Sustainable Livelihoods Approach

Annex 3: Key Questions for Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis

How complex is the local environment (the more complex, the greater importance of knowledge?)
From where (what sources, networks) do people access information that they feel is valuable to their livelihoods?
Which groups, if any, are excluded from accessing these sources?
Does this ‘exclusion’ affect the nature of information available?
Are knowledge ‘managers’ (e.g. teachers or core members of knowledge networks) from a particular social background that affects the type of knowledge that exists in the community?
Is there a tradition of local innovation? Are technologies in use from internal or external sources?/li>
Do people feel that they are particularly lacking in certain types of information?
How aware are people of their rights and of the policies, legislation and regulation that impact on their livelihoods? If they consider themselves to be aware, how accurate is their understanding?

What social networks and more formalised groups (vertical and horizontal) exist?
To what extent do such networks and formalised groups build trust, facilitate cooperation and expand access to wider institutions?
How does such trust, cooperation and access influence livelihood opportunities?

Which groups have access to which types of natural resources?
What is the nature of access rights (e.g. private, common?). How secure are they? Can they be defended against encroachment?
Is there evidence of significant conflict over resources?
How productive is the resource (e.g. soil fertility)? Has this been changing over time (e.g. variation in yields)?
Is there existing knowledge that can help increase the productivity of resources?
Is there much spatial variability in the quality of the resource?
How is the resource affected by externalities (e.g. cross-boundary impacts of other users)?
How versatile is the resource? Can it be used for multiple purposes (this can be important in cushioning users against particular shocks)

What is the state of transport infrastructure and services, ICT and energy supplies?
How do they directly or indirectly support livelihoods?
What access do people have to them?
Do people have adequate shelter, water supply and sanitation?

In what form do people currently keep their savings (livestock, jewellery, cash, bank deposits etc.)?
What are the risks of these different options? How liquid are they?
Which types of financial service organisations exist (both formal and informal)?
What services do they provide, under what conditions (interest rates, collateral requirements etc.)?
Who - which groups or types of people - has access? What prevents others from gaining access?
What are the current levels of savings and loans?
How many households (and what type) have family members living away who remit money?
How is remittance income transmitted and how much is transmitted?
How reliable are remittances? Do they vary by season?
Who controls remittance income when it arrives? How is it used?

What policies and legislation influence people’s livelihoods, and how?
What institutions and organisations influence people’s livelihoods assets, strategies and outcomes, and how do they influence these?
What are the roles and responsibilities of these different institutions and organisations, and how are they established and enforced?
What are the interrelationships between these different institutions and organisations?
What access do poor people have to these institutions and organisations?
How aware are people of their basic human and political rights? How are rights enforced/safeguarded?
Are there organisations and processes that are owned by poor communities and groups, and that engage in self-help and advocacy initiatives?

What does the livelihood ‘portfolio’ of different social groups look like (percentage of income from different sources, amount of time and resources devoted to each activity by different household members, etc.)?
How and why is this changing over time? (Changes may be, for example: long-term, in response to external environmental change; medium-term as part of the domestic cycle; or short-term in response to new opportunities or threats.)
How long-term is people’s outlook? Are they investing in assets for the future (saving)? If so, which types of assets are a priority?
How ‘positive’ are the choices that people are making? (e.g. Would people migrate seasonally if there were income earning opportunities closer to home or if they were not saddled with unpayable debt? Are they ‘bonded’ in any way? Are women able to make their own choices or are they constrained by family pressure/local custom?)
Which combination of activities appear to be ‘working best’? Is there any discernible pattern of activities adopted by those who have managed to escape from poverty?
Which livelihood objectives are not achievable through current livelihood strategies?

What are the kinds of livelihood goals that people aspire to achieve and what is the relative emphasis that they place on different livelihood outcomes? (e.g. more income, increased well-being, reduced vulnerability, improved food security, more sustainable use of the natural resource base).
What trade-offs or conflicts are there between these different livelihood outcomes?
To what extent do people actually achieve their livelihood goals, and what is preventing people from fully achieving them?

Which groups are engaged in which livelihood activities?
How important is each livelihood activity to the groups that engage in it?
Is the revenue from a given livelihood activity used for a particular purpose e.g. if it is controlled by women, is it particularly important to child health or nutrition?
What proportion of output is marketed?
How do prices for different products vary throughout the year?
How predictable is seasonal price variation?
Are the price cycles of different products all correlated?
What proportion of household food needs is met by own consumption and what proportion is purchased?
At what time of the year is cash income most important? Does this coincide with the time at which most cash is available?
Do people have access to appropriate financial services to enable them to save for the future? Does access vary by social group?
To what degree are groups vulnerable to extreme climatic events and how are their livelihoods affected by such events?
How do income-earning opportunities vary throughout the year? Are they agricultural or non-farm?
How does remittance income vary throughout the year?