DRLI will be guided by these seven principles:

1. Commit to experimentation and scaling solutions: focus on implementation and ‘learning by doing’ while simultaneously holding a longer-term commitment to scaling solutions.
2. Be worker-centric: focus on creating direct benefits to workers and take into account insights directly from workers’ lived experience.
3. Provide additionality: ensure that our efforts complement and do not duplicate other existing efforts within the industry.
4. Take a systemic approach: recognise that transformation requires both social and structural change.
5. Be transparent: DRLI processes and activities are transparent and open to all DRLI members and partners.
6. Be futures-oriented: ensure that the proposed solutions take into account the impact of future trends on the industry and by extension the well-being of rural workers.
7. Engage relevant experts: ensure proposed solutions are sense-checked, informed and validated by the contribution of relevant experts, directly through individual pilot projects and collectively