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Use
of Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches
This project arose out of previous research in Zambia, Zimbabwe
and South Africa on the institutional implications of the
sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA). This work found that
if livelihoods of poor people are to improve, linkages between
micro level (community) and meso level (local government and
service providers) need to be addressed, both in terms of
improving participatory governance and of improving services.
Participation in planning was identified as a key method for
improving these links, with the important benefit of facilitating
poor people to influence the resource allocation system -
without which the ability to promote sustainable livelihoods
for poor people remains limited.
The
core methodology developed is derived from seeking to apply
SLA in a planning context. The principles underlying it are
derived from the SL principles and include:
- ensuring
that poor people are included in planning;
- making
systems realistic and practical, and which link in and integrate
with existing processes, particularly local government planning;
- linking
planning to a legitimate structure, ideally one that can
take funds;
- ensuring
that planning is not a once off exercise, but part of longer
process;
- making
the plan people focused and empowering;
- planning
from vision and strength/opportunities not problems;
- planning
holistically to cover all sectors;
- planning
to promote mutual accountability between community and officials;
- building
commitment by councillors and officials and delegating responsibility
to ensure the plan is implemented.
Livelihoods
analysis was also used as a tool in the planning process to
bring out different interest groups and activities in the
pilot project wards, and to some extent to organise group
work around priority interests.
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