Thomas Dax, Andrew Copus

European Structural and Investment Funds Journal, Volume 6 (2018), Issue 3, Page 198 - 209

In accordance with the dynamics of spatial development, rural regions are increasingly characterized by interactive integration into their wider spatial contexts. The complexity of drivers and the wide array of socio-economic changes contrast with the inertia of the framework of European Rural Development Programmes elaborated over the past decade. To enable enhanced participation, more effective socio-economic performance, and ecological benefits, future rural policy requires a step change in its intervention logic. Rather than slight adaptations of current rural policy orientations, a more radical vision for “Rural Cohesion Policy” is proposed. Such an approach would address all economic sectors, strengthen inclusive social action and environmental enhancement, and be targeted at harnessing place-specific development opportunities. It would also necessitate explicit acknowledgement of particular rural development issues across a range of policy fields, and greater coherence between the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). The core interest would be to a focus on policy implementation that seeks effective ways to nurture local and regional assets through diverse policy fields, in order to improve well-being and promote ecological beneficial developments in European rural regions.

Thomas Dax, Stefan Kah

European Structural and Investment Funds Journal, Volume 5 (2017), Issue 3, Page 211 - 222

Transnational cooperation is a policy instrument of the LEADER programme that has been available to local actors since the start of LEADER 25 years ago. However, its potential for social innovation has been underutilised so far. An assessment of the international debate about the usefulness of the scheme and the analysis of a case study in Austria provides insights into obstacles and opportunities of this instrument. In particular, there are opportunities for a greater use of transnational cooperation due to increased spatial interrelations and the extension of the LEADER approach to other European Structural and Investment Funds, i.e. by implementing Community-led Local Development (CLLD). The current (2014-20) EU programme period might therefore provide additional stimuli for creativity in rural development activities.

Thomas Dax, Theresia Oedl-Wieser, Wibke Strahl-Naderer

European Structural and Investment Funds Journal, Volume 2 (2014), Issue 2, Page 141 - 152

With increasing policy priority for a larger set of instruments available to Rural Development Programmes the focus on monitoring and evaluation increased substantially. Against the highly diversified experience with regard to the implementation of policy instruments, the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework has been set up by the European Commission as a strategic and streamlined method of evaluating programmes’ impacts. Its indicator-based approach mainly reflects the concept of a linear, measure-based intervention logic that is aimed primarily on a system of European comparison. However, it falls short of the true nature of Rural Development Programme operation and impact capacity on rural changes. Besides the different phases of the policy process, i.e. policy design, delivery and evaluation, the regional context with its specific set of challenges and opportunities seems critical to the understanding and improvement of programme performance. In particular the role of local actors can hardly be grasped by quantitative indicators alone, but has to be addressed by assessing processes of social innovation. This requires a shift in the evaluation focus which underpins the need to take account of regional implementation specificities and processes of social innovation as decisive elements for programme performance.