CAP Evaluation News – May 2024

This issue of CAP Evaluation News focuses on recent studies and research to evaluate LEADER added value and includes new non-binding guidelines to assess it. LEADER has been an innovative and essential part of EU rural development policy for over three decades. With each programming period, LEADER's scope has been extended, adding new tools to empower local communities and drive sustainable development. However, effectively assessing its added value has remained a challenge. To respond to the need to operationalise the concept of the LEADER added value, the included guidelines contain three key components - improved governance, improved social capital, and enhanced results and impact. It also contains several key elements to assess, as well as possible factors of success.

Additionally, in this edition, the results of the 'Evaluation support study of the costs and benefits of the implementation of LEADER' are summarised. The objective of this evaluation support study was to assess the added value of LEADER and the extent to which the additional costs of implementing the LEADER approach are justified by its additional benefits. It also investigated the extent to which LEADER projects generate additional benefits compared to similar non-LEADER projects.

Finally, Elena Pisani, associate professor at the Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry at Padova University, gave insights into her research to measure social capital at the Local Action Group (LAG) Level. Historically, social capital has been analysed using qualitative information, but recent research by 'LAG Prealpi and Dolomiti' demonstrates that social capital can also be measured with quantitative indicators too.