Resources and Livelihoods Group

Prayas (Pune), India

Initiatives in Health, Energy and Learning & Parenthood

Policy and Governance:

Analysis & Advocacy

Development and Governance

 Discourse

Development and Governance

 Practice

Initiative in

System Dynamics

Development and Governance Practice 

From the year 2000 onwards, the ReLi group initiated field studies on the broader theme of "sustainable livelihoods". The objective underlying the field studies was to generate knowledge-base for the benefit of local, grassroots-level civil society organizations, willing to undertake advocacy activities using the knowledge-base. Most of the field studies were conducted with the collaboration of the grassroots organizations (GrOs). The core aspect of these field studies is their emphasis on understanding the grassroots� perspective, and incorporating it in the studies in a systematic manner. Further, these studies have attempted to involve the GrOs in drawing inferences, based on the analysis of data/information obtained from the field with the help of the GrOs.

In the first phase of the work (year 2000 to 2003), most of the studies were conceptualized and conducted by the ReLi group, with limited collaboration of GrOs. In the second phase of work (year 2003-2006), the nature of the studies was of action-research, with more substantive involvement of the GrOs. In the past six years, the group conducted, in all seven studies. The geographical focus of all the studies have been the Konkan region in the Indian state of Maharashtra, and the substantive focus has been on the livelihoods situation of the vulnerable groups such as tribal communities, and also on the efficacy of various measures (mainly government schemes) to improve the livelihoods of the vulnerable groups.