FINAL REMARKS

emerging countries. The joint leadership by small municipalities, the pivotal focus on typical products and local value chains, and the role played by community actors make it an even more interesting case in terms of replicability. Building cohesion and social capital and improving governance capacities are key determinants to pursue a similar strategic planning approach. At the same time, counting on in-depth technical expertise provided by local and national experts as well as on proper administrative capacities within municipalities surely represent relevant enabling conditions to make the design process smooth and effectively implement the strategy.

Model / Case-study LOCAL ACTION GROUP FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT - Local Action Group “Maiella Verde”

Relevance This experience is exemplary of the application of the LEADER / Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) approach in Italy, which aims at mobilising and involving rural communities to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. This approach relies on Local Action Groups as political and technical bodies that are able to tie the local partnership of actors with the managers and technical team in charge of designing and implementing a local strategy for rural development.

Potential and key determinants for replicability The role played by LAGs in rural areas across Europe could be crucial in similar areas in several emerging countries. Indeed, the issues addressed – such as depopulation, the crisis of farming, the crisis of local production due to competition in the global market, low youth and female employment, the lack of services and economic opportunities – are also experienced in rural areas in many other countries. The following factors could be determinant for replicability: trust, cohesion and social capital at the local level; a clear governance model; the embeddedness within the local community along with autonomy / impartiality from specific private interests by LAGs’ managers and personnel; technical skills for the design and implementation of local development strategies, for territorial animation and project management.

Model / Case-study

Relevance INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT TO COMMUNITY REGENERATION - SIBaTer Project

The SIBaTer project is exemplary of a model of institutional upgrading for social and territorial cohesion in Italy. On the one hand, it acts to improve the administrative capacity of municipalities in regard to the competences assigned to them by the law. On the other hand, it fosters the creation of a favourable environment for the generation of community / youth entrepreneurship proposals aiming at the valorisation of abandoned lands and assets.

Potential and key determinants for replicability Both the scope of the SIBaTer project in terms of community / territorial regeneration and its leadership through the involvement of the national association of municipalities makes this case interesting and replicable in some emerging countries where similar issues and organisations exist. The existence of unused heritage of public or private properties (e.g., lands, buildings and assets) representing both a problem and an opportunity for regeneration is probably the most important triggering factor to boost a similar process. Moreover, the following factors are highly relevant for potential replicability and successful implementation: engagement of local communities and youth around the theme of valorisation and innovation of their territories; high personal motivation and commitment by mayors and civil servants; existence of national and local partnerships sharing of a common vision, development objectives and working methods; possibility of being structured at a regional or departmental level rather than at a national level. Taken together, the presence of these soft factors would enable a smoother process of institution-building for community regeneration towards Sustainable Human Development at the local level.

Source: Authors

As a follow-up of our analysis, 6 Policy Guidelines (one for each case study) were designed in order to provide detailed information and inputs to inform a multilateral / UN-level strategic visioning and programming perspective, including both UN and UNDP Country Offices, as well as national policymakers and LRGs in relevant areas. In other words, these Policy Guidelines aim at inspiring the adoption of similar