This report is a review of existing literature and new research conducted in Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It offers a toolkit focusing on the implications of community-driven development (CDD) institutional structures, and approaches for supporting outcomes and meeting livelihood objectives. While there is increasing attention on implementing CDD in fragile and conflict situations (FCS), there is less understanding of how CDD can promote livelihoods in such contexts. There are two main reasons for this: (i) few CDD programmes have livelihoods as a primary objective; and (ii) evidence on CDD–livelihoods impacts is scarce. 

The report compiles lessons from case studies of five CDD programmes in FCS in South Asia that have components to support livelihoods development and objectives to rebuild and restore livelihoods. It also draws on a literature review of 15 CDD–livelihoods programmes in FCS and three in non-conflict South Asia.

This report is part of the 'Restoring and Rebuilding Livelihoods through Community-Driven Development (CDD) in Conflict Settings of South Asia' project funded by the World Bank.

Lucy Scott, Rebecca Holmes and Steve Commins