Publications and Resources
Are you interested in sharing your own SL learning?
We are building a community of SL practice and encourage you to share any tools, resources and/or reports that you are developing.
Reach out to us at info@slcanada.org .
SL Toolkit
Resources and tools to build an understanding of the Sustainable Livelihood framework
SL Backgrounder
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SLC Asset Map Guide
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SLC Livelihoods Continuun
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SLC Asset Mapping Tool
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SLC My Plan Tool
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Momentum - Community Capacity Asset Framework
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CFL SL Theory of Change Graphic
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SL Classics
Reports from Foundational Sustainable Livelihoods learning and evaluation projects by the SLC team
Beyond Survival: Helping women transition out of poverty (a five-year study of the results and effective practices from 10 women self-employment training and social purpose enterprise development programs), Canadian Women’s Foundation Collaborative Fund for Economic Development, 2008 (Janet Murray, Mary Ferguson and Claire Letemendia) Beyond Survival
Women in Transition Out of Poverty, CWF Women and Economic Development Consortium, 2001-2 (Janet Murray and Mary Ferguson, Eko Nomos).
Part One, An asset-based approach to building sustainable livelihoods (2001), examines the idea of Sustainable Livelihoods from the perspective of low-income women. It introduces the concept of livelihood assets, explores the context that makes women vulnerable to poverty, identifies the strategies that women use to build assets, and sketches the general stages that women go through as they move towards a sustainable livelihood. Part 1
Part Two, A Guide to Effective Practice in Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods through Enterprise Development (2002) is a companion to the original piece and completes the narrative overview of the Sustainable Livelihoods framework. It investigates the connections between women’s stages of transformation and the design of economic development programs. Some practical strategies, techniques and tools are offered to support organizations in strengthening or implementing a Sustainable Livelihood approach in their work. It concludes with a discussion of the policy and funding implications of this approach. Part 2
Institute for Development Studies, University of Sussex, Sustainable Livelihoods Guidance Sheets. As a whole, this set of Guidance Sheets attempts to summarize and share emerging thinking on the sustainable livelihoods approach. It does not offer definitive answers and guidelines. Instead, it is intended to stimulate readers to reflect on the approach and make their own contributions to its further development. IDS SL Guidance Sheets
Engaging Users, Reducing Harm: Collaborative Research Exploring the Practice and Results of Harm Reduction, United Way of Greater Toronto, (Janet Murray and Mary Ferguson, Eko Nomos), 2005. Engaging Users, Reducing Harm
The Business of Inclusion, Report on the evaluation of the Toronto Enterprise, 2004. (Janet Murray and Mary Ferguson). The Business of Inclusion
SLC Projects
Reports from SLC’s programs and evaluation
- Steps toward a Sustainable Livelihood: External Evaluation of the Sustainable Livelihoods Coaching Pilot Project (2018–20) Report 1: Participant Outcomes, Prepared for ONESTEP and SL Canada by Cathexis Consultants (April 2018).
- In Good Company Newsletter reporting on SLC’s work with the collective.
Partners’ SL Reports
Our partners are doing some amazing work too. Here are some links to their work.
Family Services of Windsor and Essex
Windsor, ON
Learnings from the evaluation of the Community Harm Reduction Response Teams (CHRRT) project of Street Health in Toronto, Canada
Tools:
Harm Reduction Reports:
- Pathways to Inclusion Findings (May 2021) CHRRT-KT-Series-4.1-Pathways-to-Inclusion-Findings
This is an executive summary of the learnings of CHRRTs research into low-threshold community HR and the main approaches to HR pursued in CHRRT project.
- Harm Reduction: A Checklist of Capacities (June 2021) CHRRT-KT-Series-3.1-CHRRT-Capacity-Checklist
This paper is a HR capacity checklist compiled from KT workshops and interview findings. Capacity statements, visions for change, and tips are provided to help readers understand the capacities and resources required to engage HRSWs for an effective low-threshold HR response.
- CHRRT Model Evaluation Findings (May 2021) CHRRT-KT-Series-5.1-Scaling-Up-HR-Findings
This executive summary provides a brief overview of the findings of the evaluation of the CHRRT model, assessing its effectiveness as a strategy for promoting the broader engagement of marginalized communities in HR programming.
Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network
Australia
The Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network (ICAN) provides consumer education, advocacy and financial counselling services to Indigenous consumers across the nation. ICAN uses the Sustainable Livelihoods framework in its financial counselling and capability services. While ICAN has traditionally taken a holistic approach to its work and with the people it works with, the organisation did not have a structured framework to support staff in working holistically with people, and did not have tools to be able to move people beyond a surviving or stabilised state. Through adopting and adapting the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to ICAN’s financial counselling services, ICAN has now embedded a strengths-based well-being framework that supports people to move from crisis (‘surviving’) towards a ‘thriving’ position.
Read the 2024 report From Surviving to Thriving: Embedding a well-being framework into financial counselling practice
Momentum
Calgary, AB
Momentum is a leader in Sustainable Livelihoods, and has been embedding SL practice into its programming and evaluation for over twenty years. Over the years, the momentum team has developed its own flavour of SL, creating customized evaluation tools and practices.
Momentum’s customized SL framework/theory of change: Sustainable-Livelihoods.pdf (momentum.org)
Momentum’s 45 minute self-assessment/asset mapping course on-line: https://courses.momentum.org/
Resources for Results
Toronto, ON
Learnings from the evaluation of the Community Harm Reduction Response Teams (CHRRT) project of Street Health in Toronto, Canada
Tools:
Harm Reduction Reports:
- Pathways to Inclusion Findings (May 2021) CHRRT-KT-Series-4.1-Pathways-to-Inclusion-Findings
This is an executive summary of the learnings of CHRRTs research into low-threshold community HR and the main approaches to HR pursued in CHRRT project.
- Harm Reduction: A Checklist of Capacities (June 2021) CHRRT-KT-Series-3.1-CHRRT-Capacity-Checklist
This paper is a HR capacity checklist compiled from KT workshops and interview findings. Capacity statements, visions for change, and tips are provided to help readers understand the capacities and resources required to engage HRSWs for an effective low-threshold HR response.
- CHRRT Model Evaluation Findings (May 2021) CHRRT-KT-Series-5.1-Scaling-Up-HR-Findings
This executive summary provides a brief overview of the findings of the evaluation of the CHRRT model, assessing its effectiveness as a strategy for promoting the broader engagement of marginalized communities in HR programming.
YWCA Toronto
Toronto, ON
This YWCA Building Sustainable Futures Compendium shares learning from a five-year national participatory research initiative, the YWCA Building Sustainable Futures (BSF) project, funded by the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program (ALLESP), Government of Canada. The model draws on an adaptation of the Sustainable Livelihoods approach developed through YWCA Toronto’s participation in a 2004-2009 Canadian Women’s Foundation project (Canadian Women’s Foundation and Eko Nomos Program Development Consultants—Beyond Survival report)
English: YWCA – Building Sustainable Futures Compendium
French: YWCA: Construire les avenires durables resume et trousses