LEADER APPROACH

1. LEADER APPROACH Workshop Oteshevo 14-16 May 2018

2. The acronym ‘LEADER' derives from the French words "Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l'ÉconomiqueRurale" which means, ‘Links between the rural economy and development actions. • The idea was to enlist the energy and resources of people and bodies that could contribute to the rural development process by forming partnerships at a sub-regional level between the public, private and civil sectors. • In 1990, when a group of officials at the European Commission came up with the proposal for LEADER, this concept of connecting with people was quite new.

3. European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development(EAFRD) 2007-2013 Rural development <<Axis 4 LEADER>> Axis 1 Improvement of competitiveness Axis 2Environment+Land management Axis 3Economic diversificationand improvement of quality of life

4. LEADER approach: A method to achieve the objectives of the EU’s rural development policy through bottom-up implementation rather than the traditional top-down approach. • The LEADER approach is associated with local empowerment through local strategy development and resource allocation. The main tool for the application of the LEADER approach to area development and involving local representatives in decision-making is the Local Action Group (LAG).

5. 7 LEADER CHARACTERISTICS

6. 1. BOTTOM UP APPROACH • The bottom-up approach means that local actors participate in decision making about the strategy and in the selection of the priorities to be pursued in their local area. The involvement of local actors includes the population at large, economic and social interest groups and representative public and private institutions. LEADER conceives the local people as the best experts on the development of their territory. It can be seen as a participatory democracy tool

7. 1. BOTTOM UP APPROACH Government / EU National institutions LAGs Rural communities, farmers, young and elderly clubs, ecology groups,families, individuals.

8. 2. AREA-BASED APPROACH

9. 2. AREA-BASED APPROACH • An area-based approach takes a small, homogenous, socially cohesive territory, often characterized by common traditions, a local identity, a sense of belonging or common needs and expectations, as the target area for policy implementation. • Having such an area as a reference facilitates the recognition of local strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities, endogenous potential and the identification of major bottlenecks for sustainable development

10. 2. AREA-BASED APPROACH • A LEADER area must have clearly defined geographic borders, which don‘t have to follow the administrative borders (perhaps rather the functional ones). • The area chosen must have sufficient coherence and critical mass in terms of human, financial and economic resources to support a viable local development strategy. The population must meet the critical mass criteria.

11. 3. LOCAL PARTNERSHIP • The Local Action Group (LAG) should associate public and private partners, be well-balanced and representative of the existing local interest groups, drawn from the different socio-economic sectors in the area. • At the decision-making level the private partners and associations must make up at least 50% of the local partnership; Its legal form may vary from country to country but it is often a non-profit, registered organization.

12. 3. LOCAL PARTNERSHIP

13. 4. MULTI-SECTORAL INTEGRATION • LEADER is not a sectoral development programe; the local development strategy must have a multi-sectoral rationale, integrating several sectors of activity. The actions and projects contained in local strategies should be linked and coordinated as a coherent whole. • The LAG must in its work be able to bring the different interests and interest groups together in a constructive manner.

14. 5. NETWORKING • The LAG is a network itself but it should also look around and cooperate with other development organizations on local, regional, national and international levels. • Networking is a means of transferring good practice, of disseminating innovation and building on the lessons learned from local rural development. • Networking forges links between people, projects and rural areas and so can help overcome the isolation faced by some rural regions.

15. 6. INNOVATION • The LAG must bring new elements and solutions to the development of its territory. In its strategy design and project selection decisions the LAG must be able to tolerate certain amount of risk – otherwise the most surprising and innovative ideas would always become disqualified.

16. 7. INTER-TERRITORIAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION • Co-operation goes further than networking. It involves a Local Action Group undertaking a joint project with another LEADER group, or with a group taking a similar approach, in another region, Member State, or even a third country. • Cooperation with other regions is often the best source of innovation for the LAGs.

17. Leader projects in EU • Restoration of rural areas: -re-adapting of old buildings www.auerbergland.de

18. Leader projects in EU • Agriculture: -Learn from Europe www.auerbergland.de

19. Leader projects in EU • Culture: Rural museum

20. Leader projects in EU • Energy: Energy efficiency in buildings

21. Leader projects in EU • Tourism: Biking and walking trails

22. Leader projects in EU • Branding: Pickles from Spreewald

23. Leader projects in EU • Regional products: Franchise system of markets

24. Leader projects in EU • Craftsmanship: Opening workshop for trainings

25. Leader projects in EU • Culture: Mobile cinema

26. LEADER IN PELAGONIJA REGION • Start of project 2013 – end of project 2016 • Implemented the EU LEADER approach and registered 3 Local Action Groups in Pelagonija region, 1st in R.Macedonia (LAG PeLAGonija, LAG Agro Lider and LAG Prespa); • Influence in the National program for rural development for measure 413 – increasing funds and public call for the measure • Opened 3 LAG offices with office equipment in Municipalities of Resen, Novaci and Krivogashtani;

27. LEADER IN PELAGONIJA REGION • Developed Strategies for local development of rural areas for the LAGs; • Transferred model of implementation of LEADER from Pelagonija region in 3 other regions in the country; • LAGs members participation in the working group in MAFWE for developing LEADER program in Macedonia ( NIMS project ) • Project Cycle Management training for LAGs; • Raised awareness and increased capacity of public, private and civil sector for LEADER and public private partnership;

28. LEADER IN PELAGONIJA REGION • Designed visual identity of the LAGS with their logo’s and websites; • Study trip in Croatia, Summer LAG Festival– exchange experience and networking with other LAGs from Croatia and EU;

29. LEADER IN ALBANIA • The project ‘Local partnership for rural development’ was conceived and designed by Oxfam to address the situation of women in rural areas in Albania. • It operated between 2008 and 2011 in three regions in Albania: Shkodër (North) , Dibër (North East) and Vlorë (South) • 1. The process of wider participation of local communities through equal participation of women and men and stakeholders in the decision-making; • 2. Promotion of active partnerships amongst private and public through establishing structures like Local Action Groups, which provide a sustainable model to better link the government with rural communities

30. LEADER IN ALBANIA • New project: Supporting Development of Local Action Groups (LAGs) in Rural Areas in Albania (LEADER Approach) • Starting Date 24-02-2017 Ending Date 24-01-2019 • Donor agency: World Bank • Lead Partner: Euro Partners Development • The overall objective of the project is to support rural and forestry development in Albania through strengthen local capacities to apply LEADER approach through LAGs. • Establishment and operation of prototype LAGs for ensuring sustainable management of natural resources and development of rural areas; • Provision of support to rural communities in increasing their quality of life and improving sustainability of natural resources through local initiatives supported by the local development strategies;  • Building of community and rural development capacities of the pilot areas in implementation of LEADER approach; • Building of policy dialogue for preserving natural resources, provision of environmental services; • Ensuring sustainable development of rural areas in Albania through a regional integrated multi-sectorial approach;

31. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) LEADER in national strategic and program documents • Strategies for agriculture and rural development • Mid-term programes • IPARD II programes • Strategic / or programing documents of other ministries (regional development, local selfgovernance)

32. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) Institutional and Legal Settings for implementation of LEADER support Responsible authorities in charge for LEADER implementation are: • ministries for agriculture with their organizational units( departments, managing authorities, paying agencies) • In Bosnia and Herzegovina (cantonal ministries) • Serbia (additionally in Provincial secretariat for Agriculture of Vojvodina)

33. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) LAGs per country • Albania – 4 LAGs • FBIH – 3LAGs • Republic of Srpska - 3LAGs • Kosovo - 30 LAGs • Macedonia - 16 LAGs • Montenegro – No LAGs established(some initiatives in process) • Serbia – no reliable data (20 potential LAG initiatives)

34. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) Legal framework for implementation of LEADER • Laws on agriculture and RD • Rulebooks on LAG establishment and LDS preparation (only in Macedonia) • Law on associations and foundations (majority of LAG are registered) • Law on local self-government (cooperation between municipalities and other local stakeholders) • Law on regional development (municipal and inter regional cooperation)

35. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) Government support for financing

36. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) Donor support • Major donor organizations :-The European Union-UNDP-USAID-SIDA-Swiss Aid-GIZ

37. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) Conclusions • In all of the WB countries LEADER is part of the national strategic and programming documents and are envisaged in IPARD. With an exception of FBIH, where entities are responsible for implementation of LEADER program on their territories. • The existing LAGs in all countries, are registered as CSOs. • The rulebooks on LAG registration and LDS development are adopted only in Macedonia and Kosovo, while in Serbia the process is in progress • Lack of capacities and staff in the responsible ministries and local authorities regarding LEADER implementation • LEADER-like activities up to now are supported by different donor organizations, including local resource organizations, local government and networks

38. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) Conclusions • Serbia and RepublikaSrpska) started to finance LEADER and LAGs, it was later stopped, only Kosovo currently provides support. • The support is usually with limited funding and restricted timeframe which causes discontinuity in the process of implementation of a full-fledged LEADER method. • The financial and technical support gap discourages stakeholders to stay involved in LEADER, making it highly unlikely to mobilize enough local participation and support

39. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) General Recommendations Recommendations for institutional set up improvements • Government institutions at all levels should continue to work on development of – strategic and programing documents , incl. IPARD to be developed consolidated in all countries) – regulatory framework for introduction of LEADER (consolidate with latest EU regulations for LEADER (and CLLD) – (EU) 1305/2013, (EU) 1303/2013 in Macedonia and Kosovo*) – In FBIH the entities should prepare their own strategies that would foresee the LEADER approach

40. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) General Recommendations • Strengthening human capacities of relevant institutions – Engage enlarged number of staff from relevant ministries and Paying Agency – The staff of ministries and other stakeholders (municipalities, CSOs, business sector) need more tailor made trainings – The staff of the Managing Authority and the Paying Agency will have to be trained to implement LEADER measure – Specialized information campaigns and seminars for representatives of local self-governments should be prepared.

41. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) General Recommendations Recommendations for policy improvements • Local development policies should be implemented with a bottom-up decision-making process allowing for better connection and coordination of diverse rural actors • Development of guidelines on establishment, role, functioning and accreditation of LAGs including start-up toolkits for development of Local Development Strategy (LDS) for potential LAG constituents • Synchronization and complementarity of National rural development funding with EU IPARD funding

42. LEADER approach in the Western Balkan Countries (SWG 2017) General Recommendations Recommendations for empowering local stakeholders • Awareness raising campaigns needed - diverse models of networking of various local stakeholders (public, civil and business) • Exchange of information and transfer of best international practices from EU LAGs. • Capacity building and training of local stakeholders about bottom up, community based actions.

43. Thank you for your attention !