Methods for understanding urban poverty and livelihoods

A livelihoods approach places households and their members at the centre of analysis and decision making, with the implication that household-centred methods of analysis must play a central role in developing an understanding of livelihood strategies and in programme and project planning and evaluation. Knowledge is needed about the situation of and strategies adopted by poor households, in relation to both their characteristics and external opportunities and constraints. The methodological approach in such data collection and analysis is first, contextual and, second participatory. Methods that are contextual are those that attempt to capture a social phenomenon within its social, economic and cultural context (Booth et al, 1998). They are likely to generate qualitative and in-depth data. Rather than being purely extractive, such methods aim to link into better programme and project design by ensuring that respondents are (at least joint) owners of the knowledge and data generated, enabling them to participate in policy debate and project planning.