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Application of tools
Name der Fallstudie
Awel Aman Tawe Community Energy Project.
Name of tool
For the Awel Aman Tawe Project as a whole:
Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA)
Description of tool - character
The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) has been designed by DFID to provide an organised approach to listing, understanding and linking the main factors and influences on people’s livelihoods in order to achieve sustainable livelihoods:
" A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material and social resources) and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintains or enhances its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base."(Adapted from Chambers, R. and G. Conway (1992) Sustainable rural livelihoods: Practical concepts for the 21 st century. IDS Discussion Paper 296. Brighton: IDS.).
The framework should be used to analyse livelihoods, it will then indicate which type of development activity can do the most to eliminate poverty.
"They include activities such as:
• improving access to high-quality education, information technologies
and training and better nutrition and health
• facilitating a more supportive and cohesive social environment
• improving access to, and management of, natural resources
• improving access to basic and facilitating infrastructure
• improving access to financial resources, and
• establishing a policy and institutional environment that supports multiple livelihood strategies and promotes equitable access to competitive markets for all.
These six areas of activity relate to the five types of capital identified in DFID's SL framework and to the area of the framework termed ´Policy, Institutions and Processes´. http://www.livelihoods.org/info/dlg/sect1/3/3_02.htm
The Awel Aman Tawe project has used the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach, as a way of thinking about the objectives, scope and priorities for development. It is a way of putting people at the centre of development.
The SLA originates from the work of Robert Chambers in the mid-1980´s, which has since been adopted by a number of development agencies, including DFID. The SLA consists of 6 core concepts and a framework - a tool for analysis rather than a ´to do checklist´.
The core concepts on which the SLA is based are (DFID,1999):
(i) People centred
The SLA places people at the nucleus of the approach. Through use of the SLA approach, and the people centred key concept, capacity building within the project was considered to be essential. It was decided that much of the project should be done ´in-house´, and within the first years of the project AAT linked with training providers so that all staff could receive any relevant training. As a result some people have been able to move onto new jobs using the new skills.
(ii) Holistic
The holistic concept seeks to obtain an understanding of what influences peoples livelihoods, and to identify the influencing factors in order that they can be modified by the individuals themselves to create a more favourable livelihood outcome.
(iii) Dynamic
As livelihoods are constantly changing the SLA seeks to be dynamic by understanding and learning from change in order that it can support positive patterns of change and help prevent negative patterns of change. To encourage dynamism within the project, 50 ´Participatory indicators´ were developed that look at all aspects of the community. It is intended that the indicators will be used to identify changes in livelihoods as a result of the wind farm.
(iv) Building on strengths
The SLA begins analysis with a review of strengths as opposed to needs, through looking at peoples inherent potential. It is intended that people will be helped to achieve their own objectives. In AAT, one of the local strengths identified was the Welsh language, which is very strong in the area, the SLA reiterated how important it was to respect the local language.
(v) Macro-micro links
The SLA seeks to fill the gap between the macro and micro level and encourage the lessons learnt at a local level to be incorporated into macro level policies. In AAT, this concept involved considering how the proposal for a community energy project linked the project to the rest of the world, helped the project to find funding. As part of the research, the project investigated community development, wind farms and climate change.
(vi) Sustainability
´The notion of sustainability is key to this approach´
DFID (1999) Core concepts 1.3 Sustainable Livelihoods Guidance Sheets, http://www.livelihoods.org
In addition to the Core Concepts and objectives, is the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, a concept that helps to understand and analyse the livelihoods of the poor. The framework is designed to be used as a checklist OR as an analytical tool. As an analytical tool the SLF does not stand alone, but includes a number of tools that should be used to identify issues of relevance. The DFID website contains a toolbox with tools such as governance assessment, risk assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment and participatory poverty assessment technique.
Sustainable livelihoods framework
Source: http://www.livelihoods.org/info/dlg/frame/frame.htm
The framework indicates highly dynamic relationships between components. There is no requirement to follow the flow of the framework from a common starting point as it does not operate in a linear manner, nor attempt to present a mode of reality (DFID ,1999).
Use of the SLA at AAT helped shift the focus of the project from looking at end results to the process. As a result the development of the wind farm became second to the issues of local peoples livelihoods and community change. Emily Hinshelwood, an independent consultant working on behalf of AAT, believes that "There are three clear aspects of the shift from a typical wind farm development to a community regeneration scheme:
1. Shift in focus from technology to people,
2. Shift in the nature of the project outputs from product to process,
3. Shift in the conceptual framework to combine micro and macro issues":
Hinshelwood (2003).
Description of tool - availability
DFID produces sheets as core guidance on the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach. These are downloadable from their website http://www.livelihoods.org/info/info_guidancesheets.htm in a number of languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and are beginning to be translated into Russian. There is also a distance learning version.
Description of tool - existing
The tool used in the case study was the version supported by DFID.
Description of tool - adaptation
The SLA is intended to be used flexibly to be applied to each individual case.
Name of tool
For the wind farm proposal:
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Description of tool - character
The EIA is a generic assessment tool implemented as a statutory requirement within Europe as a result of Directive 85/337/EEC introduced in 1985, and requires that EIAs are carried out on public and private projects which are likely to have significant effects on the environment. The key elements of an EIA are: Scoping (identifying key issues and concerns of interested parties); screening (decide whether an EIA is required based on information collected); Identifying and evaluating alternatives (list alternative sites and techniques and the impacts of each); Mitigating measures dealing with uncertainty (review proposed action to prevent or minimise the potential adverse effects of the project) and Issuing environmental statements (report the findings of the EIA).
Description of tool - availability
This generic tool is a statutory process in Europe that is the result of Directive 85/337/EEC introduced in 1985, and amended by Directive 97/11/EC and as applied by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Directive 85/337/EEC can be obtained from the European Union website http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eia/full-legal-text/85337.htm for free, but most EIA are completed by consultants.
Description of tool - existing
EIA is a generic tool.
Description of tool - adaptation
The EIA tool is not a rigid format and therefore can be adapted to the local context.
Name of tool
For the wind farm proposal:
Participatory Assessment Process (PAP)
Description of tool - character
The PAP took place over 10 months and involved many methods and approaches to participation. The PAP had two main objectives:
• To explore the criteria on which people base the decision of whether they want to pursue the community wind farm or not;
• To support the participation of local people in making the decision as to whether the project should go ahead.
This was achieved through a continuous process of: (i) information dissemination; (ii) discussion and debate; (iii) community decision-making.
In detail the PAP for AAT involved 1) stage one: press coverage; an audit of the community special interest groups in the area (60 were identified, contacted and entered into a database); structured interviews (a random sample was identified using the electoral registers within the three local authorities, 259 questionnaires were completed throughout the area, and results were analysed to provide baseline data for peoples opinions of wind farms which informed the consultation).
2) Stage two: nine months of consultation carried out in English and Welsh. Examples of the many distribution methods used include bi-lingual leaflets were delivered to 6,732 households in the surrounding 14 villages, leaflet packs were left in 80 shops and community spaces and 10 permanent displays were put in public spaces, libraries, community centres, adult education centres, clubs and schools, S4C digidol (a Welsh TV channel) produced a documentary on AAT. Feedback was mainly through the turnout and result of the referendum.
Description of tool - availability
Two documents have been published by the DTI on the consultation process undertaken at AAT. One of the documents was specifically written to give advice on how to consult effectively with communities and to identify the key factors that should be considered when planning and implementing a community consultation. This document Hinshelwood E and McCallum D (2001a) Consulting Communities: A Renewable Energy Toolkit ETSU K/BD/00236/REP/S DTI/Pub URN 01/1067 is available for download from the the Awel Aman Tawe website http://www.awelamantawe.co.uk/toolkit.pdf .
Description of tool - existing
Awel Aman Tawe, a company limited by guarantee, was set up to allow any member of the community to become a member. AAT is assisted by three organisations: Amman Valley Enterprise; Centre for Development Studies at the University of Wales, Swansea and West Wales Eco Cetnre, who provided guidance for the development of the PAP.
Description of tool - adaptation
The consultation process was led by full time staff at Awel Aman Tawe, and tools used within the PAP were chosen to suit the project.
Welche Tools wurden verwendet, um Nachhaltigkeit zu beurteilen?
For the Awel Aman Tawe Project as a whole:
Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA)
For the wind farm proposal:
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
For the wind farm proposal:
Participatory Assessment Process (PAP)
Weiterführende Informationen (nur auf Englisch):