The Policy and Institutional Context

The Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) participant engagement model using a Motivational Interviewing approach is a proven, high impact method for working with economically vulnerable adults and youth. The SL participant engagement offers a model for focused one-to-one coaching that enables front-line staff to engage in powerful conversations with vulnerable clients resulting in greater resiliency, self-directed action and progress towards quality, sustainable employment. Combined with Motivational Interviewing (MI), it offers a very effective professional practice that produces a powerful foundation for employment success and retention. The model and tools can inform agencies’ poverty reduction strategies.

By looking at the context provided by our institutions and their current policies, we can understand some of the constraints and opportunities it presents, and develop strategies to build a more enabling policy environment. This context influences and may even determine our access to money and resources, livelihood strategies, and decision-making organizations. It affects us all, from the individual/household level to the broader international level.