We are an innovative international development group. We were founded over 50 years ago by radical economist EF Schumacher, who challenged the conventional aid thinking of the day. He believed in solutions suited to the context, equipping people with the skills and knowledge to change their situation, economic systems that work for all, and living within the planet’s means. While development approaches have changed, these founding beliefs still drive us and have more widely come of age.
We have a long history of challenging norms to change the systems that drive poverty and vulnerability. We have earned a reputation for developing innovative, community-powered solutions that achieve transformative change in peoples’ lives and livelihoods. And with broad expertise across clean energy, water, waste and sanitation, climate, agriculture, market systems, and gender issues, we integrate this expertise to solve complex and interconnected problems.
Our Purpose
Practical Action exists to create lasting positive change to the systems that keep people vulnerable to the impacts of poverty, climate change and nature loss; working alongside communities to create resilient livelihoods and thriving economies
Our Approach
Improving lives and futures
Our work is grounded in the realities of people living in poverty. We start ‘small’ building a deep understanding of what already works at a local level, and what could be improved. We work with local communities, especially women and marginalised people, empowering them to unlock their potential and improve their lives, livelihoods and futures.
Building climate resilience
The communities that we work with are at the frontline of the climate crisis and the natural resources they rely on are under huge pressure. All our work is designed to build resilience and enable people to thrive in the face of climate change.
Aiming for systems change at scale
Our work is community led and linked to wider change. We start by analysing what needs to change in the underlying systems and identifying where we are best placed to contribute. And we convene and collaborate with a range of partners including governments and the private sector – to take proven solutions to the next level of scale and sustainability, influencing policies and financial flows.
Thematic Areas
Much of our most impactful work combines our expertise across issues to solve complex and interconnected problems such as supporting smallholder farmers with renewable energy to increase yields and open up bigger opportunities for the wider economy.
Harnessing energy that transforms for the one billion people without electricity, and the three billion people without clean cooking solutions. We’re supporting rural communities, displaced people, energy providers and decision makers to put clean energy to work. By 2025, our work with partners will have led to affordable, low-carbon energy access and cleaner cooking for two million people in ‘last mile’ communities and 18 million people through wider systems change.
Building resilience that protects for vulnerable people whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by climate change. We’re working to reduce vulnerability and impacts and support people to adapt so that they can continue to thrive in the future. By 2025, our work with partners will have enhanced adaptive approaches so that four million people are better protected against current and future hazards.
Making cities fit for people for the millions of people living in urban slums and settlements without proper sanitation, clean water and waste services. Our work with communities is making cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier, fairer places for people to live and work, with clean water for drinking and sewage safely contained, collected and processed. By 2025, our work with partners will have led to improved water, sanitation and waste management services for one million people living in slum communities and a further 2.4 million people through wider systems change.
Cultivating farming that works for smallholder farmers struggling to make a sufficient income and adapt to the negative effects of climate change. We’re teaming up with smallholder farmers, many of whom are women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living. By 2025, our work with partners will have improved food security and incomes for two million people in rural communities and a further one million people through wider systems change.
Our Delivery Model
We have offices in in 11 countries across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America running a range of programmes and partnerships alongside a consultancy arm that provides technical advice. We also operate Practical Action Publishing, an independent development publishing company.