Inter-agency experiences and lessons: from the Forum on Operationalizing sustainable Livelihoods Approaches

This report emerges from an Inter-agency Forum on 'Operationalizing Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches', executed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and supported by DFID.

Lessons learned

• It is vital to focus on the processes of policy-making/change rather than on the content of policy alone, in order to empower people to influence policy
• In order to influence the policy environment and make it supportive of sustainable livelihoods, the feedback mechanisms from the grassroots need to be scaled up to reach policy- and decision-making levels of institutions and administrations
• Policy-making that enhances SL approaches, implementation and monitoring relies on pluralistic governance structures and processes.
• Capacity-building for grassroots and civil society organizations should be built in at all levels as an integral part of the SL approach
• The impacts of policy need to be monitored in order that their effects on livelihood strategies are understood