WP3
Institutions and the governance of rural development and the role of ICT
It will identify the forms of governance and institutional cooperation or partnerships, from the local to the supra-national level, which have been influential in developing, codifying and diffusing information and communication technologies in different types of rural areas, either in the conception and design phase, the implementation and the evaluation phases. In addition, it will analyse the role and relevance that information and communication technologies (ICT) have played in the development of rural areas.
3.1 Identification of the past and potential role of policies and forms of governance in rural areas
3.1.1 Review of policies and ways of governance, institutional cooperation and partnership in rural areas
It will trace the relative roles of agricultural, environmental, cohesion and spatial planning approaches to rural areas and rural development. One key source will be the national studies conducted between 1999 and 2002 for the WWF/GB Countryside Agencies’ project on ‘The Nature of Rural Development’ which examined the actors, institutions and attitudes to rural development and rural policies in 10 different European countires.
3.1.2 Identification of policies and role of governance, institutional cooperation and partnership[ in rural areas
Evaluation of the beneficial effects of policies and forms of institutional arrangement, and point to specific areas of potential reform which could improve the operation of multi-level governance systems relating to rural and territory policy. It will use a co-ordinated and systematic approach to identifying lessons from past studies of institutional and policy change and governance systems coupled with a speculative futures analysis of possible scenarios for the development of means of policy-making and implementation. A key source will be the report being produced this spring by the OECD working party on territorial development in rural areas. The task will address the following key questions:
- What lessons can be learned from past experience in the effective development of policies to manage rural change?
- What have been the barriers to effective institutional co-operation and partnership working in rural Europe and how might these best be overcome?
- What are the optimum models for effective implementation of rural development policies and how might these vary across different types of rural areas and Member States?
3.2 Past role and potential of ICT in rural areas
3.2.1 Role of ICT in past evolution of rural areas
Analysis of literature to establish key factors; a mapping of performance of rural regions; case studies for three regions, including creation of a database; secondary analysis of the information on case studies from European and national projects (societal, institutional and cultural factors)
3.2.2 Role and potential of new ICT
Design of methodology for assessing the functionality of web services for rural areas and agriculture; case study for Poland analysing the web-based functionality at NUTS 4/5 level; design of database tools; and data analysis techniques and procedures for assessing information
3.2.3 Role of ICT in past evolution of rural areas
D 3.1 Report on evaluation of policy effects and forms of governance in rural areas (month 12)
D 3.2 Map and report for key factors influencing the performance of rural regions behind adoption of ICTs (month 6)
D 3.3 Report and database on existing case studies (month 10)
D 3.4 Report on secondary analysis, including validation (month 18)
D 3.5 Report on functionality of web-services for rural areas and agriculture (month 12)
D 3.6 Report and database on case study for Poland at NUTS 4/5 level (month 18)