Sustainable livelihoods (SL) approaches provide fresh insights into poverty analysis. What are the key institutional issues in promoting an SL approach in Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa? What changes are needed in policies, structures and processes to support a SL approach? Just how well are governments tackling poverty? Evidence suggests that the SL approach is a useful tool in structuring analysis of support required to assist the poor.

The SL approach can help identify support required to assist the poor, through a holistic analysis of strengths and of micro-macro linkages. Drawing on the policies and development of institutions over the last 20 years, the paper asks several questions:

• Are poor people active and involved in managing their own development?
• Is there an active network of local service providers?
• Are public and private sector services effective, co-ordinated, and responsive?
• Is there support and supervision at a regional level?
• Is there strategic direction, redistribution and oversight centrally?

If poverty is to be reduced, the paper argues, radical changes are needed. Using the SL framework to structure analysis, institutions and institutional support were considered to include:

• organisations influencing peoples lives
• services people use
• policy environment
• incentives available such as grants, unwritten power relations
• rules that govern people's lives

Policy implications included suggestions that:

• Decentralised policies and action need to be strengthened, including fiscal decentralisation
• The interface between micro-level understanding of clients and macro-level policies is best managed at district level, as is co-ordination of service delivery.
• New approaches are needed to improve village-level service delivery and linking community-based planning with local government.
• Public sector reform should include improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness in eradicating poverty. This would require re-engineering service delivery in response to better client-orientation, improved cost-effectiveness and institutional pluralism.
• National strategies are needed on poverty, rural development, and local economic development, based on a real understanding of micro-level realities.
• Joint learning programmes are needed between southern African countries and donors to explore new answers to the challenge of poverty. Policies and structures in both may need significant change so that real impacts can be made.

Source(s):
‘Institutional support for sustainable rural livelihoods in southern Africa: Results from Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa' Natural Resource Perspectives #50, London: ODI, by I. Goldman, J. Carnegie, M. Marumo, D. Munyoro,T. Kela, S. Ntonga and E. Mwale (March 2000)
'Institutional support for sustainable rural livelihoods in southern Africa: Framework and methodology', Natural Resource Perspectives #49 by I. Goldman, J. Carnegie, M. Marumo, D. Munyoro, E. Kela, S. Ntonga and E. Mwale (March 2000)
‘Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: what contribution can we make?’ London: Department for International Development (DFID) edited by D. Carney (1998)

Funded by: Department for International Development, UK

id21 Research Highlight: 16 January 2001

Further Information:
Ian Goldman, James Carnegie, or Moscow Maruma
Khanya - Managing Rural Change
17 James Scott Street
Brandwag
Bloemfontein 9301
South Africa

Contact the contributor: goldman@khanya-mrc.co.za

Khanya - Managing Rural Change

Contact the contributor: james@khanya-mrc.co.za

Contact the contributor: moscow@khanya-mrc.co.za

Other related links:
Search the resources of Livelihoods Connect for further information on poverty.

Refer to this FAO site for more research on sustainable livelihoods.

Read more about sustainable livelihoods from the UN.

More resources on the UNDP poverty site.

More links to poverty-related sites and research from UNESCO.

Check Oneworld for up-to-date information and news.

The University of Wisconsin has more research on poverty-related issues.