The Stages of Livelihood Development

Below are the different stages of livelihood development that people go through as they build assets  and move towards social and economic engagement and build assets. People make change in their own lives and define Sustainable Livelihoods in their own way. For example a person living with a disability  may choose to supplement their benefits with periodic employment or volunteering activities.

We call it the “Slinky” diagram as change is not guaranteed, nor is it linear. People cycle through  different stages and can get “stuck”, churning at one stage. A Sustainable Livelihoods approach explores  where clients are at and explores the development of asset building and livelihoods strategies that are  uniquely suited to people’s current stages and contexts.

Previous piloting of SL practice has demonstrated that for populations living on low-incomes,  employability requires two changes – the conditions and capacity for participation:

  • Conditions for participation: a solid, long-term foundation of basic needs, security, and stability  for individuals and their families.
  • Capacity to participate: a set of core skills that empower people to manage their basic needs  and participate more fully in society and the economy.