The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) was developed to build in good practice to addressing poverty. New features in it are the emphasis on building on strengths, as well as the importance of links between community level (micro), level of service provision (meso) and the policy level (macro).

The SLA is embedded in how we work, with some practice areas improving livelihoods directly e.g Agriculture, Natural Resources and Food Security and Local Economic Development (LED) and others helping to set up the conditions for community-driven development to be realised e.g Development Planning

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) which is being referred to as people-centred development (PCD). In the definition used by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID):

There are several elements of the approach which are relevant and can be applied in different ways.

• The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and its elements
• The Sustainable Livelihoods Principles
• Six governance issues at micro-meso-macro level, developed by Khanya-aicdd in applying the SLA.