Managing Sustainable Livelihoods for the Poor: Understanding and Applying the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach

Registration Deadline: 13 February 2009

Khanya-African Institute for Community driven Development (Khanya-aicdd) in partnership with the Centre for Development Support at the University of the Free State, is conducting a four day course on Managing Sustainable Livelihoods for the Poor: Understanding and Applying the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach from 23-26 February 2009 in Johannesburg.

Aim of Course

The world is currently going through a food shortage crisis, and in Africa in particular people’s livelihoods are compromised by a number of factors, including global warming and conflict. Despite increases in growth rates in Africa in the last 10 years, inequality has risen and levels of poverty are stubbornly high. A key priority for actors in development is ensuring that people’s livelihoods are secured, involving people in designing their own poverty intervention strategies that take into account of people’s circumstances with relevant and responsive support and funding from government. This means that creative approaches are needed to look for inclusive growth which improves the livelihoods of poor people.

This training will help participants to understand some of the latest thinking about how the development system must be transformed to ensure that livelihoods of the poor are improved, and how the sustainable livelihoods approach can be utilised to achieve the designed impact in the improvement of people’s livelihoods.

Course Overview

The programme covers three main elements of the sustainable livelihoods approach:

• Understanding livelihoods using the SL framework
• Understanding the implications of the SL principles for inclusive development
• Seeing how to apply the six governance issues related to applying the SLA to improve the way development systems respond to the needs of poor people
• Participants applying these elements to see the implications for their work

The theory is introduced and participants will reflect on the implications for their work. The programme will be complemented by field–based training, such as in Community-Based Planning, also accredited by University of the Free State

The livelihoods approach originates in the development of richer understandings of the dimensions of poverty, such as the sustainable human development approach adopted by UNDP, and the concept of capitals and capabilities of Amartya Sen. In some quarters (notably FAO) this is now being referred to as people-centred development (PCD). In the definition used by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID):

A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material and social resources) and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Explain the concepts related to sustainable livelihoods;
• Apply appropriate tools for carrying out sustainable livelihood assessments and for analysing and interpreting the results and applying it in their work ; and
• Understand different ways that livelihoods can be enhanced.

Academic Credits

NQF level: 5
Notional hours: 120
The certificate can be used to proof Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). This recognition is dependent on the institution where the applicant will apply for RPL.

About the Organisers

Khanya-aicdd
The African Institute for Community-Driven Development (Khanya-aicdd) is an African centre of expertise on community-driven development (CDD) and sustainable livelihoods. Khanya-aicdd was established in February 2005 evolving from Khanya-managing rural change, a black-empowerment developmental organisation that has been operating in different African countries since 1998.

Centre for Development Support
The Centre for Development Support (CDS) is a progressive research and development unit within the Faculty of Economic and Management Science at the University of the Free State with the broad aim of promoting sustainable human development in the broader South African society.

Course Format
The course will use participatory methodologies and small group work to draw on the experience of participants and assist them to apply the theory to that experience. Participants will be required to review and discuss readings in small groups.

Lecturers
Prof Lochner Marais, Course Co-ordinator
Dr. Ian Goldman, CEO, Khanya-aicdd
Dr. Vincent Hungwe, Director for Community Driven Development, Khanya-aicdd

Who can participate?
The course is targeted at practitioners, consultants and advisers from development agencies, and government departments, wanting to understand the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) and how to apply it in their work.

Administration
Date: 23-26 February 2009
Cost: R4,500.00 (VAT incl.) - meals and accommodation excluded.

The course fee covers tuition, refreshments, and lunches. Participants are responsible for their own accommodation, meals (except lunches) and travel costs and will have to arrange their own accommodation and travel to the course.
Accommodation: A list of Hotels and B&B’s near the training venue will be made available.
Registration: You are required to fill in an application form and send it to the email address indicated below
Application Forms: Application forms can be downloaded from our website or contact Matshweu Machedi for the application form.

Enquiries: Please send enquiries and applications to Matshweu Machedi at
email: admin@khanya-aicdd.org, tel: 011 642 5011, fax: 011 642 6093

For more information on Khanya-aicdd, click here.