Facilitating the area-based development approach in rural regions in the Western Balkans

1. Facilitating the area-based development approach in rural regions in the Western Balkans Geertrui Louwagie Fabien Santini Silvia Saravia Matus Sergio Gomez y Paloma European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies – AGRILIFE unit

2. The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) • a directorate of the JRC • provides customer-driven support to EU policy making • aims at policy challenges that have a socio-economic and science & technology dimension

3. The AGRILIFE unit within IPTS SUSTAG / AGRITRADE / AGRITECH

4. Introduction • Issue • Disruption / decline in rural cross-border regions in Western Balkans • Background • SWG-Rural Regional Development previous meetings: • assessment development situation in rural cross-border areas • preliminary studies • EastAgri (2008): • round table on area-based development • General objective project • To facilitate rural development programming in the Western Balkans

5. The project Administrative Arrangement between DG AGRI and the JRC for a shared project Steering Group: AGRI, ELARG, JRC meets 5 times Advisory Board: SWG secretariat, FAO (RO, IC), UNDP, OECD (LEED), World Bank meets 3 times Support from School on Local Development – University of Trento

6. Participatory Introduction • Case Study • 1. Defining a pilot target area • 2. Assessing the development situation • the baseline • critical needs • priority solutions/interventions • 3. Defining the ABD intervention • main outcome (desired development situation) • specific objectives • results • B. Workshop • C. Methodological package / Mapping

7. The project Indicative calendar m3 (Sep 2010): Literature review / Pilot case study area setting m6 (Dec 2010): Preliminary assessment of development situation in pilot target area m10 (Apr 2011): Completion of ABD approach in pilot target area m12 (May 2011): Workshop m15 (Sep 2011): final report

8. - AfghanistanRural Rehabilitation Programme (ARRP) - Central America – Programme for Displaced Persons, Refugees and Repatriated (PRODERE) - SudanStabilization and Development Schemes Literature review UNDP - ABD Origins (1980’s)

9. ABD Definition ABD targets specific geographical areas in a country, characterised by a particular complex development problem, through an integrated, inclusive, participatoryand flexible approach. (Harfst, 2006) ABD Theoretical Background Endogenous Growth Theory / Endogenous Development Participation / decentralisation Holistic / Multi-sectoral Literature review

10. ABD Implementation & Evaluation When to implement ABD Am I dealing with a clearly identifiable area that has unique or specific problems that sets it apart from other areas in the country and therefore merits special attention? Is the development situation in the area relatively simple (i.e. confined to one sector or issue with clearly identifiable causes and effects or is the situation complex and multi-dimensional where causes and effects are heavily interlinked? (Harfst, 2006)

11. PAG – Public Administration & Participatory Governance; CPE – Community Participation & Empowerment; BIS – Basic Infrastructure & Services; LED – Local Economic Development; SDA – Social Development & Assistance; CPT – Conflict Prevention & Tolerance Promotion; PIR – Policy & Institutional Reform From theory to practice: ABD Implementation & Evaluation Examples of ABD Evaluation Reports Literature review

12. Other Approaches to Local Rural Development- How is ABD similar and different? INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATORY NEGOTIATED TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT LEADER Literature review

13. Other Approaches to Local Rural Development - Focus on EU approach: LEADER Some similarities area-based bottom-up integrated / multi-sectoral actions Some differences no area-specific complex development problem required not necessarily inclusive (target groups) poor consideration rural-urban linkages / rural towns limited to areas with 5 000 - 100 000 inhabitants (< NUTS 3) Lessons from NMS / Balkans Slovenia Croatia Literature review

14. Experiences of Cross-border Cooperation (CBC) INTERREG-A Literature review • Factors for successful and effective CBC: • legal framework for CBC, quality of partnerships, degree of institutionalisation

15. Literature review • Experiences of Cross-border Cooperation (CBC) • IPA CBC / Council of Europe • - For each Western Balkan country: • , multi-annual indicative planning document (MIPD) • - Focus: • people-to-people contacts • small-scale investments and prep. to larger investments • (since 2006) cross-border institution building (CBIB) • - Experiences in: • FYROM, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro

16. Recommendations / Lessons for ABD ABD intervention – design Accurately define target area Focus intervention on needs and priorities of the area Promote early involvement of stakeholders & donors Ensure unbiased participation Match resources (time, budget) with objectives Guarantee coherence ABD progr. with macro-situation Literature review

17. Recommendations / Lessons for ABD ABD intervention – management Coordinate activities (also across donors) Monitor and evaluate regularly Reduce transaction costs Foresee exit strategy Literature review

18. Case study • Pilot target area – Drina & Lim rivers / Tara mountain • Features • 13 municipalities, all border with one exception • 380.000 inhabitants • 7.860 km²

19. Target area – Drina river / Tara mountain

20. Case study • Assessment of the baseline development situation – Critical needs • Data collection / analysis • Identify development gaps /problems to be addressed • Local stakeholder consultation • Assessment and selection of priority interventions – Proposing main outcomes, objectives and outputs • Options for solution to development problems • Prioritisation • Different levels of intervention (from local to national ; public – private) • Local stakeholder consultation

21. Case study • Preparation of an Area-Based development programme • define detailed activities • identify actors • specify inputs • establish monitoring mechanisms

22. Surveys/Questionnaires (2) * web / facebook based * targeting population not using internetStakeholders’ group: 25-30 selected stakeholders * cross border representation * 1/3 public; 1/3 private; 1/3 civil society * four areas: business (including farms), social sphere, environment, local administrations Delphi group – “Helicopter view”: 5-10 expertsThematic working groupsLocal enlarged workshopLocal support: * young researchers SSL * supporting local NGO Case study Main implementing tools foreseen

23. Sep – Oct 2010 Survey/Questionnaire #1 Expert knowledge Setting up SG / DG Result expected: draft baseline assessmentOct - Nov 2010 Stakeholders’ group + Delphi group interaction Expert knowledge Thematic working groups Result expected (D2): improved draft baseline assessment, participatory draft critical needs, priority intervention, main outputs Preliminary internal timing

24. Dec 2010 – Feb 2011 Feedback project SG / AB Survey/Questionnaire #2 Expert knowledge SG / DG Thematic working groups Local enlarged workshop Result expected: final baseline assessment, participatory critical needs, priority intervention, main outputsFeb - Mar 2011 Stakeholders’ group + Delphi group interaction Expert knowledge Thematic working groups Result expected (D3): detailed activities, output monitoring mechanisms Preliminary internal timing

25. Dissemination, Transferability • Adapted methodology for similar ABD programmes in cross border rural WB • build on the existing (ABD & local development approaches / LEADER / cross border experiences) • lessons learnt from the case study • dissemination plan • Map other potential areas

26. Dissemination, Transferability • Workshop • identify target attendance • Locals- Nationals- Bilaterals- Multilaterals / Eastagri network • - Others: OSI-LGI • disseminate the pilot case study results • raise awareness on adapted ABD potential use in the area • seek commitment to participate in implementation

27. Thank you for your attention