IFAD SL Workshop

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

Slide 1 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

Livelihoods assets
Human
Capital

Social Natural
Capital The Poor Capital

Physical Financial
Capital Capital
Slide 2 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework
IFAD SL Workshop

Human Capital
• Health
• Nutrition
• Education
• Knowledge and skills
• Capacity to work
• Capacity to adapt

Slide 3 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

Natural Capital
• Land and produce • Wild foods & fibres

• Water & aquatic

• Biodiversity
resources

• Trees and forest • Environmental

products services

• Wildlife

Slide 4 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

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

Slide 5 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

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

Slide 6 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

Financial Capital
• Savings

• Credit/debt - formal, informal, NGOs

• Remittances

• Pensions

• Wages

Slide 7 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

The Asset Mix

• Different households with different
access to livelihood “assets”

• Livelihoods affected by:

o diversityof assets
o amount of assets
o balance between assets

Slide 8 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop
Human capital

So…….. • labour capacity

• no education
Landless • limited skills
female Natural capital
agricultural • landless
labourer • access to common property resources
Financial capital
Human
Capital • low wages
• no access to credit
Physical capital
• poor water supply
Social Natural • poor housing
Capital Capital • poor communications
Social capital
• low social status
Physical Financial • descrimination against women
Capital Capital • strong links with family & friends
• traditions of reciprocal exchange
= an extremely reduced “livelihood
pentagon”
Slide 9 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework
IFAD SL Workshop

“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

Slide 10 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

“Vulnerability” Context
H

Vulnerability
Context N
S
Shocks The Poor
Seasonality
Trends
Changes

P F

Slide 11 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

Policies, Institutions & Processes

• of government
• Policies • of different LEVELS of government
• of NGOs
• of interational bodies

• political, legislative & representative bodies

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

• the “rules of the game”

• Processes • decision-making processes
• social norms & customs
• gender, caste, class
• language
Slide 12 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework
IFAD SL Workshop

Policies, Institutions & Processes

H
Vulnerability
Context
Policies
Shocks S The Poor N
influence Institutions
Seasonality
Trends Processes
Changes
P F

Slide 13 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

Livelihood Strategies
Combining:
• the assets they can access

Taking account of:

• the vulnerability context

Supported or obstructed by:

• policies, institutions and processes.

………..………..leading to

Slide 14 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

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

Slide 15 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

IFAD SL Workshop

The Sustainable Livelihoods

Framework

H
Vulnerability
Context
Shocks Policies Livelihood Livelihood
Seasonality S The Poor Ninfluence Institutions Strategies Outcomes
Trends Processes
Changes

P F

Slide 16 Sustainable Livelihoods Framework