European Commission
‘Building up support for rural development’
25-26 May 2007
Radom-Pionki, Poland
Network building & cooperation under Leader: benefits
for local areas
Martin Law, Leader+ Observatory Contact Point
Networking under Leader
 Networking is central to Leader
 Linked to innovation and small scale bottom-up approaches

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Many lessons can be learnt from past Leader experiences:
Who networks and why
Fostering cooperation
Issues that face those involved in Leader
Who and why?
People are involved in Leader at different levels and across
different target groups:
 LAGs
 Managing Authorities, Paying Agencies and Local Authorities
 Other organisations, initiatives, and individuals who follow the
Leader approach
Networking is:
A core activity involving communication and exchange of
information, experience and knowledge through:
 Formal activities of the network and NNU
 Informal activities via LAGs and individuals
 ‘Face to Face’ communications
 Virtual Networking
 Partner search tools
Goals of networking:
Different goals for networking in Leader include:
 Gathering information on the practices followed by participants
in the network
 Promoting co-operation between LAGs
 Promoting the Leader method and ideas
 Other uses of networking or expectations of LAGs can often be
controversial e.g. technical assistance and lobbying.
Networking and cooperation
Successful lessons from past project experiences
 Putting people in touch with each other (communication,
during events, through technology)
 Many documents, publications, guidelines &
presentations available which record best practices
 Partner-seach tools, seminars and transnational support
programmes
 Advisers and key experts who can provide help and advice.
Tangible benefits for LAGs
Five possible types of cooperation:
Types of cooperation
Main inputs for the participants
1) Exchange of experience
New perspectives
Awareness-raising on a particular theme
Confidence
2) Training and human resources
Better qualifications of the people involved
3) Innovation transfer
Application of new expertise, technology
and/or working methods
4) Joint business management
Access to new markets
5) Participation in a thematic
network
Definition of common norms and
methodologies
Collective management
Tangible benefits for LAGs
include:
 better management skills
 finding new solutions
 a direct (sometimes economic) return for the local
actors involved
 stronger local strategy
 boost motivation of the actors involved
 create a culture of cooperation culture
Tangible outputs
include:
 Definition and development of new products/services and technical
assistance: such as quality management methods; software; internet sites
and computer systems;
 Joint production of goods and services: overcoming logistical and legal
obstacles, particularly for such things as tourism routes, exhibitions and
festivals;
 Joint promotion of products and services: leaflets, CD-ROMs, logos; food
and agricultural products for joint promotion activities around a common
product (cheese, wine, meat products).
Conclusions
Results of networking and cooperation under Leader:

More professionalism
 more experience (LAGs and local actors): involved in mature projects with tangible results at different
stages of development
 A longer term vision (phases, greater ambition, economic turnover)

Tangible outcomes in more sectors than before: from only (nearly) tourism only to tourism + culture + craft
+ economy

Greater proactivity among the local actors: not only as participants but in definition, implementation and
development of the projects, and therefore real bottom-up

Stronger partnerships:
 local, specialized partnership (women entrepreneurs, typical quality craftsmen, specific tourism provider...)
 between areas involved around 1 project, then another, then another --> the spiral of cooperation
Providing a strong platform for the future benefit for all involved