The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) is a broader concept than the Framework. The Framework is a way of understanding what a livelihood is. The SLA is a broader concept of how we need to intervene in order to promote poverty eradication. It is thus very relevant in designing interventions.

The core to the approach is a set of principles which are elements of best practice widely shared by development practitioners. Two that are new are the focus on micro-macro links, and the emphasis on strengths-based approaches.

Revised version of SL principles (developed by Diana Carney)

Revised Normative SL principles

• People-centred: sustainable development and poverty elimination requires respect for human freedom and choice as well as an understanding of the differences between groups of people and the development of focused interventions;
• Empowering: support should result in increased voice, opportunities and well-being for people, including the poor;
• Responsive and participatory: people must be key actors in identifying and addressing their livelihood priorities, including the poor. Outsiders and organisations need processes that enable them to listen and respond to people's views;
• Holistic: we need to understand people's livelihoods and how these can be enhanced in a holistic way, which recognises the interrelationships between the different aspects of their lives, although actions arising from that understanding may be focused. For better-off people, income can purchase some other assets, for poor people, the set of assets is critical;
• Sustainable: there are four key dimensions to sustainability - economic, institutional, social and environmental sustainability. All are important and a balance must be found between them.

Revised Operational Sustainable Livelihoods Principles

• Strengths-based: it is important to recognise and understand people's strengths, including those of poor people, and not just their problems. This is respectful and provides a platform on which livelihood strategies can be developed. It is also important to build on the strengths of organisations;
• Multi-level (or micro-macro links): sustainable development and poverty elimination is an enormous challenge that will only be overcome by working at multiple levels. Micro-level activity should inform the development of policy and an effective governance environment. Macro- and meso-level structures and processes should recognise micro realities and support people to build upon their own strengths. Top-down strategic action as well as bottom-up participatory processes are required;
• Conducted in partnership: implementation of development requires using the strengths of different organisations, public and private, in the most effective way. Partnerships should include people and their organisations, including those for poor people. Partnerships should be transparent agreements based upon shared objectives;
• Disaggregated: it is vital to understand how the livelihoods of various disadvantaged groups differ in terms of strengths, vulnerabilities and voices and what effect this has. Stakeholder and gender analysis are key tools. This allows for targeted actions;
• Long-term and flexible: poverty reduction requires long-term commitments and a flexible approach to providing support, which can respond to emerging circumstances.

Micro-macro links are critical because one of the key development problems is the disconnection between policies and services and people's lives, particularly poor people and those who are socially excluded. This results in very little in the way of services that actually reach them. The table below explains the meaning of these levels.

 In order for micro-macro links to be addressed:

• policies need to be based on a good understanding of the reality of services at meso and micro levels, the situation with people's livelihoods (micro), and how interventions can assist (meso and macro);
• best practice in work on institutions (often meso level), needs to be based on an understanding of people's livelihoods (micro), and the policy environment (macro). Where the latter is not helpful, it must also seek to influence the policy environment, otherwise it risks irrelevance;
• best practice in work at micro level (typically by NGOs) must be properly linked into the local organisations (meso level), and seek to influence policy (macro level) if they are not to remain islands of excellence in a sea of poverty.

Strengths-based approaches are also very important in a number of ways:

• They are respectful of poor people, recognizing that they are juggling very limited resources, and do have skills which is empowering in itself;
• This is very important if interventions are likely to succeed. Starting from where people are strong is much more likely to be successful than starting where they have no resources or capacity;
• The same approach should be used in planning, starting from the strengths and the opportunities available to a community;
• Also in working with institutional reform, it is easier to start working on change processes where organisations and individuals have some capacity than where they have very limited capacity.

The principles can be applied in a number of ways:

• In looking at how organisations work internally and with their partners (practising what we preach);
• In understanding how policies and services operate;
• In designing projects and programmes;
• In monitoring projects or programmes;
• In evaluating programmes and understanding what has worked and why.