PHASE 3. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY AND LOCAL ACTION GROUP MANAGEMENT

PHASE 3. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY AND LOCAL ACTION GROUP MANAGEMENT

Insights from the case-study Suggested actions

MAIN ACTORS Self-assessment questions

The same local actors are involved as in the previous phase, with an increasingly active and central role. The LAG identified “Project Communities” to engage the local communities most likely to be actively committed in rural development strategies.  Enable local communities in being protagonists of the implementation of project activities foreseen by the rural development strategies.  How can key actors and local communities be made committed to and responsible for the implementation of the projects foreseen in the strategy?

MAIN RESOURCES

Sharing intentions as a group of local actors enabled trust and cohesion to be maintained throughout almost 30 years of activity. The financial resources used by the LAG “Maiella Verde” to implement the strategies derive from the LEADER / CLLD programme, but over time they have relied on other additional funding for specific projects (i.e. by local and regional governments and by private sector organizations).  LAG members and staff should have the appropriate competencies, skills and financial resources to generate and manage development processes on a local level.  What kind of financial resources can be leveraged to fund the implementation of the strategy?

 Do the actors have the necessary resources and skills to be responsible and accountable for project implementation?

MAIN ACTIONS

The operational activities implemented by the LAG are several: coordination and management, technical assistance, products analysis, reporting and auditing, monitoring and evaluation. Most of the projects, funded through public calls for tender, concern small investments. The selection is based on the consistency with the local development strategy, on the overall quality of the project and on targeted beneficiaries (with a priority for women, young people and disadvantaged categories). The LAG establishes the required requisites and provide technical assistance to improve the quality of proposals. The support is especially directed to the most innovative initiatives, which can demonstrate an important value added for the local community. The implementation of strategies by “Maiella Verde” over its 30 years of operation can be divided into 3 macro-periods: 1. Assistance to small enterprises concerning production and  Identify the key activities that the Local Action

Group must be able to engage in during the implementation of the local development strategy.

 Identify how to finance the projects needed to implement the strategy, the requisites that projects must have, who will implement the activities.

 Ensure technical assistance to the actors involved by the Local Action Group, both in the phase of elaboration of project proposals and in the phase of implementation of the selected  Which are the key activities to be carried out by the LAG to ensure that the strategy developed is implemented?

 Are the projects proposed by local actors consistent with the local development strategy? Who are the targeted beneficiaries? Are they prone to innovation?

 Is the LAG able to provide technical assistance to the proposing actors?

 What are the phases / steps necessary to

processing. In the first period, the LAG placed the needs of small producers at the very centre of its strategies. It was necessary to change the attitude of local producers, who conceived agriculture solely as the production of raw materials. Firstly, small farmers were supported to comply with higher standard in terms of health and hygiene; secondly, investments were made to create small processing facilities for cheese, meat and vegetables; finally, actions were taken to support marketing and direct sales. These steps have helped to strengthen small enterprises of the area operating in the agri-food, handcraft and tourism sectors. 2. Creation of communities to promote typical local products. In the second period, the LAG focused on the valorisation of typical local products, which were not nationally and internationally renowned despite having strong food and wine traditions and identities. The LAG realised the need to increase their value added by going beyond the processing stage. With the "10 flavours to be saved" project, the LAG has turned some local food and wine products into regeneration drivers for local communities, as common goods to be promoted. 11 local communities acquired the status of "Food Communities", due to their respective typical products. Other initiatives, such as the Taste Gallery and Taste Guides network, contributed to increasing the value added of local products. 3. Enhancement of value added not only in typical products, but also in tourist promotion and regeneration of villages. In the last (and current) period, the attention to value added enhancement was also directed to regeneration of villages and promotion of sustainable rural tourism. Value added is conceived to concern not only economic well-being, but also personal motivation and social recognition, activating the social energy of local communities. In this phase “Maiella Verde” has been promoting the implementation of the rural development strategy through the creation of Project Communities focused both on local typical products as well as on tourist reception, tourist product and territorial regeneration. projects.

 Ensure that the selected projects are instrumental in achieving the objective set out in the local development strategy. Over time, once the expected results have been achieved, the local action group will be able to draw up new local development strategies with objectives that will be updated according to the needs of the target area. enhance value added creation within the local economy?