Networking initiatives

and local areas

Non-profit making association

25 individual members (member States and

candidate countries) active in the field of local

development:

Development agency managers

Spatial planning practitioners

Academics

20 members of permanent team

STRUCTURE

Help to build a Citizen's Europe

Support local development initiatives

Take account of social, economic, cultural

and environmental aspects

Development process based on partnership

Connecting local with global

OBJECTIVES

Coordination of transnational networks

Provision of information

Development of methodological tools

Organisation of seminars and conferences

Production of multilingual information tools

Identification and dissemination of know-

how and good practices

METHODS OF WORK

CLIENTS

National and regional administrations

Local action groups

Training organisations

European Commission (DG AGRI, DG

EMPLOY, DG EAC, DG REGIO, …)

European networks

Liaison Entre Actions de

Développement de l’Economie Rurale

LEADER I: 1991-1994. 217 areas.

LEADER II: 1995-2001. 1,007 areas (50% of the

Unions’ surface, more than 50 % of the European rural population

lives in a LEADER area).

Allows 1,007 territories of the 15 Member States to set up and realise

a development strategy which is adapted to their context:

Rural context (territory)

Institutional context

Capacities of local actors (public, private, associations)

LEADER II: basic figures

Budget : ± 4,500 million EUR:

European Finance 1,755 million EUR (40%)

Other public funds 1,215 million EUR (25%)

Private funds 1,530 million EUR (35%)

Average expenditure per area: 4.5 million EUR

Rural Tourism

Integrated approach for utilizing a unique heritage: the “Cathare” castles

The Pays Cathare (Languedoc-Roussillon, France)

Creation of an identity, working with the population

Integration of actions: the “label Pays Cathare”, a guarantee

of quality (rural accommodations, farm products, tourist

products, etc..

A major success (growth of number of visitors, diversification

of the local economy, sustained traditions, etc..)

Rural Tourism

Sierra de Segura (Andalousia, Spain):protected area (Parc naturel), very mountainous, difficult to access, low populationdensity, high unemployment

Adding valueto local products

Taping a new market: Biological olive oil.

Production from ecologically grown trees.

Management of the waste from production.

Organization of a World class conference

every 2 years.

Adding valueto local products

The cooperative "Olivar de Segura",

groups 16 oil mills and 5,000

partners. Sales in Japan

(80% of production) and in Germany.

Services and NTI in rural areas

Western Isles, Skye and Lochalsh (Outer Hebrides,

Scotland, UK)

Most isolated area, very well educated population

Focus on creating jobs for rural women via

development of distance working

Contracts with Oxford Library, etc: 200 jobs created

and sustained

ENVIRONMENT

Vinschgau/Val Venosta (Trentino-Alto-Adige, Italy)

Supporting the creation of an “Eco-construction” consortium

Strong craft tradition, Eco-construction is a market

“niche” identified by local entrepreneurs

7 contractors created a consortium (LEADER

support): 2.7 MEUR turn-over, 14 new jobs

LEADER: an approach to rural development

Issues at stake for rural areas

Engaging the community

Preserving and managing natural resources

Benefiting from technological developments

Combining know-how, skills and jobs

Reinforcing the culture and identity of the area

Creating activities and accessing markets

Balancing migratory flows and ensuring socio-professional integration

Enhancing the image of the area

Publicinstitutions

Private enterprises Financial sector

People or associations Societal

issues

Quality of life

Profitability of activities

Adaptation to markets

Physical heritage of the area

Groups of development players and their interests

Settlement of new residents

Coherence ofpolicies

Seven key aspects

 

Area-basedapproach

Partnership approach and LAG

Bottom-upapproach

Integrated approach

Innovation

Networking and cooperation

Local financing and management

The development triangle

 

Strategy

Partnership

Area

The LEADER area: criteria

Homogeneous unit

Rural character

Small dimension

Between 10,000 and 100,000 inhabitants No

predefined boundary

Coherence and critical mass

Local identity

Low population density AreaArea

The concept of an area-based approach

Area-based approach

Endogenous resources

Global approach

Concertation

Establishing an area profile

Humanresources

Activities and jobs

Know-how and skills

Culture and identity

Governance and democracy

Image and perception

External relations

Physical resources

The area’s capital

Area’scapital

Externalthe exchanges

Internalthe interactions

Past

the history

Future

the project

The initial analysis

Beyond a simple snapshot of the situation

First stage of involving local communities and engaging key players

Use of participatory methods

Creation of alternative scenarios

Interim analyses

Updating the analysis in order to:

verify the relevance of the initial course of action

identify any indirect effects

identify imbalances and synergies

possibly reorient the programme

The area profile: a tool for “animation”

0

1

2

3

4

5 External relations

Activities and jobs

Governance

Know-how and skills

Cultureand identity

Human resources

Physical resources

Image

Bairrada e Mondego area (Centre, Portugal)

Today

With LEADER

10 years ago

From analysis to strategy

Share the results of the analysis

Choose one or more unifying themes

Give priority to an integrated approach

Build a shared vision of the future of the area

Drawing up a strategy: the principles

Choose a common thread (unifying theme)

Focus on the process and on an integrated

vision

Choose a single entry point or adopt a

“sower” strategy

Search for multiplier effects

Set up a monitoring and assessment

mechanism

Create a collective dynamic centred on the “area project”

make analysis and project preparation a tool for “animation” and consultation

seek “win-win” strategies

assess ability to undertake the action

Objectives

Involving the community = trust

Drawing out ideas and generating initiatives = “animation”

Building a consensus = conflict management

Delegating = local decision-making

Respect ideas and persons

Recognise the existence of diverse

needs

Act transparently

Key word : “ANIMATION”

Values at the heartof a local project

Some tips to “animate” the area

… which requires resources:

professionalise the function of the development agent

Create meeting places

Manage conflicts

Encourage links between sectors and groups

Decentralise responsibilities

Enhance the professionalism of communication

Bottom-up approach and the selection of projects

Classic approach Bottom-up approach

Selection of projects by a team of experts

Involvement of beneficiaries in the selection of projects

Criteria designers and applicants are separated

Potential beneficiaries participatein the design of criteria

Same conditions Different criteria

Precise criteria Broad criteria that stimulate reflection

Undifferentiated dissemination Pro-active approach

Dossiers written inadministrative language

Simplified dossiers

Local partnership

New form of organisation in order to

unite prime movers around a project

allow everyone to express their views

take a wider view of resources

ensure a link between actions

stay closer to local realities

manage in a flexible manner

The LEADER partnership

The expression of a group of development players (public and private)

and with the legitimacy to manage public funds

capable of organising and managing a collective approach

constituted in various forms

The local action group (LAG)

An organisation with different beginnings and legal statuses (neither public administration nor private sector), set up to:

represent the interests of the development players and communities concerned

establish a strategy and implement the development programme

wield the power of decision

The team of practitioners

A team qualified to

“animate” the development approach

inform, train and advise

foster dialogue

identify those to be associated with the

projects

support project leaders

Tasks of the local action group

Forms of support appropriate to each stage of the project:

information and advice “animation” and identification of project leaders training drawing up the business plan and sourcing finance interface with specialised bodies support and project monitoring collective actions

The players involved

Public Institutions

People or associations

of people

Economic players and

private enterprises

Partnership chart

1- Instigate, identify and engage

- Limited partnership

2- Debate, position andpropose

- Representatives and resource persons

- Working groups

3- Validate, programme and finance

- Investors and administrations

4- Prepare, implement and monitor

- Project leaders

5- Evaluate, adapt to needs and relaunch

- Stakeholders

- Strategic group

The LAG “galaxy”

L A G

Citizens and local organisations

Local partners Other institutions

and development programmes

External networks and research

Professional interest groups

Sectoral administrative bodies

Territorial bodies (regions, Member States, European Union)

Local financial services