scholarly journals Leader Policy Practices and Landscapes in the Light of the Agency-Structure Debate: Evidence from Leader Local Action Groups in Italy and in Finland

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fulvio Rizzo
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Local Action ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Action Group ◽  
Rural Development Policy ◽  
Structure Debate ◽  
Action Groups

AbstractThis article investigates LEADER policy practices and landscapes within very different regions of the European Union: North Karelia, Finland, and South Tyrol, Italy. The qualitative analysis of this geo-institutional comparison is carried out in the light of the agency-structure debate. Such theoretical framework contributes to investigate policies on the basis of their causal/contextual conjunctures; at the same time, it cautions from the contemporary common approach to identify ‘best’ policy practices. In the Joensuun Seudun LEADER Local Action Group, policy processes of social engagement are encompassed by the dominating structures of ‘village’, and ‘subpolitics’. In the Local Action Group Wipptal instead, the data suggest that the dominating structural dimensions are ‘politics’ and ‘agriculture’. Against the background of a re-territorialized rural development, policy implementation is a unique geographical process, which cannot be left aside neither from its contextual conjunctures, nor from a broad theoretical framework.

scholarly journals Variety in local development strategies and employment: LEADER programme in Andalusia

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercedes Rodriguez ◽  
Luis Miguel Sanchez ◽  
Eugenio Cejudo ◽  
Jose Antonio Camacho
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Rural Development Policy ◽  
Populated Region ◽  
Programming Period ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Action Groups

For the period 2007–2013 LEADER became the fourth axis of rural development policy. One of the main characteristics of LEADER is that it adopts a bottom-up approach. Local Action Groups (LAGs) have to define and implement area-based local development strategies (LDSs). In this paper, we examine the relationship between variety in the LDSs implemented by LAGs and employment safeguarding over the programming period 2007–2013 in Andalusia, the most populated region of Spain. Firstly, we construct several indicators to capture differences in the number of projects carried out, the grants awarded, the investments made and the safeguarded employment. Secondly, we carry out an exploratory factor analysis. We use cluster analysis to classify LAGs applying similar LDSs. The results obtained show that there is no ideal strategy for employment safeguarding and that spending high amounts of money in a few numbers of projects does not guarantee success. Thus, most LAGs do not show any clear specialisation pattern but obtain moderate results in terms of employment safeguarding. This supports the idea that LAGs need to have sufficient flexibility to find a balance among the different objectives of the rural development policy and to translate this balance into the funding of projects.

Conceptualization of the Base for Sustainable Rural Development Policy Implementation

2013 ◽  
pp. 189-203
Author(s):  
Njegovan Zoran ◽  
Olgica Boškovic
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Sustainable Rural Development ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Rural Development Policy

Looking in wider perspective, the problems of inequality have emerged relatively early even from the period of establishment of economy as a scientific discipline. However, those problems are also the subject of different socio-humanistic scientific research. That process lasts up to date, and it could be said that nowadays it is much more important than before. The main reason for that is that current inequalities are significant and radicalised nowadays as a cause of non-adequate development process.

scholarly journals Institutional Framework for Support of Local Entrepreneurship Within Leader Approach in Slovakia

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-55
Author(s):  
Monika Bumbalová
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Institutional Framework ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Current Development ◽  
Rural Development Policy ◽  
Programming Period

AbstractCurrent development of rural areas of Slovakia is not fully reflecting the measures taken at the level of the European Union. Contrary, the differences between the territories seem to be deepening. When analysing the critical factors, job creation together with unemployment seem to be among the most pressing ones. The academics believe that the local entrepreneurship and development of small and medium size enterprises (SME) in rural areas have significant impact on accelerating the development of these communities, yet, only limited measures are taken to support them. Therefore, the main objective of the paper is to analyze the institutional framework for support of local SME within implementation of the LEADER approach as a direct instrument of the rural development policy. The emphasis was put on the last programming period (2007 – 2013) and the conditions set for the current programming period (2014 – 2020).

scholarly journals The Implementation of the Leader Approach in Slovak Republic, Identification of Problems and Possible Solutions

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-29
Author(s):  
Petra Zaujecová ◽  
Pavol Schwarcz
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Local Action ◽  
Mutual Cooperation ◽  
Action Group ◽  
External Relations ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Action Groups

Abstract The paper deals with the integrated development in rural areas realized by the LEADER approach. This approach is based on the territorial principle, where the significant role are playing local actors operating in the area, who through their actions influence it’s development. The LEADER approach is being implemented through the Axis 4 of the Rural Development Policy. The main objective of the paper is to evaluate the implementation of the LEADER approach in particular Local Action Groups in Slovakia, to identify problems with implementation and to suggest solutions for their elimination. In the paper we evaluate the internal operation of the Local Action Group - the balance of relations between members, defining areas of their mutual cooperation and participation rate in the calls from the perspective of managers of Local Action Groups as well as external relations - relations with Agricultural Paying Agency and ways of influencing the operation of Local Action Groups through legislation. We also focuses on personal views of managers on meeting the needs of the Local Action Group by the projects realized within the Axis 4 LEADER. We also pointed out problems connected with the direction of the Axis 4 in terms of the possibility of funds spending, we defined negative impacts of the legislation as well as particular activities of the Agricultural Paying Agency on Local Action Group‘s performance.

scholarly journals Effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability in local rural development partnerships

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krisztián Kis ◽  
József Gál ◽  
Antal Véha
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Rural Regions ◽  
Policy Compliance ◽  
Institutional System ◽  
Rural Development Policy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Action Groups

Due to the ever-increasing role the LEADER approach is playing in realizing rural development policy, Local Action Groups (LAGs) have become key actors in the institutional system of rural development. Through their activity in supporting and improving local development, they represent a spatial organizing force in rural regions. Their operation can effectively contribute to the competitive and sustainable development of their local area, within the framework of European rural development policy. Compliance with this role requires the active and conscientious work of the LAGs, both in the process of programming and implementation. In this paper, we aim to present the impact mechanism of the operation of LAGs and its determinant factors. Based on expert evaluations, we investigate the experiences of the implementation of the LEADER approach for rural development from the viewpoints of effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability.

scholarly journals Integrating rural development and biodiversity conservation in Central Romania

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRIEDERIKE MIKULCAK ◽  
JENS NEWIG ◽  
ANDRA I. MILCU ◽  
TIBOR HARTEL ◽  
JOERN FISCHER
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Rural Development Policy

SUMMARYUnlike most parts of the European Union (EU), Southern Transylvania (Central Romania) is characterized by an exceptionally high level of farmland biodiversity. This results from traditional small-scale farming methods that have maintained extensive areas of high nature value farmland. Following the post-socialist transition, Southern Transylvania faces serious challenges such as under-employment and rural population decline, which put traditional farming at risk. With Romania's accession to the EU in 2007, Southern Transylvania became part of a complex multi-level governance system that in principle provides mechanisms to balance biodiversity conservation and rural development. To this end, the most important instruments are the ‘Natura 2000’ network of protected areas and EU rural development policy. Structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with town hall representatives from 30 villages in Southern Transylvania and local EU experts revealed that EU policies are often poorly aligned with local conditions. To date, the implementation of EU rural development policy is strongly focused on economic development, with biodiversity conservation being of little concern. Moreover, relevant EU funding opportunities are poorly communicated. Bridging organizations should be strengthened to foster the implementation of a rural development strategy that integrates local needs and biodiversity conservation.

scholarly journals Tracing shift in Czech rural development paradigm (Reflections of Local Action Groups in the media)

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 149-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Boukalova ◽  
A. Kolarova ◽  
M. Lostak
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Local Action ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Paradigmatic Shift ◽  
Quantitative Content ◽  
The Media ◽  
Development Paradigm ◽  
Action Groups ◽  
The Eu

Local Action Groups (LAG) as actors in the EU rural development policy reflect the endogenous paradigm. They utilize the cooperation of their members and social networks to achieve the goals defined in their strategies developed upon the EU regulations on rural development. The paper demonstrates how the printed Czech media reflect the activities of LAGs. Such research gives a background to answer the question if the references to LAGs in the Czech Republic highlight the paradigmatic shift from the material factors towards the endogenous or hybrid resources embedded in using the intangible factors for development. The research consists in the quantitative content analysis of 498 articles about Czech local action groups. The analysis indicates that paradigmatic shift is only at the beginning. LAGs activities are still reported to be embedded in using the material factors (exogenous approach) instead of reporting and accounting the endogenous resources composed of both material and non-material factors of rural development.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF THE ACTIVITY OF RESIDENTS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE LAG TERRITORY

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 400
Author(s):  
Iveta Mietule ◽  
Anda Zvaigzne ◽  
Aija Čerpinska
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Local Action ◽  
Action Group ◽  
Rural Development Programme ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
New Research ◽  
Action Groups

Research on participation in local action groups and their influence on the overall development of regional territories has become urgent in recent years, given the implementation of the Rural Development Programme LEADER as well as the interpretation of local action groups as a new research object in theoretical and empirical research studies.  The research aim is to assess the activity of residents in the territory of a particular local action group and the overall development of the territory in the period 2009-2013. In 2014, 40 local action groups operated in Latvia. The present research focuses on the territory of a local action group and its residents. The research provides socio-economic characteristics of the territory (changes in the numbers of residents and business entities and in wages) as well as identifies and assesses the opinions of residents on motivations and hindering factors to starting up a business. A statistical analysis of resident survey data, employing the contingency method, shows that increase in the education level reduces one’s wish to start up a business and vice versa, whereas the age of the residents surveyed has no effect on their wish to start up a business. 

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