What Future for LEADER as a Catalyst of Social Innovation?

The LEADER Approach was initially designed to promote innovation in European rural areas by sustaining a bottom-up approach to local development. Nowadays the LEADER Approach includes elements that are generally considered to support social innovation. Classical features of the LEADER Approach \u2013 for example, area-based development strategies and cooperation and networking \u2013 are considered catalysts of social innovation as well. By drawing on key elements which support social innovation, the chapter discusses the future role of the LEADER Approach and Local Action Groups, and debates the challenges and potentials of the new rural development policy within emerging social, environmental and economic needs

Indicators proposed for the evaluation of social capital in Local Action Groups

This chapter provides a detailed description of the different indicators developed as part of the method for quantifying and qualifying the endowment of social capital in Local Actions Groups of the EU LEADER initiative. These indicators refer to dimensions of: (1) structural social capital (context, network actors, horizontal structure of the network, transparency and accountability, reputational power); (2) normative and cognitive social capital (trust and reciprocity among actors, trust in institutions, quality of the network, quality of participation, shared values, conflict); and (3) related aspects of governance (decision-making processes, efficiency and effectiveness, organisational culture and capacity, vertical structure)