The main areas of SL-related work are:

• Practical application of SL to sector policies and project cycle management: development of SL approaches to policy research and practice in a range of sectors -- agriculture, water, forestry, fisheries, tourism, transport -- and in every key stage of the project cycle (programme identification, project design and project review and evaluation);
• Research into governance and livelihoods: identifying how governance approaches and policy contexts (particularly decentralisation and poverty initiatives) affect diverse livelihoods, exits from poverty, and natural resource access/management of the poor;
• Learning from, and sharing, experience in SL: synthesis of SL experience within and beyond DFID. Development and documentation of methodologies used in applied work. Explanation of DFID's SL approach (e.g. in DFID guidance sheets, overseas briefings for DFID partners). Lesson-learning missions for DFID (e.g. on policy contexts, institutions and processes). Dissemination of SL lessons through ODI publications and networks (Natural Resource Perspectives, ODI Working Papers, Poverty Briefing Papers, Forestry papers) and wider electronic fora.