Employment initiatives for people who have experienced mental health problems offer development strategies that could be seen to match the philosophy and circumstances of mental health services in developing countries. Simple strategies to develop employment initiatives with a strong emphasis on self-reliance would appear to fit with current thinking on the promotion of mental health in developing countries (Üstün and Jenkins, 1998). The need for effective models to act as exemplars for programme development has been noted (Üstün and Jenkins, 1998). There are numerous models of employment rehabilitation detailed in the literature that might offer ideas for direction and development, but much of the research has been focused on Western European and North American models. Little attention has been paid to such schemes in developing countries, and therefore what is required is a project to identify emerging and innovative models of employment rehabilitation at a global level. The insights gained would assist in the development of guidelines for working with existing organizations in supporting and promoting good practice in developing countries. Development projects do not take place within a sociocultural vacuum, and indeed their success or failure is inextricably linked to social structures and social interaction. This paper sets out a research agenda for understanding and evaluating employment projects using the concept of ‘social capital’ as a framework.