Promoting and Strengthening Shock-Responsive, Resilient and Sustainable Livelihoods and Livelihood Interventions: A Process Manual
ABOUT THIS PROCESS MANUAL
BACKGROUND
The MOVE UP 4 Mindanao Project with the help of various stakeholders, carried out two closely linked studies as stated hereunder:
- Review of Vulnerability Criteria and Indicators in Targeting the Most Vulnerable and At-Risk Urban Poor in LGUs’ Social Protection Programs in Mindanao.
- Assessment of Shock-Responsive, Resilient, and Sustainable Livelihood Options and Modalities for Urban Poor Households in Mindanao.
These studies were able to uncover various
international standards, national and local policies, plans, principles and practices on livelihoods and livelihood interventions. The two studies reaffirmed claims of various studies the intersections of vulnerabilities from various risks faced by the livelihood ecosystem in Mindanao. The landscape in all the areas covered are characterized by being volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). Also, it was pointed out that in all areas, there is still a low level of capacity across the livelihood stakeholders in promoting and strengthening shock-responsive, resilient, and sustainable livelihood options despite the existence of international and national, and local players investing huge resources and implementing various interventions. The persistence of “disabling” livelihood coping mechanisms and strategies of the primary stakeholders are manifestations of such low capacity.
PURPOSES OF THE PROCESS MANUAL
This Manual is consisting of four (4) interrelated chapters: I. Introduction to Livelihoods and MSMEs; II. Profiling and Calculating Livelihood Risks and Hazards; III. Livelihood Assets and Market Assessment; and IV. Livelihood Resilience Development and Management. Chapter I provides the most straightforward and important concepts and frameworks for understanding livelihoods and MSMEs, and the necessity to blend the two technical concepts as instruments for addressing or reducing vulnerabilities of urban communities. Chapters II to IV provide frameworks, principles, and steps in promoting and strengthening livelihoods as enterprises and livelihood interventions going beyond integration into local governance processes.
Specifically, the purposes of this manual are the following:
- To ensure that livelihoods and livelihood interventions are risk-informed, culturally appropriate, conflict-sensitive, and are adequately targeting the most vulnerable and at-risk urban population.
- To adopt modern and innovative approaches that are usually applied in complex and chaotic contexts.
- To guide all the livelihood stakeholders in a detailed manner emphasizing the mutuality of their roles in every stage of livelihood development and management.
INTENDED USERS
The simple ‘how-to” guidelines described in this manual are the results of careful selection and amalgamation of various international, national, subnational, and local frameworks and standards. Amalgamating these frameworks and standards was geared towards considering a wide range of intended users, especially the primary stakeholders and LGUs in Mindanao. The Manual is a multidisciplinary tool. Therefore, the tool could be more useful if a team with multidisciplinary background is co-owning the complex vulnerability issues towards cocreating innovative solutions pointing to shock-responsive, resilient, and sustainable livelihoods.
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MOVE UP- Mindanao is funded by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid and is implemented by a consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which include CARE Philippines, ACCORD Incorporated, Plan International Philippines, and Action Against Hunger Philippines.