LIVELIHOODS EDUCATION IN INDIA A Handbook of Curriculum Resources for academics and practitioners engaged in teaching and training for Livelihoods Promotion and Support in India
Edited by
C Shambu Prasad V Joseph Satish Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar & Livelihoods MANTHAN www.livelihoods-manthan.net February 2015
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Contents Preface............................................................................................................................................................... 3 Livelihoods Pedagogy in India: An Overview ............................................................................................... 5 Section 1 - Courses on livelihoods promotion & management .................................................................. 15 1.
Institute of Rural Management, Anand ................................................................................................ 15
(i)
Rural Livelihood Systems .................................................................................................................... 15
2.
Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal ................................................................................... 16
(i)
Livelihoods, Local Institutions & Governance .................................................................................... 16
3.
Xavier University Bhubaneswar – School of Rural Management ....................................................... 18
(i)
Rural Production Systems .................................................................................................................... 18
(ii)
Rural Livelihood Systems ................................................................................................................ 19
4.
KIIT University – School of Rural Management ................................................................................. 21
(i)
Rural Production Systems and Livelihoods ......................................................................................... 21
5.
Azim Premji University – School of Development ............................................................................. 22
(i)
Understanding Livelihoods: Perspectives, Concepts and Theories ..................................................... 22
(ii)
Livelihoods: Policies, Practices and Challenges .............................................................................. 23
(iii)
Competencies for Livelihoods Interventions ................................................................................... 25
(iv)
Elective Courses............................................................................................................................... 26
6.
Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India ................................................................................ 27
(i)
Livelihood Promotion – Strategies, Institutions and Management ...................................................... 27
7.
Dr. B R Ambedkar University Delhi ................................................................................................... 28
(i)
Rural Livelihoods................................................................................................................................. 28
8.
Tata Institute of Social Sciences .......................................................................................................... 28
(i)
Development, Marginalities and Sustainable Livelihoods................................................................... 28
(ii)
Livelihood Uncertainties, Vulnerability and Adaptation ................................................................. 30
(iii)
Livelihood Promotion and Social Entrepreneurship Development.................................................. 31
(iv)
Social Action and Livelihood Transformation ................................................................................. 32
(v)
Livelihood Impact Assessment and Evaluation ............................................................................... 33
(vi)
Livelihood Innovation Lab............................................................................................................... 34
(vii)
Project Planning Tools for Livelihood Promotion ........................................................................... 35
9.
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development...................................................................... 36
(i)
Livelihoods and Development ............................................................................................................. 36 1
Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Section 2 - Courses on livelihoods promotion & management .................................................................. 39 1.
PRADAN ............................................................................................................................................. 39
(i)
Livelihoods Promotion Training Programme ...................................................................................... 39
(ii)
Livelihoods Promotion Module ....................................................................................................... 40
(iii)
Programme for Livelihoods Promotion ........................................................................................... 41
2.
Institute of Livelihood Research and Training (ILRT) ........................................................................ 44
(i)
Fundamentals of Livelihood Promotion (FLP) .................................................................................... 44
(ii)
Training Program on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Based Livelihood Promotion ............. 44
(iii)
Case-write Methodology .................................................................................................................. 45
(iv)
Orientation Program to Panchayati Raj Representatives ................................................................. 46
(v)
Building Capacities of Farmer Producer Organizations through Mentoring ................................... 46
(vi)
Credit Course on Livelihood - Azim Premji University .................................................................. 46
(vii)
Livelihoods: Concepts, Models and Practices - National Institute of Rural Development .............. 47
(viii)
Curriculum on Livelihood Promotion and Managerial skills for SRLMs ................................... 47
(ix)
Dairy Curriculum ............................................................................................................................. 48
3.
Chaitanya ............................................................................................................................................. 49
(i)
E-Learning course for Federation Managers........................................................................................ 49
4.
Access Livelihoods Consulting India Ltd. ........................................................................................... 52
(i)
Executive Development Programs ....................................................................................................... 52
(ii)
PGDRM Courses for National Institute of Rural Development ...................................................... 52
(iii)
Livelihoods: Concepts, Models And Practices (for NIRD) ............................................................. 53
(iv)
Self Employed Skill Development ................................................................................................... 54
(v)
Livelihood Program Promotion ....................................................................................................... 55
Section 3 – Other courses on livelihoods promotion & support ................................................................ 56
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Preface There has been a spurt of activity from several academic institutions recently in the livelihood space in India. Newer courses and specialisations on livelihoods have been added by higher educational institutes almost every year with some institutions starting their own specialised centres of livelihoods. This diversity, while welcome, needs to be understood in context and over time. How are academic institutions contributing to new livelihood knowledge? How much have they learnt from practitioners‘ perspectives who have been leading the field? Is the knowledge generated by several civil society organisations on livelihoods locally bounded within their organisational contexts, or can the involvement of academic institutions enable the opening up of this knowledge to large scale government programmes such as the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)? How do young professionals seeking careers in livelihoods make sense of the diverse knowledge in courses, training programmes, sector reports, cases etc.? With a view to encourage the field or domain building activity on livelihoods in India, Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB) organised the first National Workshop on "Rethinking Livelihoods: Innovations in Teaching Livelihoods" in March 2013 as part of Livelihoods MANTHAN1. The event saw participants from academic institutions, livelihoods promoting organizations, state livelihoods missions, etc. who shared different perspectives and practices in livelihoods education for creating livelihood professionals. Participants at the Workshop agreed to strengthen collaboration between academicians and livelihoods promoters by sharing details about courses, training programs and other educational initiatives focused on creating livelihoods professional. Subsequently, XIMB initiated a process of putting together a compilation of nationwide livelihood education programs which includes diplomas, certificate programs, training programs, degree programs with various duration and focus areas. This compendium of livelihoods course curriculum, the first of its kind in the Indian context, is meant as a ready-reckoner and a handy reference for livelihoods promoters, academic administrators, and state and national livelihood missions. We are happy to present this offering to all and hope that this small effort would lead to greater collaboration amongst stakeholders for the benefit of students, trainees and grassroots professionals. The domain of livelihoods is a complex one and can be ever debated in academic circles on what constitutes and what does not constitute a livelihood curriculum? What to include and what not to? This compendium does not seek to resolve it prematurely but opens up the possibilities for actors to draw upon from the rich set of experiences of institutes and see what works for them in their local contexts. Some would like to use this to design newer programs while others might hopefully find ways to strengthen collaboration between existing livelihoods promoters. Our hope is that the effort will lead to an engaged community of practice on livelihoods that will meet regularly, deliberate, reflect and redesign their own offerings, making them more contemporary and relevant.
1 Livelihoods MANTHAN (Management Academic institutes Network for Transforming Human Resources through Action and Knowledge) is a consortium that envisions the participation of management institutes and civil society organizations as key actors in the livelihoods ecosystem in India. The consortium, supported by Ford Foundation, is involved in: creating learning and knowledge platforms for livelihoods and designing of training & capacity building curriculum for livelihood promotion. For more information, visit: http://www.livelihoods-manthan.net/
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
The current handbook contains a list of post graduate programs, course curriculum and training programs, collated from submissions in response to requests in multiple forums including the Livelihood Learning e-Group and the Work and Employment & Microfinance Communities of UN Solution Exchange India. We thank all the participating institutions for their contributions and we hope to constantly update this with newer information and insights with greater contribution from the many actors involved in the field. We will be happy to receive from readers suggestions on: Helping in revising incorrect/incomplete information in this version of the handbook Providing details of livelihood education programs in their or other organizations in India; this could include training/diploma/certificate/degree/distance/e-learning programs Provide details about people/organizations who could be contacted for further information about such livelihoods education programs We thank Dr Sankar Datta for having agreed to contribute a foreword to this volume at short notice, bringing his vast experience in designing livelihoods programmes as part of The Livelihoods School (now the Institute for Livelihood Research and Training), as a teacher of livelihood courses in many higher education institutions and as an author and researcher of the most enduring Resource Book on Livelihoods (now in its fourth edition). Sankar Datta‘s foreword would hopefully help us make sense of the diversity of livelihoods pedagogy and offer some insights on how to strengthen livelihoods education in the coming years. We thank XIMB for providing leadership in building this community of practice over the last three years and all Livelihoods MANTHAN partners for their valuable contributions over the years. We hope you benefit from this handbook and look forward to your feedback and collaboration.
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar February 2015
C Shambu Prasad Joseph Satish V
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Livelihoods Pedagogy in India: An Overview Dr. Sankar Datta Background The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) became a dominant paradigm for development interventions in the 1990s following the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, more popularly the Brundtland Commission), meeting in 1986 and the subsequent ‗White Paper on International Development‘ by DFID (Department of International Development) in 1997. The Government of India too adopted this approach in the 11th and 12th Five Year Plans, wherein the need for training professionals who could work at different levels of organizations promoting sustainable livelihoods for the poor was articulated as a policy objective and strategy. A significant change in the livelihoods ecosystem in India occurred with the launch of the National Rural Livelihood Project (NRLP) following success in a few states that got transformed into the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in all the states of India in 2012. NRLM has opened up participation, involvement and rethinking on livelihoods across India in recent times building on experiences of several civil society organisations, academics and government programmes at the turn of the century. The first National Workshop on livelihoods pedagogy ―Rethinking Livelihoods: Innovations in Teaching Livelihoods held on March 13-14, 2013 at XIMB, by Livelihoods MANTHAN, a national consortium of various high performing knowledge institutions not only recognized the emerging demand for the trained livelihoods professionals, but also called for active engagement of various educational institutions in developing and offering specialized curriculum on livelihood promotion. Referring to the evolution of the livelihood perspective i the group acknowledged that livelihoods, while very simply put, livelihood is a means of securing a living, the Sustainable Livelihood Approach drew attention to the fact that people, especially the poor, • • • • • •
Engage in a set of activities, some economic, some social, some political, some cultural, some even spiritual; Using their own capabilities to achieve what they aspire to; which also change over time; With their resources endowment, including not only their entitlement, but also their freedom to use them, To optimize their well-being, which is multi-dimensional; Adopting a livelihood strategy to mitigate risk within their context of vulnerability; and Are feasible within the mutually accepted norms of behavior that are institutionalized.
It was therefore held that for a course to prepare livelihood professionals it would be necessary that student learn toii: • • • • •
Define the multi-dimensional causes of poverty and address them at their source; Spend adequate time with practitioners in the field to examine the social, cultural, political and economic contexts of a rural/urban livelihoods portfolio; Explore the variables that affect various livelihood activities, especially the risks and vulnerabilities that the poor are subject to; Assess efficacy of livelihood interventions in reducing conflict, providing resilience mechanisms and contributing to public assets Understand what sustainable development means in the context of managing resources in the context of ecology, political economy and people‘s empowerment 5
Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
•
Develop feasible models to address the livelihoods requirements of specific instances and pilot them using the theoretical concepts learned in the classroom.
But the members of MANTHAN, who represented diverse knowledge institutions of high repute also recognized that an understanding of livelihoods, especially that leads to action to help mitigate the challenge being faced by the weaker sections of the society, come from different disciplines. They therefore called for an active collaboration between various institutions for • • •
Building and delivering a livelihood curriculum; Strengthening the knowledge base of livelihoods and livelihood promotion; Nurturing collaboration between those engaged in livelihood promotion/ support.
Evolution of the Livelihoods Educational Ecosystem in India Over the last two years significant progress has been made in development of the building blocks for livelihood education. Many higher educational institutes have enhanced their offerings on livelihoods and also considered changing the pedagogy. Figure 1 shows the map of livelihoods offering by educational institutes across the country. This compilation has accessed livelihoods curriculum submitted by several institutions and they represent diverse offerings based on academic institutional contexts. Table 1 summarizes these offerings from the 10 institutes in India that have shared their livelihoods offerings. It is evident that there is a range of offerings from core and elective, specializations, links with entrepreneurship or poverty alleviation etc.
Figure 1 Map of academic programs on Livelihoods Promotion/Support
6
Table 1 Summary of academic courses on livelihoods promotion/support No
Organization
Name of program
Course on livelihoods
1
Institute of Rural Management, Anand
PG Program in Rural Management
Rural Livelihood Systems
2
Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
PG Diploma in Forestry Management
Livelihoods, Local Institutions & Governance
3
Xavier University, Bhubaneswar
MBA in Rural Management
Rural Production Systems Rural Livelihood Systems
4
KIIT University, Bhubaneswar
MBA in Rural Management
Rural Production & Livelihood Systems Understanding Livelihoods: Perspectives, Concepts and Theories
5
Azim Premji University, Bengaluru
MA in Development (Livelihoods Specialization)
Livelihoods: Policies, Practices and Challenges Competencies for Livelihoods Interventions
6
Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India
PG Diploma in Management – Development Studies
Livelihood Promotion – Strategies, Institutions and Management
7
Bharat Ratna Dr. BR Ambedkar University, Delhi
M Phil in Development Practice
Rural Livelihoods Development, Marginalities and Sustainable Livelihoods
8
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai)
M.A Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship
Livelihood Uncertainties, Vulnerability and Adaptation Livelihood Promotion and Social Entrepreneurship Development Social Action and Livelihood Transformation Livelihood Impact Assessment and Evaluation
MA in Social Work (Rural Development Specialization) 9
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Tuljapur)
MA/MSc in Sustainable Livelihoods and Natural Resources Governance
Farm, Non-farm Linkages & Livelihood Issues Food Security, Right to Food and Rural Livelihoods Livelihood Perspectives and Approaches to Sustainable Development Skills & Tools for Sustainable Livelihoods and Natural Resources Governance Governance of Natural Resources and Sustainable Livelihoods Livelihoods: Policies, Practices and Challenges
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Decentralized Planning in Rural Livelihoods Food Security, Rural and Urban Livelihoods Vulnerability, Risks and Strategies in Sustaining Livelihoods Gender and Sustainable Livelihoods Linkages in Livelihoods Livelihood Promotion, Innovations, Conservation and Practice (Workshop) 10
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development
MA in Development Practice
Livelihoods and Development
Apart from these offerings by these academic institutions there are other offerings by practice oriented organisations such as PRADAN, Chaitanya, The Institute of Livelihoods Resources and Training (earlier The Livelihoods School) etc. which this compendium has sought to collate in Tabl2. Table 2 Indicative list of livelihood training programs offered by practice oriented organizations No
Organization
1
PRADAN
Name of program
Duration
Livelihoods Promotion Training Programme
5 days
Livelihoods Promotion Module
4 days
Programme for Livelihoods Promotion
2 phases of 8 days each 5 days
2
ILRT
Livelihood Promotion and Managerial skills
3
Chaitanya
E-Learning course for Federation Managers
4
ALC India
Certificate in NGO Management
6 months to 1 year -
Certificate in Microfinance and Development
-
Livelihood promotion program
10 step 1 week
5
6
BAIF
CGSIRD
7
APMAS
8
Goat Trust
9
Akshara Network
Diploma in Watershed Management
1 year
Yashaswini Training Center
8 months
Certificate in Livelihood Planning and Supply Chain Management Certificate course on Decentralised Planning
Target audience Livelihoods promotion organizations Development apprentices of PRADAN Executives of PRADAN District level managers of SRLMs SHG promoters & Block level SRLM officials Staff promoting producer companies (PCs) Board of directors of PCs Residential program for rural women
3 months
-
-
-
Sustainable approaches for NGOs
5 days
NGOs
Certificate in community Livestock Manager Certificate in Mini commercial goat farm Management Certificate in small Livestock Nursing & Management
2 months
-
6 months
-
12 months
Women
Livelihood Management Programme
-
-
How does one make sense of this diversity of offerings? Broadly there are four different kinds of courses being offered by different institutions. These can be categorized as: 8
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
1.
The Socio-Economic Context where livelihood promotion/ support is required. These include courses such as: a. Development, Marginalities and Sustainable Livelihoods offered by TISS b. Rural Livelihood Systems offered by IRMA c. Rural Production Systems offered by XIMB d. Rural Production Systems and Livelihoods offered by KIIT e. Livelihoods: Policies, Practices and Challenges offered by Azim Premji University (APU)
2.
The Livelihood Perspective of development efforts, such as a. Understanding Livelihoods: Perspectives, Concepts & Theories offered by APU b. Rural Livelihood Systems offered by XIMB c. Livelihood Uncertainties, Vulnerability and Adaptation offered by TISS d. Livelihood Promotion and Social Entrepreneurship Development offered by TISS. These have also been partly covered in courses offered by KIIT
3.
Courses on Methodology and Processes of Livelihood Promotion/ Support a. Social Action and Livelihood Transformation offered by TISS b. Livelihood Impact Assessment and Evaluation offered by TISS c. Competencies for Livelihoods Interventions offered by Azim Premji University d. Livelihood Promotion – Strategies, Institutions and Management offered by EDII
4.
Field Orientation a. Livelihood Innovation Lab offered by TISS Where various topics required for implementation of livelihood interventions such as Strategic Planning for Livelihood Promotion, Livelihood Projects and Strategic Plans; Steps in Strategic Planning; SWOT Analysis; Logical Framework Approach; Objective Oriented Planning; Project Management; and Project Monitoring and Evaluation are covered. As this component is amalgamated with their practice in the field, it can be treated as a part of the Courses on Methodology and Processes of Livelihood Promotion or Field Orientation. Topics covered under this course also include: Institutional Analysis for Livelihood Projects; Analysis of legislation and policy environment; Value Chain Analysis; Social Accounting Matrix (SAM); Market Analysis; Socio-Economic and Political Analysis for Project Planning; Power Analysis; Drivers of Change Analysis; Political Economy Analysis; Stakeholder Analysis; Political Mapping; Network Analysis; Transaction Cost Analysis; RAPID Framework; Force-Field Analysis; Organizational Mapping; Social Risk Management Framework; Scenario Analysis; Gap Analysis; Resource Envelop Analysis; Livelihood Mapping; Conflict Analysis and Monitoring and Evaluation of Livelihood Intervention. However, it needs to be noted that the total time allocated for each of these topics is very little for them to be covered in detail. It also needs to be noted that the courses offered by many other institutions like IRMA, IIFM, and XIMB are part of a larger Post Graduate Program in Management, where most of these topics are covered under many other subjects (or courses) which are not listed here. b.
Building Institutions of the Poor in three parts offered by Chaitanya
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
c. d.
Promoting Leadership & Strengthening Community based Governance, offered by Chaitanya The M. Phil course offered by Dr. BR Ambedkar University, Delhi also involves a 2 Semester long field work jointly managed by the University and PRADAN.
There are two full-time post graduate program one, M. Phil in Development Practice being offered by Dr. BR Ambedkar University, Delhi and the second M.A. / M. Sc. in Sustainable Livelihoods and Natural Resources Governance being offered in the Tuljapur campus of TISS. This course is focused on a combination of field work and classroom sessions. PRADAN offers a Livelihood Promotion Program in three modules, involving some pre-course work, some classroom sessions, field work and some inter-module preparatory work by the participants.
Livelihoods Pedagogy in India: Strengths and Opportunities From the summary of the various curricula in the area of livelihood promotion/support it can be seen that since the Livelihoods MANTHAN group met in 2013 and triggered off the process of developing a curriculum for developing livelihood practitioners there has been substantial progress in various dimensions of the work. There has been considerable amount of thinking that has gone into all the four areas necessary to be covered for such a curriculum, that is: 1. Courses familiarizing the students/ participants to the Socio-Economic Context where livelihood promotion/ support is required. 2. Courses helping students appreciate and understand the Livelihood Perspective of development efforts, and why such a perspective is required for large scale development interventions; 3. Courses on Methodology and Processes of Livelihood promotion/ support 4. Courses exposing the students/ participants to what is happening on the ground: both in terms of the livelihood conditions of the weaker sections of the society as well as efforts that are being made by practitioners to strengthen the livelihoods of these people. Educational materials for these areas have been compiled by different institutions. Investments have been made in building the capacities of the faculty. But a closer look at these curricula shows us the areas that the educational institutes now need to take their learning further collectively to the next level. A future course of action may be developed through a detailed deliberation at this stage. 1. Though almost all topics are being covered by these courses, these courses sit in different Institutions, based on their proclivity and their core competencies in these areas. Though livelihood professionals need to understand the Socio-Economic and Political Fabric of the area s/he also needs to understand the financial implications of various opportunities and decisions. Except for large institutions like TISS who has made an attempt to provide a comprehensive understanding of these diverse subjects through the Livelihood Innovation Lab, as a part of their two year program, most other programs focus on some of the aspects of livelihood promotion/ support. Now this throws up several questions: a. Can such diverse topics be covered in a shorter duration? b. Can any one institution build up all these competencies? c. What should be the sequencing of livelihoods related courses in the curriculum? Should it involve necessarily a field assignment (such as being practiced in XIMB) where students map a livelihood and learn from it or should existing rural immersions in courses have a livelihood orientation prior to it? 10
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
d. Can state livelihood missions offer themselves as learning laboratories for students to understand livelihood challenges in the field considering their spread across states? e. If it involves traveling to different institutions to pick up different aspects of learning critical for a livelihood practitioner, would it involve longer period of time? Would it be more expensive? f. From learners‘ perspective, would it be possible for everyone to delve into and get a grip of such diverse areas that need to be handled for a livelihood intervention? Do we need to consider the case of raising the admissions bar? Would the job market be ready to compensate people with such caliber for livelihood interventions, except for a small subset of people who have volunteered to serve a public cause? 2. This again brings in another dimension of livelihood education. Most people agree that making a livelihood intervention necessitates a particular type of orientation. All the course discussed in this handbook, except a passing mention in one of the topics offered by TISS, are in the cognitive domain. Very little or no attempt has been made in any of the courses to examine the values or orientation of the participants. Participants have not been encouraged to look at their own self, their own values, what makes them get into the livelihood intervention sector. It may be useful to ask: a. Will such an intervention in a livelihood curriculum add substantial value to make that additional effort? b. Can such a process, which may be closer to a personal growth lab, be integrated with such a content dominated program? 3. One of the significant elements that the livelihood perspective adds to the earlier efforts of poverty alleviation is the institutional dimensioniii. But in this formulation the Institution has been taken in the broader context of its usage as have been discussed by Douglass North and Elinor Ostrom. Various local arrangements like that of landlord-tenant relationships, trade relationships are also bound with various institutions like caste, class and gender arrangements which affect livelihood choices. Even the enveloping policy framework, the modernization (or otherwise) strategy for industrialization and growth adopted by the country, legal and regulatory systems are institutions that enable or disable some livelihood choices. But most of the courses developed so far seem to be focusing on only one subset of institutions, which are mostly organizations of the people like SHGs, Producer Groups, Cooperatives and so on. There has been substantial work done in this area of New Institutional Economics in the recent years. But courses covering some of these topics need to be developed further. While some courses on collective action and cooperation or rural institutional environments are offered in some programs (IRMA and XIMB, for instance) it might be worth considering how these ideas on institutions can use the learning from livelihood experiences as cases to explore the institutional dynamics further. 4. Another serious addition in the livelihood perspective has been with the understanding of risk and vulnerability. It has been argued that people make livelihood choices in view of their assessment of the risks involved, in faces of vulnerability faced by them. This often appears to be suboptimal choice, unless risk and risk perception and their own aspirations are taken into account. Though this subject of risk and vulnerability has been covered by the course offered by TISS and PRADAN, from the reading materials suggested for these courses it appears that these courses need to be further developed. The development of the actuarial science, and various financial and non-financial risk mitigation strategies and processes need further developmentiv. 5. One more area where the old ‗sector‘ thinking over-shadowing the livelihood perspective can be seen in form of sector-wise cut in the livelihoods in most courses. Many of the courses focus on 11
Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Agriculture Based Livelihoods, Forest Based Livelihoods, and so on. Though some correctives have been made by focusing on Agro-climatic Regions like Coastal Areas, Forest Areas in some of the courses, the overall hang-over of the sector way of looking at livelihoods still remains predominant. The livelihood perspective recognizes that most people, especially the poor, engage in a set of activities cutting across many sectors. It recognizes, for example, that people in coastal are not only catch fish or other related activities, but also sell regular grocery items, clothes. 6. One area which I find inadequately covered by these courses is the influence of information technology (IT) on the livelihoods of people. Though in some courses IT has been looked at as an enabler of some of the livelihood opportunities, but the perspective that it is changing the life-style or livelihoods of a very large number in more than one ways have not been adequately covered. It is changing the nature of trade and therefore the commodity prices; it is changing the decision making processes affecting organization structure and kind of human resources they employ, it is facilitating long distance communication breaking down the family structures and migration patterns, which is going to affect the livelihood pattern of people tomorrow very seriously. This also has not been adequately covered in any of the courses. 7. Even the role of entrepreneurship, especially collective enterprises have not been covered adequately in these courses (unless covered in some other parts of the larger program, which has not been reviewed here).Livelihood promotion often rely on enterprises, where people engage as a wageearner or an owner. Though in the recent years there has been quite a bit of emphasis placed on skill building. But these skills unless woven into an entrepreneurial structure (whether owned by the people themselves or by an external agency) fail to create a livelihood impact on the people. Therefore courses on this area also need to be developed. From the discussion on the various courses developed and being offered by different institutions it emerges clearly 1. Time of collaboration that was discussed in the Livelihoods MANTHAN meeting in 2013 has come. Now that different institutions have developed various building blocks need to be put together. 2. Understanding of risks and vulnerability in current changing livelihood context and what the people can do about them needs to be strengthened. 3. Large investments in livelihood promotion/ support coming from the Government and the corporate entities today, both of which operate at a scale, partnership with entities exploring how the courses developed by various partner organizations of MANTHAN, can be made more useful for them.
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Notes i.
See discussion in Sustainable Livelihood Framework - Its evolution 2003 - William Solesbury, ODI, London. The present livelihood perspective was proposed by Chambers, Robert and Gordon R. Conway. (1992) Sustainable rural livelihoods: practical concepts for the 21st century. Institute of Development Studies discussion paper no. 296. Brighton, GB: University of Sussex Institute of Development Studies; Sustainable Rural Livelihoods a framework for analysis - Ian Scoones 1998 IDS Working Paper 72, Sussex. A Selected Literature Sources - Sustainable Livelihoods can be found in Compiled by Marlene Roy & Jeffrey Turner - Information for Sustainable Development Project; Published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development
ii.
See Rapporteurs‘ Report on the National Workshop Rethinking Livelihoods: Innovations in Teaching Livelihoods held on March 13-14 2013 at XIMB
iii.
See discussions in by Chambers, Robert and Gordon R. Conway (1992), op. cit.; Chambers, Robert (1995); Poverty and Livelihoods: whose reality counts? Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 7, No.1, April 1995. Markets, Institutions and Technology: Missing Links in Livelihoods Analysis Dorward, Andrew and Kydd, Jonathan and Morrison, J. and Poole, N. (2003) 'Markets, Institutions and Technology: Missing Links in Livelihoods Analysis.' Development Policy Review, 21 (3). pp. 31932. Also see Understanding the institutional context – IFAD, available at www.ifad.org/english/institutions/guidance/5.pdf
iv.
See discussion in Sankar Datta; Rama Kandarpa and Vijay Mahajan (2014); Resource Book for Livelihood Promotion (4th Edition); Institute of Livelihood Research and Training
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Section 1 - Courses on livelihoods promotion & management 1.
Institute of Rural Management, Anand
The Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), established in 1979, is a pioneering academic institution in rural management education and research. IRMA offers a postgraduate Program in Rural Management (PRM), a two-year fully residential program for those who wish to take up challenging managerial responsibilities in institutions working in the rural sector. IRMA also has a Centre for Sustainable Livelihoods.
(i)
Rural Livelihood Systems
Institution Program Name Course Title Course Type Term Credits
Institute Of Rural Management, Anand Post Graduate Programme in Rural Management Rural Livelihood Systems Compulsory 1 0.5 (out of 34)
Course Rationale Livelihood is a set of activities using own and common endowments (human and material), to generate adequate resources (cash and non-cash), for meeting the requirements of self and the household, usually carried out repeatedly and as such becomes a way of life. Ideally, a livelihood should keep a household meaningfully occupied in a sustainable manner and with dignity. Livelihood interventions are conscious efforts by a household, community or other agencies to promote and support livelihood opportunities for a large number of people (other than those directly or indirectly employed by them). Government of India has been one of the largest agencies involved in such livelihood promotion efforts. However, the cooperative sector, the corporate sector as also the NGO sector has also contributed to promoting livelihoods. The basic process of designing a livelihood intervention involves three fold activities: (i) observing and understanding the local economy (getting to know the people, assessing factor conditions, understanding local demand condition); (ii) selecting livelihood activities suitable for the poor in the area; and (iii) deciding on intervention. Course Objectives The course provides a holistic and interdisciplinary exposure to the understanding of concepts, processes, and relationships between available endowments, production systems, and livelihoods of rural people. The course has three modules with five sessions each. Its first module provides livelihood perspectives to the participants; discusses life support systems and sustainable livelihoods linkages, processes, tools and techniques for designing livelihood interventions; and measurement of sustainable livelihoods. The second module deals with the major agro-climatic region-wise associated production systems and land and water-based livelihood options. It also deals with the gaps and potential of agriculture, livestock, and allied agricultural activities in various agro-climatic zones. Non-farm and forest-based livelihoods are discussed separately. In the third module, the course deals with the critical understanding of livelihood promotion approaches that have been adopted by the major development organisations in India. Course Pedagogy Pedagogy for the course will include interactive session, case analysis, group and individual exercises, and presentations. Course Structure Session Topics Number Module 1: Conceptual Frameworks, Approaches, Tools and Techniques (5.5 sessions) Livelihood perspectives: approaches and frameworks 1–2
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No. of sessions 2
Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Livelihoods and life support systems 3 Measuring sustainable livelihoods 4 Designing a livelihood intervention: process, tools and techniques 5 Module 2: Rural Production Systems and Dependence of Livelihoods (5 sessions) Agro-climatic, and agro-ecological regionalization and associated production systems 6-7-8 Development of agricultural, horticultural & fruits crops, and livestock in various agroclimatic zones Forest dependent livelihoods 9 Livelihood options in rural non-farm sectors 10 Module 3: Livelihood Interventions Adopted by the Prominent Development Organizations (4.5 sessions) Critical understanding of the existing interventions on agriculture based livelihood 11-15 interventions Critical understanding of the existing interventions on forest based livelihoods Critical understanding of the existing interventions on non-farm based livelihoods Critical understanding of the existing market-led livelihood interventions Critical understanding of livelihood interventions by state Terminal Examination
2.
1 1 1.5 3
1 1
4.5
Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
IIFM was established in 1982 as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Management (PGDFM) is a two year, six terms, fully residential program comprises of foundation segment with four terms covering fundamental courses on management, forestry, environment and development. IIFM also has a Centre for Livelihoods Management.
(i) Livelihoods, Local Institutions & Governance Institution Indian Institute Of Forest Management, Bhopal Program Name Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Management Course Title Livelihoods, Local Institutions & Governance (LLIG) Course Type Term 5 Credits 1 Course Rationale In India about 26% of India‘s population is living below poverty line. In this context, livelihood options are of critical importance for their development. In our development programmes and policies, it is a major concern. Lot of National and International donor agencies are providing inputs for livelihoods opportunities. In this context, it is important to examine the linkages of livelihood options with various development programmes, policies and projects. It is also important to bring in institutional reforms and promote local institutions for effective governance, which can facilitate sustainable development through livelihood security. Course Objectives: To assess the poverty context of India. To discuss the livelihood concepts and issues. To establish linkages between livelihood issues and development programmes and policies. To develop skills for analyzing and promoting livelihoods through local institutions.
16
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
-
To analyze existing governance structure for facilitating development of the rural poor through sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Course Pedagogy: The course will make use of available knowledge base, which has been accumulated over a period of time. The course requires thorough understanding of concepts and issues regarding livelihoods and development strategies. Group discussion and classroom discussions will be encouraged. Case studies will be analyzed for better understanding. The sessions will be conducted adopting highly participatory approach. Course Structure: Session Theme 1-2 Understanding Poverty Context of India - Situational analysis of poverty - Overcoming Poverty 3-7 Concepts & Approaches Livelihood Concepts - Livelihood framework –Different models (like DFID, OXFAM, CARE, UNDP) - Spatial, sub-sectoral and segmental analysis of livelihoods - Framework for analyzing livelihood intervention choices - Designing a livelihood intervention 8-13 Linkages: Development Programmes & Livelihood Options - Natural Resource and Livelihood Options (land, water and forest) - Rural Development through NRM (Agricultural productivity, livestock, NTFP, watershed, informal sector, fisheries, manufacturing, service sector, etc.) - Critical evaluation of development programmes in the context of livelihood issues
14-19
Mid Term Examination after 15 sessions Livelihood and Micro Enterprise Development - Micro Enterprise Development - 3M Model for Micro Enterprise development - Enabling environment for micro enterprise development - Linkages between Micro Enterprise development and Community Institutions
17
Reference Class notes UNDP Reports HDR Reports www.livelihoods.org www.empowerpoor.org www.makepovertyhistory.org Datta et,al 2004
Case studies: (i) BAIF‘s Wadi Model. (ii) Promotion of Goat Husbandry in Dholpur by PRADAN (iii) Watershed plus – Adding value to a watershed programme: the AKRSP (I) Experience (iv) Beyond JFM: Dugli, Jawara Peoples Protected Area. (v) Livelihood Intervention through Inland fisheries – A case from Andhra Pradesh (vi) Sadguru‘s Lift Irrigation Initiative: Lifting the Spirits of Tribal Communities in Western India. Farrington, et al, 1999 (Ch 5, 6 & 8) Mathew, 2002 Datta et,al 2004 Class note User Manual for 3M Model – MART, DFID and CARE India Film on Micro Enterprise Development i) ―Tantuj‖ ii) ―Jhinna‖ Case study: i) Knitwear Cluster of Ludhina.
Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
20-25
26-30
New Horizons in Livelihood Institutions - Public Investment in Livelihood initiatives - Experiences from State Rural Livelihood Projects - National Rural Livelihood Mission - Enabling policy environment - Attracting Private Capital - Women empowerment Local Institutions and Governance System for Enabling Livelihood - Tools for assessing vulnerable segments and human development - Decentralized Institutional Infrastructure - PRI. - Institutional and Social Capital through SHG and Producers Company, MSME Foundation and others - Sustainability Issues in governance systems
Various Policy Documents Case studies: (i) Case studies from MPRLP and BRLP. (ii) CEMEX: Innovations in Housing for the Poor. Prahlad, 2005
Field visit
Being incorporated in 2nd Field Work segment after Term-V
Riley, 2002 Edwards & Fowler, 2003 (Ch 1&3) Case Studies: (i) Triveni Sugar Mill (ii) Cooperative marketing of milk and BASIX Intervention. (iii) A Community‘s New Enterprises Restore a National Forest. www.taruleadingedge.org
End Term Examination Fieldwork component: Being incorporated in 2nd Field Work segment after Term-V Assessment Plan: Class Participation Quiz Assignment Mid Term End Term
3.
5% 10% 20% 30% 35%
Xavier University Bhubaneswar – School of Rural Management
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB), Xavier University owes its origin to a "Social Contract" between the Government of Odisha and the Odisha Jesuit Society. The two-year AICTE approved PGDM (RM) program, since its inception 15 years ago, has strived towards moulding rural managers, with the heart of a social worker and the mind of a business manager, by infusing professionalism into rural development and management. XIMB leads a consortium of eight institutions called Livelihoods MANTHAN (Management Academic institutes Network for Transforming Human resources through Action and kNowledge). Livelihoods MANTHAN is a collaborative effort to envision the participation of management and higher educational institutions as an important part of the livelihoods ecosystem in India.
(i) Rural Production Systems Institution School Of Rural Management, Xavier University Bhubaneswar Program Name MBA (Rural Management) Course Title Rural Production Systems Course Type Compulsory Term 1 Credits 1.5 (out of 105) 18
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Course Description It is important to understand the existing and potential rural production system in order to develop and strengthen the livelihood system in villages. Both production and livelihood system for villagers are interrelated and should complement each other. Like any other system, these systems too affect and get affected by both internal and external factors. To manage the system well we also need to understand the type and level of such influences. Understanding livelihood, various elements, and different approaches of livelihood analysis is required for a rural manager to put the same in practice. Course Objectives After the course is over student would be able to know and Learn – What constitute rural production system? Factors Affecting Rural Production system? Rural Production Approaches Methods of Development Interventions Course Structure Session Topics Number 1 -2 Fundamentals for the increasing rural production 3 Factors Affecting Rural Production system 4 5 6-7 8-9
10 11
Paternalism in Development Why is Rural Production System Different? Approaches in development interventions Methods of Increasing Rural Production Jargons or Reality? Recapitulations
Reading/case list Reading Materials Discussion Points: In The Footsteps of Mahatama Chapter 1 and 2, Two Ears of Corn by Ronald Bunch Discussion Points: An interview with Deep Joshi of PRADAN, Magsaysay Award Winner Chapter 2, Two Ears of Corn by Ronald Bunch Students Led, Teacher Facilitated Discussion Session Chapter 3, Two Ears of Corn by Ronald Bunch Discussion Points: Why Do We Fail ? 2nd Chapter, The Art of Facilitating Participation: Releasing the power of Grassroots Communication, by S.A. White Discussion Points: Slogan That Misfired Discussion Points; Jargons From Books
Assessment Plan: Quizzes Project Work/Mid Term Assignments End Term Pass Mark
20% 30% 10% 40% 40
(ii) Rural Livelihood Systems Institution School Of Rural Management, Xavier University Bhubaneswar Program Name MBA (Rural Management) Course Title Rural Livelihood Systems Course Type Compulsory Term 2 Credits 1.5 (out of 105) 19
Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Course Description Establishing effective institutional platforms for the poor that enable increased income through sustainable livelihood programs has been a key development strategy in recent years. There is a demand for a new cadre of livelihood professionals in rural areas serving government, civil society and the private sectors. This introductory course seeks to provide students with an opportunity to equip themselves with the knowledge, skills and practices to promote rural livelihood systems in a sustainable manner. Course Objectives At the end of this course, the learners will be able to: Develop a basic understanding on the concept and approaches of livelihoods Understand the different livelihood strategies adopted by people and institutions working with the poor in farm and non-farm sectors. Use different tools and techniques to assess or map livelihood options and design livelihoods interventions. Course Structure Module Session Basics of 1-2 livelihoods
Livelihood strategies
3
Contents -Context- poverty - meaning of livelihoods - definition of livelihoods
Suggested Readings Livelihoods of rural poor ( SOIL 2008 report) Robert Chambers and Gordon R. Conway: Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: practical concepts for the 21st Century
- Livelihood portfolio of rural poor -Agriculture, Migration, Diversification - Sectoral Approaches in Livelihoods
Ian Scoones: Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: A Framework for Analysis
Sustainable Livelihood Approaches
4-5
- sustainable livelihood principles - livelihood frameworks
Livelihood Promotion
6-8
Livelihood mapping
9-10
Livelihood promotion by different agencies - major livelihood programmes in India - challenges in livelihood promotion Tools and techniques for livelihood mapping and sub sector analysis
Types of livelihood interventions. A resource book for livelihood promotion DFID: Sustainable Livelihoods Guidance Sheets
Case studies of various organizations (Experiences of livelihood promotion. Learning from the field- the Livelihood school) SOIL reports Resource book
Field Work Component: The Group project is to be carried out by students in the villages during their RLLE and is to be submitted by Dec 4th. Assessment Plan: Quizzes and Assignments Participation in Learning Mapping Livelihoods (Group Project) End Term Exam
25% 10% 30% 35%
20
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
4.
KIIT University – School of Rural Management
KIIT University was launched in 1993. The KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM), Bhubaneswar came into existence in 2006, and offers the MBA (RM) program.
(i)
Rural Production Systems and Livelihoods Institution KIIT School of Rural Management, KIIT University Program Name MBA (Rural Management) Course Title Rural Production Systems and Livelihoods Course Type Compulsory Term 1 Credits 2.0 (out of 92) Course Rationale The rural economies in developing countries are based on production systems that differ fundamentally from those in the developed world. The Rural Production Systems range from relatively natural systems with few modifications and minimal inputs, through to intensive production of crops and livestock, poultry and fish. On the other hand rural non-farm selfemployment has become especially dynamic with farm households rapidly diversifying into the sector to increase income. However, there are limits to the ability of the traditional farming/non-farm systems to cope with rapid externally induced change. The pressures placed on these systems have resulted in serious environmental damage and increased poverty. An essential prerequisite for improving their efficacy is the knowledge and understanding of prevailing production systems and the problems and constraints that limit production .Often the approach has tended to be top-down, whereby perceived rather than real constraints are addressed to seek improvements. The failure of such development interventions to deliver substantive improvements in poverty reduction has been well recognized. There is clear evidence over the last decade for steady legitimization of the `livelihood' concept to achieve integration of economic, social and environmental policy dimensions into one decision-making framework. Cohesion across each of the three dimensions is essential, since the livelihood decision-making domain of each person is facilitated /constrained by interacting factors in all three. Better `triangulation' of these disparate but mutually supportive aspects of public policy is at the heart of the sustainable livelihoods concept. Course Objectives To provide an understanding of linkages among poverty, livelihoods, national economy, policies, and resources in rural areas To acquaint the students to the farm-based and non-farm rural production system To discuss the conceptual frameworks related to livelihood promotion To discuss how livelihood promotion can be undertaken
Course Syllabus -
Rural Production Systems: History and evolution of rural production systems including non-farm activities; Rural farming systems: Cropping systems, Livestock systems, Fisheries and Agro-forestry systems, the role of rural non-farm activities in rural development.
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Rural livelihood approaches: which are people-centered (bottom-up) to enable rural men and women to men and women build assets and develop their skills to access new opportunities for income generation and employment.
-
Conceptual Frameworks: Sustainable Rural Livelihood Framework, 9-square Mandala, Porter Framework
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
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Livelihood Promotion Roadmap: Household Portfolio Mapping, Market Assessment, Triangulation, External Environment Analysis, Susbsector Analysis, Identification of Product
Course Pedagogy The pedagogy will consist of lectures, guest lectures, case studies, field visit and field assignment. The purpose using mix of pedagogical tools is to continuously keep the students engaged with the subject to maximize his/her learning. Assessment Plan: The evaluation component will be as under: Class Participation Quiz Assignment Mid Term End Term
5.
5% 15% 20% 20% 40%
Azim Premji University – School of Development
Azim Premji University was established in Karnataka by the Azim Premji University Act 2010. The School of Development offers a Livelihoods specialisation as part of the MA Development course. This specialization will enable students to critically engage with, and thoughtfully intervene (individually and collectively within organisations and movements) in issues related to poverty, resource crises and sustainability, livelihood security and diversification, migration, labour standards and regulations, financial inclusion, technological change and skills development, and others. In addition to the compulsory and elective courses, the students taking Livelihoods specialisation will have to do an eightweek field project in the domain of livelihoods.
(i) Understanding Livelihoods: Perspectives, Concepts and Theories Institution Azim Premji University Program Name MA (Development) Course Title Understanding Livelihoods: Perspectives, Concepts and Theories Course Type Elective (Core course of Livelihoods Specialisation) Term Third (out of four) Credits 3 (out of 72) Introduction This course provides the theoretical and conceptual base for understanding livelihoods. As such, it will serve as a foundation course for the students who are taking the livelihoods specialisation. It is built with the overarching assumption that the meaning of livelihoods has to be understood beyond employment or income generation and should be seen in the context of work and how it determines ways of being. Work, which is a vital human activity, is directed towards need fulfillment in a purposeful and mediated way. It is also a social activity that cannot be seen a-contextually. This course approaches livelihoods as incorporating the changing nature, forms, experiences and knowledge of ―work‖ and the ways in which it shapes and is in turn shaped by ways of being or ―life‖ (including issues of identities, and forms of association and belonging to larger entities such as families, kinship networks, communities, neighbourhoods and material contexts). Livelihoods viewed thus, is in many ways, the bedrock upon which concerns of dignity, equity, inclusivity and sustainability is most strongly registered within development discourse. Analyzing the livelihoods of people therefore is a complex process that goes beyond the conventional approaches that have been primarily economistic, focusing on specific sectors and activities (e.g., agriculture, forests, micro and small enterprises,
22
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
wage labour etc.). Our approach tries to bridge multiple disciplines in natural and social sciences, rather than ‗create artificial divisions in complex realities‘.2 Objectives This course will Enable students to link livelihoods to work and life in the broader social and philosophical context of human progress. Establish the interdisciplinary nature of the study of livelihoods. Provide an understanding of theories and concepts cutting across disciplines such as economics (development economics, new institutional economics etc.), sociology, human geography, political ecology and anthropology, that have shaped the livelihoods perspective. Lay the conceptual and analytical foundations for engaging in livelihoods interventions. Structure The course is broadly divided into seven modules spread over 16 weeks. Week 1 to 4 Module 1 Perspectives on work, livelihoods and life Week 5 to 7
Module 2
Evolution of livelihoods thinking and analysis
Week 8 to 9
Module 3
Deprivation, multidimensional poverty and social exclusion
Week 10 to 11
Module 4
Risk and vulnerability
Week 12 to 13
Module 5
Forms of capital
Week 14 to 15
Module 6
Institutional structures and processes; Forms of organisation
Week 16
Module 7
Conceptualising livelihoods in transition
(ii) Livelihoods: Policies, Practices and Challenges Institution Azim Premji University Program Name MA (Development) Course Title Livelihoods: Policies, Practices and Challenges Course Type Compulsory (under Livelihoods specialization) Term Third (out of four) Credits 3 (out of 72) Introduction Livelihoods of the poor, vulnerable and marginalised, has been and continue to be significantly impacted by policies of the state and multilateral institutions aimed at fostering economic development, individual liberty and social justice. Policies in this context can be laws, lateral agreements, and major programme or mission documents. There exists wider consensus now that state and international policies are techno-political instruments, needed to enhance livelihoods of these sections of the society. However, neither any of the state policies nor the international policies are explicitly known as a ‗livelihoods policy‘. These policies typically are in the ‗promotional space‘ spanning across sectors of agriculture, livestock, forests, water, industries, mining or trade, in the form of provisioning institutional support, capital, technology, extension, employment, and access to markets. In addition, many of the policies are also in the ‗regulatory space‘ within these sectors, such as labour standards, safety at work including women‘s safety, social securities, ethical trade practices, administered pricing, prohibition of cruelties, and others. And increasingly, policy making is shifting from welfarist to rights bearing focus cutting across thematic sectors and making the state directly accountable to its citizens.
2
Scoones, Ian. 2009: Livelihood Perspectives and Rural Development, Journal of Peasant Studies, 36(1), January 2009.
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Along with the policies, various livelihoods promotion approaches of the state, civil society and the market (e.g. cooperatives, SHG-federation led, micro-credit, natural resource management, producer companies, and the like) continue to endeavour to improve work and life conditions of the poor in terms of economic well-being, dignity, inclusion, equity and justice, navigating through the barriers of capital, class, patriarchy or caste. Overcoming these barriers has been attempted through institutional reform or financial mediation, or entitlements or even by use of technology and communications. These approaches often derive from policy or innovative practices, or from social movements and in turn inform the policies and practices. However, people‘s lived experience poses significant challenges in realising the livelihood enhancement goals that often are results of policy and institutional constraints and / or larger socio-political factors. The policies, practices and challenges therefore are intimately connected to each other, informing, influencing and shaping the discourse on livelihoods. Students taking livelihoods specialisation will expectedly engage in the livelihoods space. Understanding and clarity of the perspectives, concepts and theories together with the knowledge of and familiarity with the policies, practices and real life challenges will shape their contributions. This course on Livelihoods: Policies, Practices and Challenges will take the students through a journey into (a) understanding the policy environment of livelihoods in the country, (b) coupled with a strong familiarity with the practices in the form of specific approaches that emanated out of some of these policies or social contexts, and (c) to develop clarity on the policy and institutional constraints faced by these population in their lived experiences, in claiming their rightful dignified life. Together with the course on ‗Understanding Livelihoods: Perspectives, Concepts and Theories‘, this course will provide the students with a good grasp over the real world of livelihoods. This translates into the following four objectives. Objectives The students taking this course will receive Critical understanding of the policy environment connected with livelihoods in India and the extent to which it addresses concerns of inclusion, dignity, equity, justice and sustainability related to work & life of the vulnerable and marginalised. Familiarity with major livelihood approaches of the state, market and civil society, their policy connections, contextual relevance, and impact. Recognition of the critical role and the contribution of various forces namely, state, market, communities and social movements to policies and approaches. Understanding the conflicts, contradictions and challenges arising out of social, policy or institutional constraints for policies and approaches from lived experiences. Structure The structure of the course is as follows: Weeks Week 1-3 Week 4-8 Week 9-13
Modules Module 1 Module 2 Module 3
Week 14-16
Module 4
Module Names Constituencies of the poor-vulnerable-marginalised and their livelihoods contexts Policies of livelihoods promotion-regulation-entitlement: An analysis Livelihoods promotion approaches and their contributions towards enhancing livelihoods security Challenges of livelihoods: Interrogating policies and approaches from lived experience
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
(iii) Competencies for Livelihoods Interventions Institution Azim Premji University Program Name MA (Development) Course Title Competencies for Livelihoods Interventions Course Type Compulsory (under Livelihoods specialization) Term Third (out of four) Credits 3 (out of 72) Introduction The work and life choices of the poor and marginalised are constantly impacted and shaped by ‗top down‘ development approaches and models derived from national and global policy. Opportunities for enhancement of livelihood choices are simultaneously strengthened and devastated by the twin factors of market expansion (many times via new technologies and knowledge) and state policies (e.g. food security on the one hand, and land acquisition on the other). Livelihoods interventions in this context cannot be understood only in terms of the capacity of the poor and vulnerable to earn a living based on available ‗capitals‘, since such a focus is limited by its under-playing of voices, values and visions from the ‗bottom up‘ which tie the availability (or lack thereof) of various ‗capitals‘ to the structures put in place by state, society and market. In short, by treating the ‗poor and vulnerable‘ as targets or objects of development rather than as subjects and active knowledge-bearers, it leaves out questions of power and its attendant effects from an analysis of livelihoods. Livelihoods interventions, instead, have to foreground larger questions of inclusion, dignity, equity, and justice in work and life of the poor which are raised by the poor themselves in making their lives and histories. Such an approach to livelihoods would have to look at the capacity of the poor to influence the larger structures and processes shaping their lives (antagonistic social relations, competing claims over natural resources), as well as policies and practices that block or enable such engagement of and by the poor. Livelihoods interventions derived from such understanding, therefore, have to incorporate the above thoughts/insights into policies and practice on the ground by careful crafting of strategies, where the engagement by the poor and vulnerable in the livelihoods enhancement processes combines the technical, political and economic with the structural, cultural and ideological aspects. In recent years, state, market, civil society actors and communities are increasingly engaged in shaping the livelihoods of the poor by way of developing new skills and enhancing older skills, expanding access to capital, markets and technology, and putting in place various enabling support mechanisms through state programmes. These interventions combine local innovations with national and global imperatives. The competencies needed for livelihood practitioners engaged in such interventions have typically been the techno-managerial and mobilisational varieties which seek to enhance the ‗capitals‘ of the poor for raising household incomes. In the conceptualisation of livelihoods interventions described above, these competencies have to be complemented by and at times, fundamentally rethought, by building upon the ability of the livelihood practitioners to translate the issues of inclusion, dignity, equity and justice into livelihood practices. This can be achieved by learning the use of various ‗participatory learning and action‘ techniques, and about various forms of community organisations for livelihoods interventions that empower the poor to claim equitable and dignified place in the market. These competencies will be built from the ‗bottom-up‘, using participatory and reflective approaches based on the lived experience of the poor. This course on ‗Competencies for Livelihood Interventions‘ will help develop basic and relevant knowledge, competencies, skills, and dispositions of the students to address the livelihood challenges of the poor including the gaps and concerns mentioned above, through appropriate interventions. The course would prepare the students to become reflective practitioners and help to engage, identify, & design appropriate livelihood interventions. The course is designed to equip students to work in and with communities to address livelihood issues. Objectives The course will enable students to:
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
a) Conceptualise and understand the power of participatory learning and action processes for livelihood mapping 3. b) Develop familiarity and appreciation of community based organisations and their potential for addressing livelihood challenges. c) Build key skillsets to engage the poor or collectives of poor with market and state through field exposure. d) Conceptualise the LH interventions by synthesising the learning from above. Structure The course is organised in the following manner. Week 1 to 2 Module 1 Understanding and experiencing participatory learning and action (PLA) Week 3 to 6
Module 2
Using PLA in livelihood mapping
Week 7 to 11
Module 3
Understanding engagements of the poor and vulnerable with market and state
Week 12 to 14
Module 4
Collectivising the poor for livelihood interventions (within commons, market and state)
Week 15 to 16
Module 5
Conceptualising livelihood interventions
(iv)
Elective Courses Sectoral Track i. Understanding Coastal Zone: Understanding Ecology, Livelihoods and Governance ii. Introduction to Forest and Livelihoods Thematic Track
i. ii. iii.
Work, Labour and Informality Poverty: Concepts, Measurement and Critiques Gender and Livelihoods
Organisational Track Social Enterprises and Organisational Forms
3 Livelihoods mapping is an exercise to map livelihoods profile of a village or a community or livelihoods portfolio of a household, using PLA techniques. It typically maps assets, capabilities, constraints, opportunities, and policies, institutions and processes to influences these constraints and opportunities.
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
6.
Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India
Livelihood Promotion – Strategies, Institutions and Management Institution Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India Program Name Post Graduate Diploma in Management – Development Studies Course Title Livelihood Promotion – Strategies, Institutions and Management Course Type Elective Term Second Credits 3 (out of 115.5)
(i)
Course Rationale The course will help students of the Development Studies get to understand Livelihood promotion and its methods and use of tools. These could thereafter be used by them to delineate a Livelihood intervention and develop a management plan for the same. The students undergoing this basic level input will be able to develop a livelihood programme based on the inputs received. Course Structure: Session Content 1 What is the meaning of livelihoods? How can one define Livelihoods of poor Method: Brainstorming on the words using cards followed by Lecture and Slide Presentation 2-3 What has been the efforts made by the state, civil society in promoting livelihoods? History of Livelihood promotion in India: Sriniketan experiment to MNREGS Method: Lecture using slides presentation and capturing efforts so made and what learning‘s they have for us in the present day. 4 Is there a definitive way to promote livelihoods? What does it mean for a promoter? Method: Small case methods 5-6 Difficulties livelihood promoter encounters while making efforts to promote Livelihoods with poor Method: Simulation Game 7 Different Livelihood promotion models that could be used as strategies when livelihood has to be promoted with Poor Method: Lecture 8-9 Is there a Framework that as livelihood promoter we can look at while we promote Livelihoods Method: Putting up three different frameworks and comparing the elements of each of them. 10-12 Understanding the different elements of a framework Method: Using the various component of a framework: Portfolio Mapping, Market analysis and Understanding the factor conditions to Triangulation exercise. 13 Using the 3 E method to understand the point of intervention Method: Students develop understanding of the question framing for undertaking the 3 E tool 14-15 Moving from identification of point of intervention to doing a sub sectoral analysis 16-17 Discussion on a live example of a sub sector analysis Method: Case analysis 18-24 Working on different elements of a Livelihood Promotion Project Innovation and livelihood promotion (18 Session) Productivity enhancement design (19-20 Session) HR plan (21 Session) Marketing Plan (22 session) Financial plan (23-24 Session) Students to prepare assignment based on this inputs. Assessment Plan:
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Assignment(s) Mid Term Examination End Term Examination
7.
40% 20% 40%
Dr. B R Ambedkar University Delhi
(i)
Rural Livelihoods Institution Program Name Course Title Course Type Term Credits
Bharat Ratna Dr. BR Ambedkar University, Delhi MPhil (Development Practice) Rural Livelihoods Three (out of four) 2 (out of 64)
Course Rationale The aim of this course is to build understanding of different approaches to create and tap opportunities to enhance well being and livelihoods and enable communities to take charge of working towards a better quality of life. This course will equip the student to understand dimensions of well-being and livelihoods and their links with markets and business. It will help them explore patterns of social exchange governing livelihood-seeking behaviour and options available to poor families, especially in the light of changing landscapes of opportunity—including rights and constitutional guarantees, and new economic opportunities. Drawing upon their field experience and village study, students will be encouraged to reflect upon dilemmas of constructivist approach of a livelihoods practitioner.
8.
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Conventional definitions and approaches to enhance livelihood opportunities and capacities of the poor to combat poverty have been found to be too narrow and often do not consider vulnerabilities, marginalities and social exclusion as vital determinants of poverty. However, today, there is a growing recognition, particularly within the profession of Social Work that attention must be paid to diverse factors and processes, which either constrain or enhance poor people's ability to make a living in an economically, ecologically, socially and culturally sustainable manner. The proposed MA Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship is an attempt in this direction. TISS Mumbai also has a Centre for Livelihoods and Social Innovations.
(i)
Development, Marginalities and Sustainable Livelihoods
Institution
Centre For Livelihoods And Social Innovation, School Of Social Work, Tata Institute Of Social Sciences (Mumbai) M.A Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship Development, Marginalities and Sustainable Livelihoods 2 2.0 (out of 79)
Program Name Course Title Course Type Term Credits Course Rationale The complexities of poverty, marginalization and development are posing newer challenges for practitioners. Today, there is mounting concern over the multiple crisis of food, water and livelihoods and resource conflicts of the marginalised groups and communities. For effectively responding to these contemporary concerns, practitioners need to be equipped to apply and integrate critical thinking and practical field experience from a wide range of perspectives, and to be innovative in seeking meaningful solutions. This course thus seeks to approach development in its complex and multiple manifestations and its interfaces with the livelihood insecurities and the sustainable livelihoods debate. It would essentially
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
strengthen the capacity to weave theoretical perspectives with contemporary development concerns and challenges for equitable and sustainable practice. Course Objectives Developing students‘ critical and analytical skills to comprehend the complexities underlying development and practice and its interface with the sustainable livelihoods debate. Facilitating critical and creative thinking and engagement of students with contemporary developmental and livelihood concerns from a wide range of perspectives. Familiarising students in exploring alternative approaches to an 'equitable' and 'sustainable' form of development in sustaining life and livelihoods of the marginalised groups and communities. Course Content Unit Topic No 1 Deconstructing Development: Politics of concepts and contestations; Development Realms, Vulnerabilities and Marginalities; Marginality – Vulnerability Overlap, Shifts in development thinking 2 Conflicting Paradigms and Alternative Perspectives in Development Thinking: Key Post Development Thinking and Alternative thoughts - Debate on Development and Underdevelopment , Right to Development, Freedom and Unfreedom, People's Agency in the discourse of alternative development 3 Gendering Development and Livelihoods: Intersecting and Compounding Marginalities: Importance of understanding Gender Construction for the study of development and livelihoods; Gender dimensions of Development - Approaches and Policies; Gender and livelihood constraints and struggles ; Feminist Practice 4 Contemporary Processes of Development and Marginalised Livelihoods: Contemporary processes and projects of development; multiple crisis of food, water and livelihoods, resource conflicts and livelihood insecurities 5 The Sustainable Livelihoods Debate at the interface of Development Thinking: Emergence of Concepts and Perspectives - sustainability, sustainable development and sustainable livelihoods as alternate pathways to development and their crtique 6 Development Challenges and alternative pathways for 'equitable' and 'sustainable' livelihood opportunities: Critical review of practice Total number of hours Course Pedagogy: Lectures, discussions, case studies, seminars etc. Assessment Plan: Written Assignment and Presentations
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No of Hours 4
6
6
4
6
4
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
(ii) Livelihood Uncertainties, Vulnerability and Adaptation Institution Centre For Livelihoods And Social Innovation, School Of Social Work, Tata Institute Of Social Sciences (Mumbai) Program Name M.A Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship Course Title Livelihood Uncertainties, Vulnerability and Adaptation Course Type Term 2 Credits 2.0 (out of 79) Course Rationale: Ecological, social, political and economic systems are undergoing change at a rapid pace creating different scales of vulnerability. Changes occur simultaneously in space and over time, and through numerous forms of geographical interdependence and historical path-dependency resulting in ecological, knowledge and livelihood uncertainties. Economic globalisation, shifting patterns of political governance, and new expressions of community and identity are all part of this growing complexity, as both contributors and responses to it. Interactions within and between processes and systems constantly generate unpredictable outcomes and surprises; the result is a world which is inherently less predictable and knowable. In this context, conventional models which have guided the study of environment and development interventions, based on notions of equilibrium and predictability, fail to hold up. Thus, it becomes very crucial that students understand how vulnerable people sustain their livelihoods in an uncertain world and what institutional arrangements mediate their access to resources. This course provides students an opportunity to examine different facets of uncertainty and complexity in resources, community and institutions governing natural resources including common pool resources. It also helps the students in capturing the coping and adjustment processes that vulnerable groups adhere to and the various factors influencing the adaptation strategies. Course Objectives To develop the students' knowledge and sensitivity to diverse uncertainties, vulnerability contexts and adaptation strategies of poor and marginalised people. To enhance students' capacities in analysing and applying suitable frameworks in analysing vulnerabilities. To strengthen the students' understanding on livelihood-environmental linkages and help them recognise the intricacies involved in making livelihood decisions amidst micro and macro level uncertainties. To familiarise students with the common livelihood adaptation strategies that poor people resort to and help them to identify the essential conditions necessary for the success of such adaptation strategies. Course Pedagogy: Lectures, presentations, role plays and discussions Course Content: Unit Content 1 Introduction Introduction to Sustainable Livelihood Framework – Livelihoods and Livelihood Promotion - Principles of Livelihood Promotion – Types of Livelihood Promotion – Purpose of Livelihood Promotion – History of Livelihood Promotion in India – The Livelihood Pentagon and the Livelihood Triad. 2 Livelihood Analysis: Household Economy Approach Key features of Livelihood Analysis – The Household Economy Approach – Baseline – Outcome – Coping – Intervention 3 Vulnerability Analysis Understanding Vulnerability – Definitions and Concepts – Poverty and Vulnerability – The social context of risks and uncertainties – Models to analyse vulnerability – Adaptation strategies – Levels of Vulnerability Analysis – Participatory Vulnerability Analysis
30
Hours 6
6
6
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
4
5
Value Chain Analysis The Simple Value Chain – Extended Value Chain – Key Concepts – Common Functions in Value Chain – Methodology of Value Chain Analysis – Sustainable Livelihood Promotion through Value Chain – Social Interfaces in Value Chains. Skill Gap Analysis Principles in Gap Analysis – Skill Gap – Typology – Indicators – Quantitative SGA – Qualitative SGA – Levels of SGA – Steps in SGA
6
6
Assessment Plan: Assignments and Examination
(iii) Livelihood Promotion and Social Entrepreneurship Development Institution Centre For Livelihoods And Social Innovation, School Of Social Work, TISS (Mumbai) Program Name M.A Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship Course Title Livelihood Promotion and Social Entrepreneurship Development Course Type Term 3 Credits 2.0 (out of 79) Course Rationale Social entrepreneurship and social enterprises are necessary for addressing the issue of economic necessity of vast section of our population in both rural and urban areas. This course aims at introducing the concept of social enterprises and social entrepreneurship as an alternative to mainstream development approaches, leading to sustainable development resulting in appreciable social dividends. It is envisaged the conceptual knowledge of the students need to be enhanced by making them realise the significance of social values and innovation in development. Students also need to be given a fair understanding of the strengths and differentiation in the role of the established or old social economy (large scale copperatives, mutuals and associations) and the new social economy in the form of income generating NGOs, third sector organizations and social enterprises. Course Objectives To introduce the concept of Social Entrepreneurship as a technique to promote livelihoods of the poor and marginalised. To understand organizational and collective dimensions of Social Enterprises. To understand the characteristics of social enterprise models. To understand the role of social entrepreneurship in livelihoods promotion, challenges and way forward. Course Content Unit Content 1 Livelihoods Fairness and Promotion in an inequitable society, Understanding Social Entrepreneurship as a technique to promote and expand livelihoods of the poor and the marginalized 2 Definition and Purpose of Social Entrepreneurship: Concept of Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship; Social Value Creation; Social Enterprises and Social Entrepreneurship; Role of Social Entrepreneur 3 Theoretical Frameworks in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship: Livelihood Innovation Models; Approaches of the State, NGOs, CSR, Social Enterprises and CBOs 4 Legal perspectives in the governance of social enterprises 5 Transforming and Promoting Livelihoods through Social Entrepreneurship: Prospects and Challenges (Case Studies and Field Visits) Total hours Course Pedagogy: Lectures and Discussions
31
Hours 2 8 6 6 8 30
Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Assessment Plan: Assignment and Examination
(iv)
Social Action and Livelihood Transformation Institution Centre For Livelihoods And Social Innovation, School Of Social Work, Tata Institute Of Social Sciences (Mumbai) Program Name M.A Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship Course Title Social Action and Livelihood Transformation Course Type Term 4 Credits 2.0 (out of 79) Course Rationale This course is designed to provide students with knowledge, skills and strategies required to promote social action as an important method to transform the livelihoods of the marginalised population. Students will explore social action and social change as well as analyse in depth various methods to promote social transformation. Students will thus have the opportunity to analyse cases of social action and the diverse strategies that emerge, enabling them to reflect on the relationship between theory and the practice of social action. Course Objectives To enable students to understand and apply the skills of social action in transforming vulnerable livelihoods. To develop student's ability to identify his/her own motivation and commitment to social justice. To develop students' skill in implementing strategies and evolving plans for social action and social change. To enhance students' skills in reflecting upon and evaluating the effectiveness of social action strategies in transforming livelihoods. Course Content Unit Content 1 Conceptualising Social Action: Meaning; Essential elements of social action; Objectives of Social Action; Understanding Social Action through Paulo Freire and Saul Alinsky 2 Principles of Social Action: Credibility; Legitimisation; Dramatisation; Dual Approach; Multiple Strategies; Mani-fold programmes. 3 Means of Social Action: Research and collection of data; Planning; Meeting key informants; Public meetings and awareness creation; Mass media and press; Legal action; Representation to authorities; Coordination and networks; Implementation. 4 Strategies of Social Action: Campaign/promotional strategy; Collaboration; Pressure/advocacy strategy; negotiation; litigation/legal strategies; Conscientisation; Human relations; Political organisation; Economic organisation; Conflict management; Situation modification; Direct Action. 5 Case Studies on Social Action and Livelihood Transformation Total Number of Hours Course Pedagogy: Lectures, role plays, documentaries and case analysis Assessment Plan: Assignment and Examination
32
Hours 8 4 4
6
8 30
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
(v) Livelihood Impact Assessment and Evaluation Institution Centre For Livelihoods And Social Innovation, School Of Social Work, Tata Institute Of Social Sciences (Mumbai) Program Name M.A Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship Course Title Livelihood Impact Assessment and Evaluation Course Type Term 4 Credits 2.0 (out of 79) Course Rationale Assessing the impact of livelihood enhancement programmes on people, their capacities and opportunities is an important skill that students of livelihood and social entrepreneurship need to acquire. There is also a urgent need in the development sector to recruit personnel with professional skills and knowledge in taking up livelihood impact assessment programmes. Students need to develop their expertise with respect to baseline assessments, impact appraisal and assessment. The capacities of the students also need to be equipped to demonstrate how livelihood changes are influenced by the different activities carried out under diverse livelihood enhancement and development programmes. Course Objectives To develop students' knowledge and skills in carrying out livelihood impact assessments in different development contexts. To enable students to get a comprehensive understanding of the approaches and methods used in impact assessment and develop their own practical methods in the field. To help students to reflect on lessons learnt about how to apply the different approaches in livelihood impact assessment and to link them to the wider understanding about how to develop practical applications of the sustainable livelihood approach. Course Content Unit Content 1 Planning for Livelihood Impact Assessment: Choosing institutional partners; Selecting local investigators; Logistics; Working out budgets; Methodology and Time-frame. 2 Livelihood Baseline Survey: Objectives and purpose of livelihood baseline data; Livelihood Exposure and Vulnerability Profiling; Livelihood zoning; Area and Settlement Selection; Seasonal Impact and Response calendars; Response typologies; Institutions for livelihood support; Use of socioeconomic tables and statistics 3 Assessing Livelihood Impact: Stakeholder analysis; Impact of project/ programmes/ events on local people and non-participating communities; Tangible and intangible impact; Direct and indirect impacts; Positive and negative impacts; Intended and unintended impact; Financial Impact. Impact of and on government bodies, NGOs, private sector and other external stakeholders 4 Sources of Information: Secondary sources, Project documents, enterprise records, Key informants, PALI, HH Survey, Discussions with non-participants/ outsiders, Market visits, Financial information, Social Audit; Oral History and Livelihood Histories 5 Cumulative Impact Assessment and Evaluation 6 Case Studies on Livelihood Impact Assessment Course Pedagogy: Lectures, Role plays and documentaries Assessment Plan: Assignments and Examination
33
Hours 4 6
6
4
4 6
Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
(vi)
Livelihood Innovation Lab
Institution Program Name Course Title Course Type Term Credits
Centre For Livelihoods And Social Innovation, School Of Social Work, Tata Institute Of Social Sciences (Mumbai) M.A Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship Livelihood Innovation Lab 3&4 2.0 (out of 79)
Course Rationale This skill based course is designed for students interested in nurturing an idea towards the development of a social venture. The course is aimed at enhancing students' capacities in creatively addressing societal issues and field challenges in the Social Work profession. Students, individually or as a team could develop a specific idea to pursue or an area of interest with the understanding that by the end of the course, a specific plan of action will emerge, followed by its initial implementation. This course will be linked with the LSE 5 Business Plan Development for Social Sector course, where the students will get involved in business plan development for a social venture, by associating with the field action projects or faculty interests of different Centres in the School of Social Work. Course Objectives To develop students' practical skills in addressing societal and livelihood challenges. To provide a structured, field-based platform for students in developing and implementing creative solutions aimed at social value creation. To enhance opportunities of field-action projects and entrepreneurial ventures to synthesis classroom learning and their application in social work practice. Course Content The majority of course time will be focused on team-based project work outside the classroom. Student teams comprising of two to three students will explore the feasibility of effectively addressing a social issue, which a particular Centre of the School of Social Work or other Schools are dealing with and then develop and implement a business plan for an appropriate social venture. The respective teams will be provided faculty advisory support and classroom sessions with focus on supporting teams in the development of their respective social venture. The field action projects of the School will be the main platform for the students to develop their business plan, pursue program and product prototyping activities, explore cross-cutting topics related to business planning and organizational design, design resource generation strategies, establish performance metrics, and develop plans for scaling. At the beginning of the fourth semester, each team will formally present their plans. By the end of the fourth semester, it is expected that students begin to implement the project. Unit 1
2
Content Class Room Modules: Conceptualisation of proposal with individual faculty mentors and through field visits; Presentation of Proposals and Action Plans and discussion (Linked to LSE 5, Business Plan Development for Social Sector course in the 3rd Semester) Innovation Lab: Implementation of Development Plans; Presentation and Follow up Plans Total No. of Hours
Assessment Plan Business Plan Development, Field-work and Implementation
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Hours 10
20 30
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
(vii)
Project Planning Tools for Livelihood Promotion Course Rationale This course is aimed to provide an in-depth understanding of the framework and tools for project planning in the context of strengthening the livelihoods of the poor and the marginalised. Students of Social Work specialising in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship have to enhance their professional capacities in terms of the requisite skills which can be applied to strengthen their engagement in managing livelihood related projects effectively. Blending basic project planning and management tools with participatory tools for socio-economic and institutional analysis, this course aims at equipping students with basic frameworks, skills and tools used in livelihood promotion and development. Learner’s Objective - To develop a cadre of social workers who are well-versed with frameworks and tools for livelihood analysis and project planning. - To enable the capacities of professionals in critically appraising and selecting appropriate tools and instruments for project planning. - To provide the basic knowledge and skills in monitoring and evaluation, participatory appraisals and developing livelihood innovation plans. Course Structure and Credit Hours Unit Topic 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Strategic Planning for Livelihood Promotion Livelihood Projects and Strategic Plans – Preparation of Plans – Factors influencing planning – Planning roles – Elements of a strategic plan – Vision, Mission, Activities and Values – Steps in Strategic Planning – SWOT Analysis – Theory of Change and Logical Framework Approach – Objective Oriented Planning Institutional Analysis for Livelihood Projects Analysis of legislation and policy environment – The Stakeholder Approach – Systems Approach – The Participatory Approach – CIPP Approach Policy Analysis for Livelihood Projects Poverty Analysis – Social Fabric Matrix Approach – Counterfactual Approach - CoIMPACT (Consultative Impact Monitoring of Policies) – Value Chain Analysis – Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) - Market Analysis Socio-Economic and Political Analysis for Project Planning Power Analysis – Drivers of Change Analysis – Problem-Driven Governance and Political Economy Analysis - Stakeholder Analysis – Political Mapping - Network Analysis – Transaction Cost Analysis – RAPID Framework - Force-Field Analysis – Organisational Mapping - Social Risk Management Framework – Scenario Analysis - Gap Analysis – Resource Envelop Analysis – Livelihood Mapping – Conflict Analysis. Project Management Characteristics of Projects – Project Lifecycle – Role of the Project Manager -Project Planning - Setting goals and securing commitment – Project Scheduling – Project Control - Writing Policy Briefs and Plans for Livelihood Promotion Project Monitoring and Evaluation Purpose of Monitoring and Evaluation – Components of a good Monitoring and Evaluation System – Tools for Monitoring and Evaluation – Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation Total
Methods of Teaching
35
Credit Hours 5
5
6
6
6
2
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
The course is designed to blend both lectures and case study analysis. A mix of case study-led discussions of specific livelihood projects across different agro-ecological regions and group-based activities will be applied to enrich the course. Methods of Assessment The course is assessed by the followings: 1. 2.
9.
Case Analysis using a particular framework or tool towards a specific livelihood sub-sector (40%). Developing a Project Proposal to promote livelihoods in a specific sub-sector (60%).
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development
The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, is an Institute of National Importance set up in 1993. RGNIYD functions as a vital resource centre with its multi-faceted functions of offering academic programmes at Post Graduate level encompassing various dimensions of youth development, engaging in seminal research in the vital areas of youth development and coordinating Training Programmes. The Institute is a nodal agency for training youth as a facilitator of youth development activities in rural, urban as also tribal areas.
(i)
Livelihoods and Development
Course Rationale Livelihoods are central to development. The goal of development viz ‗wellbeing‘ can be achieved only when the households have secured access to livelihood sources and assets. The problems of poverty, hunger malnutrition, ill-health, etc. can be eliminated through sustainable livelihood sources and assets. The students of development practice should be aware of a wide spectrum of livelihoods sources accessed by different categories households, the problems and challenges in accessing the sources and the assets that support them, the strategies they follow to overcome the challenges and so on. They must be aware of the various government initiatives to create and sustain livelihood opportunities particularly for the poor in rural and urban areas. Hence, this course on livelihoods and development. Objectives On completion of the course the learners will be able to i. ii. iii. iv.
Define and identify livelihood sources and assets Locate the problems and constraints in having access to livelihood sources and assets Analyse systematically the various aspects of livelihoods (vulnerability, assets, Institutions and processes, strategies and outcomes) by using sustainable livelihood framework Apply the sustainable Livelihood Framework in the ongoing programme on livelihood security.
Unit 1 – Introduction Concept of Livelihoods – sources of Livelihoods – Livelihood Assets – Relationship between livelihood, assets, sources and development, constraints / problem / challenges in having secured access to livelihood sources and assets Unit 2 – Sustainable Livelihood Framework (DFID / UK Aid) Vulnerability Context: Meaning, Causes and effects. Assets: types and their influences on livelihood sources. Policies, Institutions and processes: Meaning and their influence on access to assets. Livelihood strategies and outcome. Strengths and limitations of sustainable Livelihood Framework. Unit 3 – NRLM
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
National Rural Livelihood Missions (NRLM) : Objectives and salient features MNREGS : Objectives and salient features – MNREGS as a creator of assets and as a source of Livelihoods Urban Self Employment Programme [Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)] : Objectives and Salient features, Unit 4 – Case Study Case study on MNREGS (in groups) Livelihood sources and assets mapping using participatory social / resource mapping.
Methods of Teaching: Lecture, Seminar, Guided Staff study, Field work Methods of Evaluation: Test, FGD, Assignment, Field Report
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Section 2 - Courses on livelihoods promotion & management 1. PRADAN (i)
Livelihoods Promotion Training Programme (For the organizations initiating livelihoods promotion) a) Over-all objectives As improving livelihoods of rural poor involves complex interaction of many actors and factors such as the stages of the family, available natural resources, market, government programmes etc, the need for formal training inputs on livelihood promotion is being felt. It is being envisaged that conducting a specially designed livelihoods training programme for the organizations initiating livelihoods promotion will facilitate developing shared perspective and initiate livelihoods activities more effectively. The programme thus aims to provide the required conceptual and practical understanding to the participants, which would help them in initiating livelihoods activities in their own area. The programme is of 5 day duration. Participants engage in pre-training work before the first phase. b) Pre-training work - Identify the livelihoods activities for which your working area provides the best opportunities and for which your area provides the least opportunities. Write your observations to support your opinion. - Spot and write the major trends in your working area that has an impact upon the livelihoods related activities. - Identify and write the livelihoods activities you propose to do in your working area and give reasons behind it. c)
Course Outline and activities Attitudes and assumptions espoused by the practitioner to appreciate the contributions of different actors and factors to the livelihoods of the villagers. Knowledge and concepts related to understanding area and people from development perspective, dynamics around choosing livelihoods activity by the villagers, coping strategies adopted by them, local area economy, value-chain, linking small producers to the market, and basics of finance and costing. Skills associated in articulating the interrelationship of different actors and factors with the livelihoods of the villagers and identifying suitable livelihoods interventions.
Day 1
Focus Understanding the area and its people from livelihood perspective: Developing a mental map
Content - Natural Resources - Physical Infrastructures - Demographic profile with specific reference to poverty and women - Reach of Government programmes/initiative/schemes - Occupation and livelihoods practices - Industrial and service activities - State of readiness of people to respond to external changes
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
2
3 4
5
Livelihoods canvas and Local area economy
Field Visit Linking small producers to market
Basics of finance and costing
-
Definition of livelihoods Routes to livelihoods Choice of portfolio of activities, 5As framework Risk and its mitigation/coping strategies Looking into people‘s own initiatives at improving their situation Honey Bee and Hybrid Activities Industrialisation and new economy, implications and possibilities for livelihoods Theoretical inputs on local area economy and sub-sector Planning for field visits Exposure to Market Sub-group presentation on learning from field visit as regard to local area economy, value chain and its relevance to market linkage Why market is important for small producers/holders Explore opinion about market (thoughts, values associated), myth Local/Regional/Global Market Commodities and differentiated product Fragmentation- Aggregation Price dynamics Margins at various level Institutions and entities in the market Role of financial intermediation Interlocked markets Costing Break even analysis Cost volume profit Cash flow Working capital Elements of business plan How to prepare a business plan Facilitating factors and constraints in implementation
(ii)
Livelihoods Promotion Module (For Development Apprentices of PRADAN) a) Background and Objectives PRADAN‘s Development Apprenticeship Programme recruits fresh university graduates from over 60 campuses across India. Apprenticeship covers a period of 12 months. An apprentice is assigned to a PRADAN project under the guidance of a trained Field Guide as a ―learner member.‖ During the first seven days, the apprentice conducts a reality check, while getting oriented in the team. If she is then interested in carrying on, the apprentice goes through a systematic learning process that includes two fieldwork segments, two foundation courses, and a visit home, to another team and another NGO. All these put together helps the apprentice to explore her preparedness – intellectual, physical, emotional, and social – in taking up a career in grassroots development. She learns the nitty-gritty required for being a development professional. This module is part of Foundation Course-II, which is conducted during twelfth month of the Development Apprenticeship. At the end of this module the participants would have
40
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
enhanced understanding on constituents of livelihood and their relationship identified factors and forces that effects livelihood choices of rural women explored attributes of desirable livelihood portfolio This is a 4 days module and has pre-training assignment. b) Pre-Training Assignment Documenting two short cases: Success and failure Documenting household economic details (access and control by women) and activity portfolio (productive, reproductive roles)-use of gender analysis framework. Decision making in economic and activity portfolio. Compile cash flow c) Session & Activity Plan Day Content 1 - Introduction - Suicide game - Consolidation of understanding as regard to livelihoods of rural poor based upon the suicide game 2 - Factors of success and failure - Livelihood portfolio - Diverse routes to livelihoods and their importance and implications - Considerations for taking livelihood decision :5A - Factors those affect o social norms ,belief, culture, history, o immediate family and society o Market o Institutions - How it affects women Contd 3 - Dignity - Screening Movie: Lesser human - Livelihoods canvas/Conceptual Basis - Definition and elements of livelihoods - Interaction with a village woman - Reflection on the interaction 4 - Sharing - Attributes of desirable livelihood portfolio - Role and focus of development practitioner based upon experience
(iii)
Programme for Livelihoods Promotion (For Executives of PRADAN)
a) Over-all objectives and phases of the programme The programme aims to - provide concepts, frameworks, tools and techniques necessary to better equip a professional to undertake the practical tasks involved in livelihoods promotion - enhance awareness about the larger dimensions of livelihoods, the factors and patterns of social exchange that tend to govern the manner in which the poor families seek livelihoods, and the options available for livelihood enhancement - help participants explore the implications of such options for the income and non-income aspects of livelihoods, the broader well-being of the family
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
-
develop a pool of livelihood practitioners who would play a role in kindling poor families‘ dreams and hopes for a better future, creating and tapping opportunities to enhance livelihoods, and enabling them to take charge of their lives and livelihoods and work towards a better quality of life
The programme is divided in two phases of 8 days each. Participants engage in pre-training work before the first phase, and inter-phase work between the phases. These ―outside-training-module‖ components of the programme are very important as they serve the dual purpose of (a) preparing the participants for better assimilating during the ―in-training‖ inputs, and (b) giving them opportunity to establish strong links between these inputs and field realities. b) Pre-training work (a) Assignment - Documenting two short cases—of a successful and unsuccessful attempt by the rural poor to come out of their poverty: - Documenting household economic details and portfolio of activities - Assessing household cash-flows: c)
Phase-I (a) Course outline and Objectives
Attitudes and assumptions espoused by a livelihoods practitioner, regarding self and the community. Knowledge and concepts underlying livelihoods; family transitions from resignation to proactively working towards own wellbeing; constituents of livelihood promotion; powerlessness of the family; seasonal cash flows, activities, decisionmaking, income expenditure gaps, and diverse portfolios; the interplay of social, economic and personal issues; and resources, skills, knowledge, markets, external environment, and constituents of livelihood promotion. Exposure to a wide range of options tried out in India. Knowledge related to local area economy analysis, area profiling, using secondary data sources, assessing resources and collecting data in a village, and helping family analyse its resources and skills including household economic analysis. Ability to jointly generate livelihood options with groups, families and individuals At the end of the 1st phase, participants would have enhanced their Exploration of own attitudes and assumptions related to dignity, identity and choices Understanding and ability to map motivations, factors, patterns and forces contributing to the groups, families and individuals present social, economic and psychological conditions Ability to diagnose the differential impact of these motivations, factors, patterns and forces on groups, families and individuals (b) Activity Plan Day 1 2 3
Content Naranpur Express Demo Naranpur Express Definition of livelihoods; Routes to livelihoods; Enlightened opinion – Chambers – Conway, DFID, Amartya Sen; Factors of success and failure; Family transition; Immediate Return System, Delayed Return System.
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
4 5
6 7 8
Dignity, implication of different routes to livelihoods; New Rights and Constituional Guarantee, their reliability and effectiveness for livelihood of poor; Industrialisation & New Economy : Implications, Possibilities for Livelihoods; Decision making by farmer households; Concept of risk, risk and uncertainty, sources of risk, calculating portfolio risk, co variant, contra variant risks, risk efficiency frontier, Individual's risk profile, Attitudes towards risk; Coping strategy How do people make resource-use choices? Designing programme considering risk; Algebra of livelihoods, Honey bee, Hybrid, sectoral intervention, Vishweshwarayya Complex, incentives; Commodity markets; Futures market Micro-enterprises, Individual and group owned enterprises Introduction to Local Area Economy Study
d) Inter-phase works (a) Group Assignment: Local Area Economy study of an area (preferably a block) e)
Phase-II (a) Course outline and Objectives Attitudes and assumptions espoused by the practitioner to negotiate and orchestrate constituents. Knowledge and concepts underlying strategic /risk planning, livelihood planning, business development services, service providers, building partnerships with constituents of livelihood promotion, building user groups, developing an exit strategy, nurturing linkages, group vs. individual. Supply chains, value addition, working capital assessment, sustainability and evaluation parameters related to efficiency, effectiveness and impact. Introduction to frameworks to explore, evaluate and pilot livelihood options. Skills Conducting a sub-sectoral study and using tools such as Porter Framework and 3Es; business idea generation, project feasibility analysis, business planning. At the end of this phase, participants would have enhanced their: • Ability to select areas for intervention and evolve objectives and goals • Ability to jointly generate livelihood options with groups, families and individuals, and evaluate their feasibility • Ability to establish and nurture stable working arrangements with relevant individuals, groups or institutions (b) Activity Plan Day Content 1 Presentation of inter-phase assignment; Generating options, Critera for short listing, Application of Tool : 3 E; Introduction to sub-sector, value chain, overview of sub-systems: production, processing and marketing 2 Filed work for studying sub-sector 3 Presentation of field work, Basic financial statements: Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss Account 4 Cash flow statements, Essential concepts in costing, Working capital management 5 Business viability: Break even, leverage and related concepts and exercises; Financial viability: NPV and IRR; Inputs for making a comprehensive business plan; Group activity: preparing business plan for identified activity 6 Appraisal of the elements considered by the sub-groups in preparing business plan; Small-holders in the market; Logic of collective action, Design principles for a cooperative 7 Review of the business plan prepared by the sub-groups; IOF vs. MOF; Monitoring and performance measurement; Revenue model; Further working on business plan by the sub-group 8 Presenttaion of business plan by the sub-groups and feedback
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
2. Institute of Livelihood Research and Training (ILRT) (i)
Fundamentals of Livelihood Promotion (FLP) Objective: The course ―Fundamentals of Livelihood Promotion‖ aims at building a perspective on the concept of livelihood and the livelihood promotion processes applicable across different socio-political and economic conditions. The FLP will help participants appreciate the interconnectedness of multiple disciplines that converge to make livelihood promotion effective. They will have hands-on experience of applying new tools to understand the socio political aspects and economic well being. It will also help participants customize project interventions to fit local conditions including resource availability and constraints, the political economy of the region, sector and location.This program focuses especially on the design of livelihood interventions aligning with large programs of the Government. Course Objectives: Participants will: Understand development interventions from a Livelihood Perspective Familiarize themselves with various conceptual and practical approaches to Livelihood Promotion Be equipped with some tools and methodology to understand the cultural, social, political and economic aspects of livelihoods Learn to design Livelihood Interventions from strategy to implementation Who should participate FLP is designed to enhance the knowledge base as well as skills that inform best practices for Livelihood Promotion. Fieldlevel project managers of livelihood promoting agencies, key functionaries responsible for livelihoods program design and program monitoring, and scholars from academia teaching and doing research on livelihood related topics would find this program suitable. Duration: This course is offered as a 6-day residential program
(ii)
Training Program on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Based Livelihood Promotion Objective The specific objectives of the course are : to impart knowledge on theories definition and concept of livelihood analysis, small medium and micro forest enterprise, forest ecology, sustainable forest management and sustainable management to develop technical skills for resource assessment of economic importance NTFPs and prioritize the potential one for intervention to develop sustainable and scientific harvesting of selected NTFP Good Forest Governance practices, overview of Forest Policies, Regulatory compliances and convergence of schemes for leveraging the livelihood interventions, to impart knowledge about NTFP business, identification of business idea and business model development based on value chain analysis, supply chain analysis of NTFPs, micro financing and financial planning for setting up NTFP enterprise, market linkages, branch development promotion and marketing management, to develop skills for project management, monitoring and evaluation, designing monitoring parameter, PERT, CPM for project monitoring setting time-bound targets and achievements, carrying out impact evaluation studies Course content: The course is divided into 7 modules:
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Module 1: Concepts and Theories: Module 2: NTFP Based Rural Livelihood Strategies Module 3: Resource Assessment; Resource Augmentation; NTFP Harvesting; Post- Harvesting treatment; and Value Addition – Processing and packaging of NTFPs Module 4: Institutional Arrangement and Institutional Strengthening Module 5: NTFP Business Development Module 6: Project Management Module 7: Project Monitoring and Impact Assessment
For Whom This course is designed for senior and middle level officers from government department like Forest Department, Tribal Development Department, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department and other line departments; field level professionals in NGOs and community based forestry programs, researchers, academicians and representatives from forestbased industries and enterprises, engaged and/or interested in various aspects of Sustainable NTFP Management as a livelihood strategy. Duration: This is a 5 day residential program.
(iii)
Case-write Methodology Case writeshop is a participatory workshop process targeted to build the capacities of field staff in documenting their experiences through cases. To prepare for the workshop, a steering committee lists potential topics and invites resource persons to develop first drafts on each topic based on guidelines provided. This process is the key to the quality of the final product. Participants bring the drafts and various reference materials to the workshop. During the workshop, each participant presents his or her draft paper. Copies of each draft are also given to all participants, who critique and suggest revisions. What is unique is that the papers are read verbatim – the idea being that the reader will not have the writer to explain what he meant. It is therefore very important not to get into lengthy explanations (like usually done over a PowerPoint presentation) but rather read the script ‗word by word‘. The write-shop also brings in a set of ‗English editors‘ who are ideally non-technical people – the idea being that the writing should follow a layman‘s style rather than that of a subject matter specialist, which in turn allows people at all levels (from grassroots worker to a policy maker) to understand the concepts well. After each presentation, an editor, who is assigned to a particular author, helps revise and edit the draft. This is based on the constructive criticism that is received immediately after the presentation. Likewise, based on the discussion and agreements during the deliberations, an artist prepares illustrations to accompany the text. In some cases the publication can decide to have artwork as well as pictures, either or both. Again, a set of experienced desktop publishers work on the draft and artwork to produce a second draft – this being laid out exactly as the publication layout is envisaged to be. Each participant then presents the revised draft to the group again using LCD projection but this time in the format it is going to be published. The audience once again critiques and makes further suggestions. The draft is thus revised further to generate the third draft. Towards the end of the workshop, the third draft is made available for all participants again for final comments and revisions. A skilled editor then puts all final drafts together into a publication. The workshop usually last anywhere between a few days to two weeks, and has a neat mix of professionals on the topic, community workers and other related practitioners.
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
(iv)
Orientation Program to Panchayati Raj Representatives Objective Impart basic understanding of livelihood and livelihoods promotion process – applicable across different socioeconomic and geographic conditions. Bringing to light promotion strategies for specific livelihood themes. Provide inputs from key disciplines that impact the livelihood promotion process. The Program covers - An understanding of livelihoods and help participants appreciate difference between supporting livelihoods of poor households as against looking at employment opportunities or running income generating programs. - Methods of identifying various conditions, market conditions, related and support industries as well as institutional conditions that affected the livelihood choices of people. - Tools for identifying specific bottle necks and developing interventions to overcome them building linkages with various Government programs that could help overcoming the bottlenecks Duration: This is a residential program for 5 days.
(v)
Building Capacities of Farmer Producer Organizations through Mentoring Objective The Institute of Livelihood Research and Training provide mentoring support through three major interventions. Training and Capacity building of Resource Institution (RI) Staff and their field teams Facilitating Exposure visits for the staff of RIs and Farmer Interest Group (FIG) members Providing accompaniment support to RI teams in the process of promotion and strengthening of FPOs. Learning needs assessment The mentoring support commences with a need assessment of LPO staff. The content may be slightly modified based on the specific needs. Components 1. 2. 3.
Capacity building of LPOs Facilitating Exposure visits for the staff of LPOs Accompaniment support
Target Group : The mentoring support is to build capacities of LPO staff through training and handholding support to take forward the process of promotion and strengthening of Farmer Producer Organizations. Duration: 18 Months
(vi)
Credit Course on Livelihood - Azim Premji University
ILRT designed and co-delivered a 1 credit course on livelihood within the 4 credit core course on Innovation and Livelihoods in the 2nd semester of the M.A. Development program of AzimPremji University. Objectives The section on Livelihoods and Livelihood promotion aims to provide systematic understanding on livelihoods and livelihood promotion. The students shall have a multi-dimensional perspective on livelihoods and issues around livelihoods and to think laterally on livelihood promotion
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
The students will have an understanding over various approaches for livelihood promotion and livelihood frameworks adopted for designing such interventions Contents i. Livelihoods of the Poor; Diversified Portfolio of Subsistence Livelihoods, Systemic nature of livelihoods-well being of household and definition of livelihoods from a perspective of promoting livelihoods ii. Livelihood intervention: Objective, Nature and Design of the intervention-analysis of select livelihood interventions iii. Livelihood Promotion: Why promote livelihoods, Concept of livelihood promotion, Livelihood promoting organization iv. Approaches in Livelihood promotion: Spatial, Segmental, Sectoral and Holistic approach, Need for collaborationlinkages v. Various Frameworks for Livelihood promotion: BASIX-Coolie Framework Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, Rural livelihood Systems Framework vi. Selection of suitable livelihoods for promotion-a process, Understanding internal and external conditions; Idea generation and Innovation for identifying appropriate livelihood interventions. Duration: This will be a 4 weeks course involving 16 one hour sessions and will be delivered for two years.
(vii)
Livelihoods: Concepts, Models and Practices - National Institute of Rural Development
Course Description: The PGDRDM design rests on the tripod of (i) Rural Development Philosophy, Concepts, Principles, Policies, Programmes and Organisations (ii) Rural Development Management Practices, and (iii) Rural Social Sector. The Programme consists of three major components, namely, (a) Classroom teaching and interactive learning (b) Fieldwork (short visits and long visit) and (c) Field Attachment (Rural Organisational Internship). The first Component envisages exposure to attitudes, skills and knowledge relevant to the rural society, rural development philosophy and concepts, and rural development management theories and practices. The second one primarily revolves around understanding the rural society, its people, dynamics of interaction, institutions, relationships and livelihoods by way of intensive fieldwork. The last Component seeks to equip the students with skills of managing organisations/enterprises through organisational internship for 'hands on learning and applications. Objective On completion of the Programme, the students will have developed: •Expertise in planning and management of rural development programmes with focus on participatory development and innovation •Competence in reorienting the development delivery systems for improved delivery of services •Sensitivity to the issues of equity and gender •Appreciation of the rights and entitlements of the rural poor and the socially disadvantaged groups •Right attitudes and values necessary for rural development professionals •Positive thinking and leadership qualities.
(viii)
Curriculum on Livelihood Promotion and Managerial skills for SRLMs
Objectives of the curriculum The objectives of the proposed curriculum developed is twofold, one is to enhance the ability of the participants in designing a livelihood intervention to effectively guide his/her teams in the process of livelihood promotion and second is to enhance the managerial abilities to become an effective manager. The specific objectives of the module are as follows: To build comprehensive understanding on the concept of livelihood and livelihood promotion process To create understanding of the livelihood needs and capacities of the marginally excluded communities To improve the understanding of the participants on various factors directly and indirectly influence the livelihoods
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
To enhance the abilities of the participants in designing a livelihood intervention using appropriate tools and techniques. To improve managerial skills of the district manager to be an effective Manager in managing his unit Curriculum outline The curriculum proposes to cover the following topics Understanding livelihoods of poor & promoting Livelihoods Process of selection of livelihoods for promotion Tools & techniques for identification of livelihoods for promotion Introduction to Sub sector analysis* Introduction to Value chain analysis* Introduction to Enterprise development of livelihoods* Collective action & Aggregation* Understanding Principles of effective management-Effective Managerial Skills Thematic Integration * The current curriculum covers introduction to Sub-sector analysis, Value Chains, Enterprise development and collectivization. Each of this is a separate course in itself. Training Module A five day training module has been designed to disseminate the curriculum developed. The module has 29 sessions which include 19 sessions on livelihood and livelihood intervention design aspects and 10 sessions on effective managerial skills. The skills required for undertaking sub-sector studies, value chain analysis, enterprise development, formation and management of FPOs are introduced during the module. These skills need larger time frame for capacity enhancement. The duration of module is kept at five days considering the work schedule of the district managers and the constraints in being away from work for longer time
(ix)
Dairy Curriculum
Objective: The objectives of the proposed curriculum is to consolidate the capacity of the district and block team of SRLMs to formulate dairy intervention plan by engaging the community through Dairy Cooperative Society and implement the intervention plan so that the community get optimum benefits from dairy development plan.. The specific objectives of the curriculum are as follows: To support the District Project Implementation Unit (DPIU) and Block Project Implementation Unit (BPIU) to formulate dairy intervention plan based on milk supply and value chain. To support the promotion of local resource persons on dairy practices through prescribed guidelines. To reinforce the capacity of DPIU and BPIU on technical, social and managerial aspects of dairy development. Curriculum outline 1.
2.
Introduction 1.1 Dairy in India and Bihar: An Overview 1.2 Objective of the Dairy Curriculum 1.3 How to use this curriculum Situation Analysis of dairy sub-sector (in a block/village) 2.1 Baseline Survey- to understand the existing practices, challenges, opportunities and aspirations of the households engaged in dairy. 2.2 Tools and techniques of baseline survey (Survey forms, questionnaire)
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2.3 2.4 2.5 3.
4.
5.
Stakeholders analysis Understanding supply chain and value chain of dairy in the block/village. Assessment of potential for Dairy Intervention
Planning and Intervention Design for Dairy 3.1 Community Based Institution formation: Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS) 3.2 Dairy Development Plan (for a village) 3.3 Animal Nutrition and Fodder management 3.4 Animal Breeding 3.5 Dairy management at household level 3.6 Risk Mitigation Measures 3.7 Training for Para-vets, DSC members Role of Different Agencies in Dairy Development 4.1 Financial Institutions for Credit Support 4.2 State Dairy Development Board 4.3 Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) 4.4 BAIF 4.5 Cattle Insurance Companies 4.6 Cattle feed production companies Convergence of different agencies and government department for Dairy Development
3. Chaitanya (i)
E-Learning course for Federation Managers
a) Rationale With the launch of National Rural Livelihood Mission, and the requirement for a large pool of resources, there was a need to think beyond class room sessions. Chaitanya collaborated with other management institutions as part of Livelihood Manthan Network to design an e-learning course for federation managers and professionals interested in livelihood promotion. b) Objectives To build capacity of youth in the field of community based micro-finance by imparting to them necessary values, attitude, knowledge and skills to address the issues of poverty at grass root level. To build a cadre of professionals trained in management, development and sustainability of community based institutions – SHGs, village organisations and federations. c)
Target Group Livelihood Managers and staff currently working in NRLM or have applied for jobs at NRLM, trainers identified to conduct trainings Staff of civil society organisations that have promoted or are interested in promoting SHG federations Other professionals interested in understanding the sector. Students or fellows interested in joining the development sector.
d) Selection and evaluation procedure The interested candidates can visit the website from where they would be able to register for the course. After the payment of fees the, e-learning material will be delivered at their address. It is not a fully online course because of the limitations of connectivity. However, the evaluation would be based on certain exercises and assignments – like conduct of SHG meeting – for which videos can be uploaded on to the website. 50% of the evaluation would be based on these assignments while for remaining 50% a final written examination would be conducted. A certificate with grade obtained is awarded to students.
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
e) Credits and duration of the course There are eight modules of two credits each and a field work component of four credits making it a twenty credit certificate course. The course can be completed in four months time but since it involves self learning, it can be extended up to one year. Examinations will be conducted twice in a year (the frequency can increase as the number of students increase). The course would require a host partner that would take care of field work component as well as conduct of the final examinations. Five day class room sessions are proposed in the pilot phase of 2014 -15. f) Course details Course offered Duration Credit Number of Seats Eligibility
: : : : :
E- Learning Course for Federation Managers 6 months – can be completed in one year 20 credits (16 credits theory and 4 credits field work) 50 per center graduation from any recognized university
g) Learning methodology The course begins with conceptual understanding of poverty and gradually progresses to impart technical components of efficient management of SHG-federations. The curriculum has been carefully designed to build knowledge, perspective and sensitivity for working in the field. The teaching methodology includes field work/ visits to gain experiential learning. The course material has been developed by professionals working in the field and thus has grass root perspective in its content. The content taught is thereby absolutely contextual and functional. ‗Learning by doing‘ forms a significant method of diffusing knowledge. Students are given opportunity to observe and work with SHG groups and federations of women. This helps students in relating theory to practice and gives them platform to practice their learnings simultaneously. Towards the end of the course, students are placed with organizations working in micro-finance for a period of 2 months which gives them exposure to the field of micro-finance and a chance to institutionalize their learnings. h) Course content The detailed course content along with the delivery method is attached in the excel sheet. Here is a snapshot of the eight modules. # Level Module Topic 1
Basic
Poverty, Gender And Development
1. Introduction to dimensions and causes of poverty 2. Methods used for measuring poverty 3. Gender and poverty 4. Overview of the poverty alleviation schemes 5. Analysis of shift in approaches to poverty alleviation 6. Importance of access to finance and role of financial institutions
2
3
Building Institutions Of The Poor – Overview of Principles, Structures And Processes of SHGs
1. SHGs - A tool for poverty alleviation and women‘s empowerment
Financial Systems Of SHGs
1. Introduction to books of SHGs
2. Formation of groups – understanding key principles and characteristics 3. Introduction to financial counseling - savings, credit, insurance 4. Two and three tier structures of federations of self help groups 2. Learning to maintain various books 3. Audit of SHGs - preparation, conducting the audit, reporting
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
4. Gradation of SHGs 5. Sharing the findings of audit and gradation of SHGs 4
Building Institutions Of The Poor – Formation Of Village Level Organizations
1. Formation of clusters (village organizations) of SHGs 2. Structure and models of clusters 3. Functions and services offered by the cluster 4. Quality and sustainability of clusters
5
Building Institutions Of The Poor – Formation Of SHG Federations
1. Need, concept and principles of SHG federations 2. Governance and management of federation 3. Developing management processes in federation building 4. Services and models of federation 5. Book keeping, accounting and audit of federation
6
Found ation
Human Resource Management And Development
1. Understanding human resource management 2. Significance of effective recruitment 3. Division of roles and responsibilities 4. Succession planning 5. Capacity building 6. Role of Jankars
7
Promoting Leadership And Strengthening Community Based Governance
1. Understanding and building motivation 2. Effective communication 3. Conflict resolution 4. Concept of good governance in the context of federations 5. Role of the governing board in policy planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation 6. Issues and challenges in governance 7. Defining and monitoring key parameters for good governance 8. Role of Jankars 9. Annual planning of federations
8
Building Sustainable Institutions
1. Defining sustainability and its different dimension 2. Financial and institutional sustainability of SHG federations 3. Sources and vehicles of raising funds 4. Models of making SHG federations financially sustainable 5. Exploring federations as business correspondents 6. Linkages with financial institutions 7. Methods of institutional assessment – credit rating and social rating
i) Expected outcomes After successful completion of the course students will be capable of undertaking following tasks:
Understand poverty and undertake poverty assessment Form self-help groups of the poor Main record books of Self help groups Conduct audit and gradation of groups Form federations of SHGs Design and deliver training programs for members Build capacity of federation office bearers on leadership and self – governance Understand dimensions of sustainability and strategies to achieve the same
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
4. Access Livelihoods Consulting India Ltd. (i)
Executive Development Programs
Development agencies often conceptualize programs and projects which are not tuned towards providing sustainable and significant impact. ALC India believes that unless we create a critical reflective cycle of learning among the development agencies we will not be able to move forward in improving the quality of programs delivered. Therefore, in order to strengthen knowledge, reflective ability and expand program horizons in the professionals working for it ALC India undertakes Executive Development Programs. ALC India keeps scanning constantly for contemporary programs and keeps offering Executive Development Programs at different locations in the country. In the last 9 years of existence more than 2,500 professionals from at least 100 different organizations have used our services for the following programs in the livelihoods spectrum – 1. General Management Programs – a. Accounting and Finance Management for Livelihood Programs b. Human Resource Management c. Strategic and Business Planning of Livelihood Programs d. Monitoring and Evaluation for Livelihood Programs e. Risk Management and Rural Insurance f. Basics of Livelihoods Promotion 2. Specific Community Focused Programs – a. Dairy Farmers Livelihoods Enhancement b. Artisan Livelihoods Enhancement c. Urban Livelihoods Programs 3. Institutional Issues Related – a. Designing Collectives b. Farmers Producer Companies c. Reviving Weavers Cooperatives These courses are designed for development professionals working at the grass root level, technical support organizations, government and other development agencies working with rural and urban communities. The trainings are conducted using a mix of participatory learning tools and conventional lecture methods. Predominant learning tool that is used is case studies for illustrating the theory and practice. Interactive group works and role-plays ensure that the participants get opportunity to apply and reason the various dimensions concepts. Apart from these brainstorming sessions; experience sharing and presentations are also used for the sessions during the training time, hence be fully prepared with all the nuances when actually working with communities. (ii)
PGDRM Courses for National Institute of Rural Development
From the growing rate of the institutes, providing courses towards development or rural sector of India, it is evident that today‘s youth of India wants to work for this sector. But apart from just the passion, knowledge is also important to work efficiently and moreover effectively. ALC India has identified two basic necessities; firstly, the ground level experience, which is absolutely necessary and complementary to the theory. Secondly, need of integrated courses, which form the backbone of all other courses and are absolutely important when it comes to real life application of theory.
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
ALC India has been partnering NIRD for past eight years for the PGDRM courses. From the inception, we have introduced some and continued to teach some of these courses. The list of the courses, which are offered by ALC India for students of NIRD, is as follows: 1. Rural Products Marketing 2. Risk Management and Rural Insurance 3. Social Enterprise Management 4. Rural Management - Values and Ethics 5. Strategic Management and Business Planning 6. Principles and Practices of Rural Development Management 7. Basics of Livelihoods Promotion and Development As per our methodology, course materials (modules) have been designed for all the courses and circulated to the students appearing for it and a resource person of our organization thoroughly experienced in that particular topic is assigned as the teacher. This helps students in gaining from the practical experience from the resource person assigned as teacher. Exams are conducted as the part of NIRD academic structure but considerable emphasis is laid on the assignments that students work out. Initially, the courses offered were in the form of workshops, which gradually converted to optional courses in the institute and currently they are recognized as the compulsory courses for the participants. Observing the need and assessing our capability and experience in the field, ALC India is planning to introduce few more courses in near future. (iii)
Livelihoods: Concepts, Models And Practices (for NIRD)
Objectives – To know the differences between theory and practice and structure and functioning of rural organisations. To make them understand and analyse the structure of rural organisations. Methodology Discussion on Case studies and group assignments will be the main teaching aids. In addition to the cases and reading material given session wise, additional reading material will also be provided depending on the students‘ interest and need. Course Content # Content 1 Understanding Rural Organisations: Organisation – legal entity, structure, governance, operations RO: Typology; differentiation Stakeholders; Business vs Social Context(s) of RDM – Poverty, Vulnerability, Livelihoods, Quality of Life, Paradigm Shifts, Paradoxes, Trends, Development Interventions, Civil Society Facilitation Vs Management Enabling Vs Doing Problem statement and resolution Values and Ethics 2 Livelihood concept and definition Framework Livelihoods Elements Valuing Traditional Wisdom and Customary Practices 3 Planning: Concept and Principles Spatial, Temporal and sectoral planning Integration, Consolidation and Convergence in Planning Convergence Plan plus software Local decentralized and Micro Planning
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
4 5
6
7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 (iv)
Implementation: Institutional Planning & Project Scheduling Project Formulation Project Cycle – Introduction Project Appraisal Logical Framework - Concept and Approach Problem Analysis Stakeholder Analysis Activity Logs Linkages and convergence for livelihood enhancement and sustainability Public-private partnerships Institutional support for livelihoods Challenges to rural livelihoods: the emerging scenario Micro-entrepreneurial skills Environmental scanning for emerging livelihood opportunities Preparing rural people for new opportunities (re-skilling, employability…) Crisis coping strategies and support systems under loss of livelihoods (vulnerability protection/insurance/unemployment allowance) Natural Resources: Concept, Current status, issues/problems/challenges Sustainability: Concept and practices Institutional development for NRM Best practices and failure stories Conflict of interests and sustainable NRM NRLM Guidelines: Rural Livelihood Mission – Concept, strategies and interventions Self Employed Skill Development
It has been observed in rural areas that many young people want to work but either because of lack of skill-in-demand or lack of opportunity scanning they ultimately find themselves caught up in work far below their capabilities. ALC India has extended support to the young women and men mostly self employed rural producers of India so that they are able to engage gainfully with growing economy, meeting theirs and household needs for improved quality of life. Towards that ALC India will support entrepreneurship, self employment and job enabling skill development and trainings which would develop human resource for meeting the needs of two key unrecognized but critical sectors viz, agriculture business sector and cooperative enterprises. ALC India predominantly works on development and employment generation and has partnered with NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) to take up this activity for long term under a scheme called NSDC-STAR (Standard Training Assessment and Reward). Under this scheme, ALC India offered Mini Dairy Entrepreneurs program in which youths are trained and then by developing and submitting a business plan of mini dairy, basically comprising of one dairy-farmer, loan from the bank is sanctioned for purchasing of livestock and establishing the dairy farm. So the program has classroom, followed by apprenticeship and then linkage to financial resources to take self employment. Right now we have trained more than 300 such dairy farmers. But we could not manage the cover the complete cycle. We are struggling to get financial linkages for the farmers from the mainstream sources. ALC India remains responsible for all the operational aspects including designing the program, undertaking the skill development program and then assessment is done by NSDC. Thereafter, NSDC under STAR Scheme reimburses the expenses done by ALC India per participant or we charge the cooperative dairy or farmer for recovering the costs. One can say that this is still work in progress and it will take some time before we claim the model is fully ready to be shared with all concerned.
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Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
(v)
Livelihood Program Promotion
Traditional livelihoods are not able to support the needs of rural poor and to access new livelihoods opportunities the poor lack skill and knowledge. Rural poor, as both producers and consumers, always remain at the receiving end. Through many experiences, it has been realized that apart from many other gaps in the whole value chain, producers in rural areas lose a greater part due to various many anomalies and imperfections in the whole value chain. The field of livelihoods enhancement is more challenging now than ever to changing market scenario. The demand for supporting the livelihoods in rural areas is increasing. Producer Companies has emerged as a potential solution. Many organizations are coming forward for promotion of these enterprises with high amount of support from the top policy level. The underlying problem is that after getting promoted with the help of other organizations, these producer enterprises are vulnerable because ultimately producers have to manage the operations and they are not well equipped of the knowledge required to run a company. ALC India has identified this aspect and has started supporting Livelihood Program Promotion by skill development programmes aiming directly the producers. ALC India has developed modules of different aspects of organizations for different each level of the hierarchy. For e.g., 1. 10 Step Module for the staff promoting Producer Companies 2. 1 week module for the Board of Directors of Producer Companies 3. Basic Institution Building modules for the members in the form of videos, posters, pamphlets and others 4. Exposure visits and learning tours for farmers and producers to new models of enterprises We have observed significant difference in the members because of these trainings because they are becoming self sustainable and developing the entrepreneurship qualities, which will be necessary to continue their producer company after the hand holding support has been withdrawn by the promoting organization.
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Handbook of Livelihoods Education in India
Section 3 – Other courses on livelihoods promotion & support In this section, we provide a sample list of other livelihood promoting courses and programs available at some institutions across India. 1. Diploma programs BAIF (with IGNOU): Diploma in Watershed Management (1 year) 2. Certificate programs BAIF: Certificate in Water Harvesting Management (6 months) CGSIRD: Certificate in Livelihood Planning and Supply Chain Management (3 months) Certificate course on Decentralised Planning Chaitanya (with TISS): Certificate in NGO Management Certificate in Microfinance and Development HDFSOM: PG Certificate in Livelihood Management (1 year) XLRI: PG Certificate in Entrepreneurship Management (1 year) 3. Training programs APMAS: Sustainable approaches for NGOs (5 day) BAIF: Yashaswini Training Center (8 month residential program for rural women) The Goat Trust Certificate course in community Livestock Manager (2 months) Certificate course in Mini commercial goat farm Management (6 month distance learning course) Certificate course in small Livestock Nursing & Management (12 month course for women) IFMR: Total immersion programme in finance and development (10 day) NIRD & PR: (Various) Training programs on rural development XLRI: MDP on Financial Inclusion, Social Banking & Microfinance (4 day)
4.
Distance/E-Learning programs Akshara Network: Livelihood Management Programme EDI: Diploma in Social Entrepreneurship IFMR: Social science research
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