What Fails in Livelihood Programs?
Livelihood development often fails because it ignores systemic complexity and the lived realities of those it seeks to serve. In this brutally honest panel moderated by Jolanda van Ginkel from IKEA Foundation, panelists PVS Suryakumar (NABARD), Malika Srivastava (Centre for Microfinance), Arun Pandhi (TATA TRUSTS), and Balakrishnan S (Vrutti) dissect where well-intentioned livelihood programs fall apart. They candidly reflect on failures involving technology design, rushed scaling, poor ground ownership, and top-down approaches.
Each speaker brings out unique stories: from broken MIS rollouts to unsustainable producer collectives to large-scale watershed management failures – offering rich, field-tested insights. Key takeaways include the dangers of techno-solutionism, the importance of long-term community relationships, and the risks of scaling without readiness. Ultimately, the conversation underscores the need for humility, contextual listening, and local ownership when designing livelihood interventions.
This session does not just unpack failure; it shows how embracing it can lead to more thoughtful, grounded, and resilient solutions that truly serve people and ecosystems.
