Contemporary Development Practice and the Role of Livelihood Analysis

Today, agencies involved in development practice realise that local development concerns are embedded in policies and practices at regional, national and international levels. Therefore, development projects that want, for example, to reduce hunger and poverty (see the Millennium Development Goal 1 in GLOPP lesson "Describing Poverty") need to be embedded in a broader policy that addresses these concerns. In addition, these policies need to be coordinated with strategies implemented in other sectors (for example education, health, etc.). This is attempted through so-called PRSPs for example.

PRSP

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) can be seen as the replacement for Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) (see GLOPP lesson "Development Theories"). Negotiations on a poverty reduction and growth facility will commence only after these have been agreed to Simon (2002). The IMF describes PRSP as follows:

"Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) are prepared by the member countries through a participatory process involving domestic stakeholders as well as external development partners, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Updated every three years with annual progress reports, PRSPs describe the country's macroeconomic, structural and social policies and programs over a three year or longer horizon to promote broad-based growth and reduce poverty, as well as associated external financing needs and major sources of financing." (International Monetary Fund (IMF) 2008)

Open the animation in the right-hand column that shows where an understanding of poor people's livelihoods matters within global development objectives and their implementation:

Linking macro and micro level