerabilities. Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Principles -1 • People at the centre • Holistic analysis – Not supply driven

• Asset-based analysis – Build on inherent potential – Not on weaknesses and gaps

• Focus on outcomes (results) Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Principles -2 If people are at ‘the centre’, it affects the way services are delivered • Participatory

– Involves users directly

• Responsive

– Flexible and dynamic

• Multi-agency

– ‘Joined-up’ work (Integration) – Partnerships

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‘PIPS’ effectively determine: • access (to various types of capital, to livelihood strategies and to decision-making bodies and sources of influence) • the terms of exchange between different types of capital • returns (economic and otherwise) to any given livelihood strategy.

Without a pro-poor and supportive enabling environment, interventions have little impact Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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SLA and RBA: Complimentary? • Rights-based perspective: • focuses on linkages between public institutions and civil society and, particularly, on • how to increase the accountability of public institutions to all citizens.

• The livelihoods approach, • takes as its starting point a need to understand the livelihoods of poor people in context. • also recognizes the importance of these rights and of enhancing accountability Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Principles -3 • Focus on institutions – – – – –

the ‘rules of the game’ ‘voice’ and ‘choice’ rights, entitlements, inclusion multi-level consistency ‘micro-macro’ linkages

Focus on sustainability

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Livelihoods assets Human Capital Social Capital

Physical Capital

The Poor

Natural Capital

Financial Capital Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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The SL Framework

Livelihood Outcomes • + Sustainable use of NR base • + Income • + Well-being • - Vulnerability • + Food security

Livelihood Capital Assets

Human Social

Physica l

Natural

Financi al

Policies & Institutions Government Socio-Cultural

Livelihood Strategies

Vulnerability Context

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Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

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Focussing on the poor

The Poor

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Livelihood Assets Personal Human

Social

Financial

The Poor

Physical

Natural

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Unpacking Policies and Institutions Enabling agencies

Service providers Personal

Social

Financial

The Poor

Human

Physical Natural

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Unpacking “Processes” Enabling agencies

Service providers

Personal Social

Financial

The Poor

Human

Physical Natural Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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An Envelope of Action Enabling agencies

Service providers

Personal Social

Financial

The Poor

Human

Physical Natural

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Strong Envelope – People Less Vunerable

Enabling agencies

Service providers Personal

Social

Financial

The Poor

Human

Physical Natural

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Weak Envelope – People More Vulnerable

Service providers

Enabling agencies Personal Social Financial

The Poor

Human Physical

Natural

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Service providers

Enabling agencies Personal Social Financial

The Poor

Human Physical

Natural

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The five Capitals /Assets Assets/ Capitals Human:

Examples

Financial:

Skills, Knowledge, Information, Ability to work, Health Savings, Credit, Remittances, Pensions

Social:

Networks, Groups, Trust, Access to services

Built:

Transport, Shelter, Water, Energy

Natural:

Land, Water, Wildlife, Biodiversity, Environment, Solar

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The five capitals 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,

water, energy,

comms

Social capital - networks, groups, trust, access to institutions

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Social Capital - Issues • Much debate centers on the concept of social capital – one of the key terms in the development lexicon and the missing link in development ‘the glue that holds society together’ • Concept attributed to Putnam who identifies three elements of social relations – Interpersonal trust, networks and shared norms • Where these elements function well they enable people to act together more effectively, make decisions, formulate policy and gain access to power and resources • Proposed that the major obstacle of economic and social development in the ‘third world’ is ineffective institutions Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Social capital - critique • Key critiques of Putnam’s approach are that it

– Devalues political civil society – concentrates on ‘apolitical’ institutions – Romanticizes associational life – Deterministic – “path dependent development” – you either have social capital or you don’t. – A repackaging of what social scientists have studied for years with new terms

• social capital equals “Bankspeak”, a term designed to neutralize and obscure problems and relations of power (Harriss and Fine)

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Counterpoints • Hilary argues that the concept of social capital exposes the limitations of conventional economic approaches for understanding economic and social processes

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What is a sustainable livelihood? A livelihood is sustainable when it can: – cope with and recover from stresses and shocks – maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, – while not undermining the natural resource base.

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Livelihood Strategies What do people do?

• • • • • •

Natural-resource based Non-NR / off-farm activities Migration / remittances Pensions and grants Intensification vs. diversification Short-term vs. long-term

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Livelihood outcomes What people are trying to achieve with their assets and strategies Categories of livelihood outcome • More income • Increased well-being • Reduced vulnerability • Improved food security • More sustainable use of the natural resource base Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Livelihood Outcomes What are people seeking to achieve? • • • • • • •

More sustainable use of the NR base More income Increased well-being Protect rights Recover dignity Reduced vulnerability Improved food security Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Human Capital • • • • • •

Health Nutrition Education Knowledge and skills Capacity to work Capacity to adapt

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Natural Capital • Land and produce

• Wild foods & fibres

• Water & aquatic resources

• Biodiversity

• Trees and forest products

• Environmental services

• Wildlife Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Social Capital • Networks and connections o patronage o neighbourhoods o kinship

• • • • •

Relations of trust and mutual support Formal and informal groups Common rules and sanctions Collective representation Mechanisms for participation in decision-making • Leadership Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Physical Capital • Infrastructure • • • • •

transport - roads, vehicles, etc. secure shelter & buildings water supply & sanitation energy communications

• Tools and techology • tools and equipment for production • seed, fertiliser, pesticides • traditional technology

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Financial Capital • Savings • Credit/debt - formal, informal, NGOs • Remittances • Pensions • Wages Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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The Asset Mix • Different households with different access to livelihood “assets/capital” • Livelihoods affected by: o diversity of assets o amount of assets o balance between assets Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Human capital • labour capacity

So……..

• no education • limited skills

Landless female agricultural labourer Human Capital

Social Capital Physical Capital

Natural capital • landless

• access to common property resources

Financial capital • low wages

• no access to credit

Physical capital Natural • poor water supply Capital • poor housing

• poor communications

Financial Capital

Social capital • low social status

• descrimination against women • strong links with family & friends • traditions of reciprocal exchange

= an extremely reduced “livelihood pentagon”

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Understanding vulnerability • Moser characterizes vulnerability as insecurity in the well being of individuals, households or communities in the face of a changing environment – Because people move in and out of poverty the concept of vulnerability better captures processes of change that poverty line measures

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Understanding vulnerability • Chambers observes that vulnerability has two sides – An external side of risks, shocks and stress – An internal side of defencelessness due to lack of means to cope with damaging loss Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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“Vulnerability” Context • Shocks – Floods, droughts, cyclones – Deaths in the family – Violence or civil unrest • Seasonality • Trends and changes – Population – Environmental change – Technology – Markets and trade – Globalisation Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Vulnerability Context The external environment in which people exist

Shocks - illness,death in the family, disaster-

floods,droughts,cyclones, economic, conflict-violence or civil unrest, crop / livestock pests & diseases

Stresses – long term trends that undermine livelihood potential: population, environment-declining natural resource base, climate change, markets and tradeinflation, currency devaluation, structural unemployment, poor governance, globalisation etc

Seasonality- prices, production, health, employment Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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“Vulnerability” Context H

Vulnerability Context

N

S The Poor

Shocks Seasonality Trends Changes

P

F

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Policies, Institutions & Processes • Policies

• • • •

of of of of

government different LEVELS of government NGOs interational bodies

• Institutions

• • • • • • • •

political, legislative & representative bodies executive agencies judicial bodies civil society & membership organisations NGOs law, money political parties commercial enterprises & corporations

• Processes

• • • • •

the “rules of the game” decision-making processes social norms & customs gender, caste, class language

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Policies, Institutions & Processes

H Vulnerability Context Shocks Seasonality Trends Changes

S

N

The Poor P

influence

Policies Institutions Processes

F

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Livelihood Strategies Combining: • the assets they can access Taking account of: • the vulnerability context Supported or obstructed by: • policies, institutions and processes. ………..………..leading to Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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Livelihood Outcomes Poverty - a “poor” livelihood outcome: • based on a fragile or unbalanced set of livelihood assets • unable to sustain to shocks, changes or trends • not supported, or actively obstructed by policies, institutions and processes that do not allow assets to be used as they might • livehood options combined in a “bad” or unsustainable strategy Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

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The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework H Vulnerability Context Shocks Seasonality Trends Changes

S

N

Policies influence Institutions Processes

The Poor

P

Livelihood Strategies

Livelihood Outcomes

F

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Uses • A guide for people in the analysis of development practice and issues • Encourages discussion and probing • Not necessarily easier to explain but more complete • Specifically identifies many features – politics, rules, social norms, gender/age/class/ethnic issues – that will help make it more culture specific • Still not a magic bullet!

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Advantages •Addresses some of the “grey areas” identified regarding SL  Places the poor firmly at the centre – makes people visible  Suggests the importance of clear definition of who is at the centre of the analysis  Unpacks the PIP box – more specific regarding key institutions and processes – and provides a more practical approach to analysing institutional and policy issues  Incorporates political dimension more explicitly  Helps understand entry points – based on opportunities and aspirations, possible at different levels (identifying them still depends on good analysis)

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How does the SL differ from previous approaches?

PRE-SRL

SRL

Starting point

Resources, needs

People

Level of operation

Either policy or field level

Conceptions of poverty

Income-based, simple, measurable

Both policy and field levels with clear links between them Multi-dimensional, complex

Sectoral scope

Single sector

Multi -sectoral

Indicators

Specified at outset

Time frame

3 - 5 years

People and outcome oriented; negotiated/ developed over time. Longer

Project size

Medium

Supporting Research

Production system-based

Start small and grow Livelihood strategy-based. Action research

Skills needed for core staff

Technical, policy

Managerial, policy, facilitators.

Source: Carney, 1998

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A Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

service providers

Influences

io n

sh ip s

natural

individual

re la t

re la t

io ns hi ps

relationships

controllers

religion social

age human

ability & disability

You

ethnicity

physical

personal history

gender

class & caste locality

information

financial

Hopes

Opportunities CHOICES

ACTIONS Compiled by S.Rengasamy-Madurai Institute of Social Sciences

Livelihood Outcomes

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