Stig Hansson Gotland Sweden

Leader, plan Initiative comes from eg. regional authorities as an open invitation to everyone who wants to be a part of the process All who have announced interest start up the work to write a Local Action Plan All three sectors – non-profit-making, private and official – equally represented during the writing of LAP

Leader, area Dare thinking in new ways and cross boarders when the area is set The delegates of LAG must have a wide geographical and social range When you think in different ways you will create new solutions

LAG, purpose When you stop guarding your own interests and think of the area’s future you create development: Sitting in LAG means to give support to others, not getting support for your own ideas It can be difficult to explain at home why you support the neighbour village and not your own

Experiences from LEADER-work on Gotland

Local engagement

Local engagement = sustainability Those who run the project are the same who have the benefits from it The idea can come from outside, but initiative and creation of the project is made on a local basis With a local project leader money and knowledge stays in the area – rather give support for administration

Learning and development Pre-study

Learning and development Start small – ”wide doors and low thresholds”. Gives courage! Little money for pre-studies. Well-placed money! Do you need to make a project if you know the result in advance

”Stealing” good ideas Öppna Ateljéer

”Stealing” good ideas ”Don’t invent the wheel again” Bring home ideas and adapt them to your local situation Document the projects so that others can learn from it

Failures Besöksplats Fröjel En verksamhet av pilotkaraktär som är ett samarbete mellan Fröjel Hembygdsförening, de boende i Fröjel och Högskolan på Gotland. Verksamheten bygger bl.a. på material från de arkeologiska utgrävningarna av den vikingatida hamnen. Projektet ska ge ett underlag för den fortsatta verksamheten. Den ska också möjliggöra den planeringen man har av en eventuell rastplats med ett mindre café, att ha guidade turer runt kyrkan och i området för de arkeologiska utgrävningarna, samt att ha en utställning/museum i den gamla folkskolan i Fröjel.

Failures Project-group and project-leader do not have the same goal The participants do not realize which input is expected from them What happens after the project is important – who continues?

From Leader+ to the new RDP in Sweden From 12 to 65 Leader areas From 20% to 85% of rural population The Swedish Rural Network

All actors for rural development, on national level, can be members Network (service) Unit at the Managing Authority A special budget line for member activities Swedish Rural Network

Formal or informal Official Within Managing Authority or outsourced Just for Leader or for the whole Development Program Different kinds of national RD networks

Starts with simple information – Newsletter – Program information – Network activities Building more interactive tools – Project database – Partner search – Webb tools to support the LAGs

Use what you have instead of longing for something else