RLS Model

( Rural Livelihood Systems – An Indo-Swiss Research

Collaboration)
• Improve the external conditions and structures of
livelihood strategies of the target group
( example : enable access to credit for farmers)
• Increase the capacities of target group for pursuing
a livelihood strategy ( example : train a women’s
self help group in marketing their products)
• Support the target group in developing more
efficient livelihood strategies ( example : motivate
farmers to switch to bio-organic farming)
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 RLS Nine Square Mandala
9. Individual Orientation 8. Family Orientation 7. Collective Orientation
Vision Ancestors Subsistence agriculture
Hopes Caste, social status Food Security
Orientation(Roof)
Aspirations Aspirations to Religion, traditions
Fears leadership,education, job State laws, world views
Self esteem/image Aspiration to power, wealth, social Capitalistic values, city, new
mobility prosperity
Role model

6. Inner Human Space 5. Family Space 4. Socio-Economic Space

Integrity, identity Gender relations Production relations
Awareness Nutrition distribution System of cooperation Space( living
Selfishness, compassion Health Community organisation Space)
Responsibility Family Planning Govt. Institutions
Affection Distribution of work load Market of goods, land, labour and
Curiosity, courage Solidarity capital
Contractors, industry
3. Emotional Base 2. Knowledge & Activity 1. Physical base
Memories Base Natural Environment
Attachments Technology (topography, climate)
Feelings Agricultural patterns Natural resources Basis(Found
Anxieties Experience , skills Animals ation)
Boredom Traditional knowledge Habitat
Labour, crafts, services Accumulated wealth
Modern profession

Individual reality Family reality Community reality 2

Inner Reality Outer Reality
• The nine fields cover nine aspects of
people’s livelihoods.
• They are arranged in such a way that
moving from left to right is moving from
inner to outer realities.
• Moving from bottom to top may also be
seen as a transition from tradition into
future.
• The window thus opened should help to
examine different ways of asking how a
rural livelihood system functions.
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 BASIX Framework
Industry Conditions

Obj. of
Intv. Asset
Internal
Envt Awareness

Demand Impl. People Factor

Condns Orgn.
Design of
Condns
Nat. of
Intrvn. Entrprs.
. Ability
Access

External Envt. Institutional Conditions

Indian School of Livelihood Promot