A practitioner perspective of delivery Owing to the fact that all experience is a process, no point of view can ever be the last one

26/06/2015menter mon cyf 2008 : JVE fund2 MENTER MÔN Cyf project history The above are indicative of the range of project work MM has undertaken. Since 1996 it has successfully bid for and spent £35 m of EU funding, matched by the private and public sectors

26/06/2015menter mon cyf 2008 : JVE fund3 Menter Môn is comprised of two companies MENTER MÔN Cyf ANNOG Cyf Incorporation year Ownership Purpose Status Turnover Balance sheet Employees Core administration 1996 Community owned 12 nominated directors from the private and voluntary sectors Economic development Not for shareholder profit 2007 £2.64m £320K 23 5% of combined turnover 1998 Community owned 12 nominated directors from the private and voluntary sectors VAT registered trading co. Not for shareholder profit 2007 £1.99m 2008 £0 38

COMPARATIVE TRENDS IN WIDER RURAL DEVELOPMENT FROM A DELIVERY PRACTITIONER PERSPECTIVE WALES LEADER II programmeAxis 4 One of 40 trans EU Community InitiativesOne of 4 axes within the RDP 8 beneficiary areas in Wales18 beneficiary areas 6 of 8 LAGs incorporated and independent3 of 18 LAGs incorporated and independent Developmental progression to Structural Funds through EAGGF and ERDF Integrated, coincidental relationship via Axis 3 Sole governance of LAGsShared governance of LAGs Indifference of statutory institutions and low political influence at regional and local government level Strong interest of statutory institutions Greater political influence at devolved and local level Simple application process. Simple advance funded claims and audit processes for Community Initiatives and Structural Funds Complex, prescriptive application process. Laborious and realtime audited claims process. Retrospective funding of axis 3

COMPARATIVE TRENDS IN WIDER RURAL DEVELOPMENT FROM A DELIVERY PRACTITIONER PERSPECTIVE WALES LEADER II programmeAxis 4 Greater proportion of proactive deliveryGreater proportion of reactive delivery 10% of project time was spent on regulatory processes We estimate currently 35% of project officer time is taken up by regulatory process. The bottom up methodology was applied ‘in programme’ as a precursor to expenditure, ensuring topicality of action, wide sector agreement and an ability to spot and link integrative opportunities. This equated to the participative democracy which was central to the LEADER approach The current application process requires detailed actions and expenditures beforehand which requires undertaking the bottom up methodology prior to application, increasing the risk of ineffective interventions and loss of beneficiary interest due to delayed implementation Making payments in a controlled advance manner to end beneficiaries meant rapid implementations The disallowance, under axis 3, of advance funding means slow implementation. The requirement to have the whole audit chain for claims purposes constrains liquidity

LEADER Method Area-based approach Bottom-upPartnershipNetworking Decentralised Management and Financing Inter-area Cooperation Multi-sectoral integration Innovation From the DG Agri Evaluation of Leader II

SUCCESSFUL LAGS SHOULD DRAW TOGETHER COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AND AGITATE THEM – CHALLENGE THEM TO PRODUCE MAJOR CHANGE – THE LAG OFFERS THE FUNDS, THE DELIVERY AGENTS AND THE WILL TO IMPLEMENT INTEGRATIVE ACTIONS - THIS IS AN UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT IS DONE WELL – NO OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION OFFERS SUCH A WHOLESALE OPPORTUNITY Menter Mon’s work under earlier Leader programmes was an agitational force which produced tangible results still visible today, 15 years on, a period no one evaluates The Leader approach can still be a potent force, particularly under axis 3.

THE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST TURNING WALKING INTO AN INDUSTRY AN EXAMPLE FARM UNIONS HERITAGE GROUPS CONSERVATION BODIES HIGHWAYS AUTHORITIES WALKING GROUPS SELF CATERING AGENCIES BED & BREAKFAST EST LANDOWNERS Convened in 1996, this community of interest brought forth the following projects Funded through LEADER, structural funds and other sources, but all coordinated by the LAG over a ten year period

THE ANGLESEY COASTAL PATH 125km 35km of new paths THE SAINTS WALKS 8 x 8km THE ANGLESEY WALKING FESTIVAL now in tenth year ANGLESEY FARM HOLIDAY NETWORK of 17 members 8 x FARM DIVERSIFICATIONS The task of bringing fame to the island as a walking destination was completed through actions generated by the community of interest. Each intervention is still sustainable today In the market place or through statutory mainstreaming