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The “Rural-Sensitive Evaluation Model” for evaluation of local governments’ sensitivity to

rural issues in Serbia

Milic B. B.1, Bogdanov N.2, Heijman W.11 Wageningen AgriculturalUniversity / Department of Social Sciences, Economic of Consumers

and Household Groups, Wageningen, Netherlands2 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade / Department of agricultural economy,

Belgrade, Serbia

122nd European Association of Agricultural Economists Seminar

Evidence-Based Agricultural and Rural Policy MakingMethodological and Empirical Challenges of Policy Evaluation

February 17th – 18th, 2011, Ancona (Italy)

associazioneAlessandroBartola studi e ricerche di economia e di politica agraria

Centro Studi Sulle Politiche Economiche, Rurali e AmbientaliUniversità Politecnica delle Marche

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

1. INTRODUCTION, OBJECTIVES

2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

3. CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE RSEM

4. THE SCORING SYSTEM IN THE MRSI

5. THE METHODS OF RSEM’s USE

6. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

7. CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES

LIST OF CONTENTS

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

INTRODUCTION, OBJECTIVES

The paper hypothesis: “If the problems of rural communities and the actions taken by local decision makers to resolve these problems are identified, than rural “welfare” will be improved”.

Focus of the paper: Depiction of the methodology for assessing how municipal administration works to promote wider rural development objectives - “RSEM”.

1. What is the RSEM?

A new, specific way of measuring changes referring to rural development and its position in local governance.

Sensitivity in the context of this model is observed through: actions, attitudes, and estimated effects.

2. What is the base of the RSEM ?

Key features of the LEADER approach.

3. What is the rational for the RSEM?

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Group of works (scientific papers and political documents) related to the new approach to endogenous development & partnership between governments and other stakeholders in the processes of local development.

• Integrated rural development

• New Public Management

• The New Rural Governance

• The LEADER approach

• Examples from other countries regarding the models

• Rural Proofing concept

•  Other institutional assessment models

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

THEORETHICAL BACKGROUND - LEADER Vs RSEM

LEADER

Key Features

RSEM

Overall Questions Goals

Area-based approach

To what extent has the area-based approach been applied?

Fostering of endogenous development. Rethinking rural territorial unit.

Bottom-up approach

Public-private partnership

To what extent has the bottom – up approach been applied? To what extent has the participation of rural population in the development processes been supported?

Participatory designing of development processes.

Integrated approachTo what extent have RD issues been considered integrally?

Balancing and integrating the social, economic and environmental components of life in a rural area.

InnovationTo what extent have the innovative approaches been applied?

Leading the local administration in a new and unique approach of local RD issues maintenance.

Cooperation

Networking

To what extent have the inter-territorial cooperation, networking and/or cross-border cooperation been supported? To what extent has the organizational capacity of rural communities been supported?

Reinforcing influence and activity of cooperating parties.

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE RSEM

Type of Indicators

Indicator AreaIndicators

Mandatory / Total number of Indicators

1

IArea-based approach within the local administration

4 / 5

IIBottom-up approach within the local administration - influence of local administration on cooperation and partnership

5 / 5

IIICreation and implementation of strategic documents related to rural development

3 / 4

IV Application of innovative approaches in rural development planning and implementation

7 / 10

V Multi-level cooperation and networking 3 / 4

2 VI Position of women and youth in rural areas 3 /3

3 VII Personnel's approach toward rural development 10 /10

3 7 35 / 41

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

THE SCORING SYSTEMDepiction of the IA III scoring system

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6R1

I S.I

IA, No Indicator Area

R2 III Creation and implementation of strategic documents related to rural development

R3 Type of Points Formula Points

R4

   

Minimum number of points required to be evaluated (2.3) S.I 2.3 0.75

Minimum number of points required to be a rural sensitive (the obliged indicators are fulfilled)

∑I (2,3,4)

5.00

R5 Maximum number of points∑ I

(1,3,4) +S.I 2.2

11.00

R7Checke

dGained points

∑I (2,3,4)

5.00

R8 1     There is a local rural development strategy   5.00

R9   1.1   Designing of a local strategy of rural development in progress   3.00

R10 2     1 strategic and / or planning document that is not directly related to rural development, but in which rural development is one of the key issue of development of the municipality

+ 2.00

R11   2.1  2 strategic and / or planning documents that are not directly related to rural development, but in which rural development is one of the key issue of development of the municipality

2.50

R12   2.2  ≥3 strategic and / or planning documents that are not directly related to rural development, but in which rural development is one of the key issue of development of the municipality

3.00

R13   2.3  In progress the designing of a strategic and / or planning document/s that is/are not directly related to rural development, but in which rural development is one of the key issue of development of the municipality is in a progress

0.75

R143      

During the designing of a strategic and / or planning documents the representatives of non-governmental sector and the business sector have been consulted through the active participation of their representatives, and formal membership in the working groups and other bodies responsible for planning and defining the strategic documents / documented with at least 2 documents

+ 1.00

R15 4      

During the designing of a strategic and / or planning documents the representatives of rural population have been consulted through the active participation of their representatives, and formal membership in the working groups and other bodies responsible for planning and defining the strategic documents / documented with at least 2 documents

+ 2.00

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

THE SCORING SYSTEM

Indicators Values

Indicator Area (IA) I II III IV V VI VII

Minimum number of points required to be evaluated (MinPE)

1.00 1.00 0.75 0.5 2.00 1.50 1.00

Minimum number of points required to be a rural sensitive (MinPRS)

(the obliged indicators are fulfilled)5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

Maximum number of points (MaxP) 8.00 7.50 11.00 18.00 12.50 7.00 36.00

Municipal Rural – Sensitive Index (MRSI) = 100

MRSI=∑ MaxP IA’s(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

THE METHODS OF USE

Application of the RSEM involves three key steps:

1. Assessment of the current situation in local communities.

a. Questionnaires

b. Semi structured interviews

c. Focus groups

2. Observations of information gathered by assessment from the first step.

3. Provision of guidelines and recommendations for overcoming/improving the existing situation

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

THE METHODS OF USE

1

2

3 4

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

THE METHODS OF USE Depiction of the questionnaire example (IA 2)

1

2

3

4

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12DATABASE http://kvadratic.com/gtz/

The technologies used :

1.PHP server-side scripting language, version 5.2.9

2.MySQL database, version 5.0.81

3.Flex Free Open source Framework, SDK version 3.3

4.Apache 2.2.11 UNIX Server

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13

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14

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15

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16

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17

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONSDepiction of the territory where the RSEM has been tested

Bordering Romania

Bordering Bulgaria

Where is the RSEM tested?

In 4 municipalities in Eastern Serbia region as a case study.

16 municipal administrations’ employees

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

The RSEM is designed as a TOOL which helps to:

Define a road map for LGs in rural development,

Identify the specific issues and the needs of vulnerable groups (rural communities and those within the rural communities),

Make the gaps between the commitments of local authorities towards rural issues and actual implementation and impact more visible,

Guide and provide the effective advice to the local and national key decision makers in accordance with the best practice (EU),

Measuring the outcomes and impacts of local and national non-rural-specific goals and activities on rural issues,

Make the urban / rural inequalities more visible,

Lobby the Government and other agencies to get a more rural responsive perspective,

Self-assessment among local authorities.

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

Key futures of the RSEM:

1. Assertiveness - Assertive level of accuracy for assessing the level of local governments’ sensitivity on rural issues is provided.

2. Comparability - Determination of the differences among the local governments

3. Informativeness - The RSEM is enough informative to precisely point out the shortcomings of the LG in the level of fulfillment requirements defined by the RSEM.

4. Simulation - The RSEM provides the possibility of simulation of results according to different priorities defined.

5. Universalism - The RSEM is enough universal to be used in planning the intervention in the rural development area at all levels of policy from state government policy makers through the development agencies to the local level.

6. Dynamism - The structure of the RSEM offers the possibility of monitoring dynamic changes and measurement of the progress in the time dimension.

7. Simplicity - The RSEM offers relatively simple way of handling.

8. Flexibility and Adaptability - The RSEM follows up the local circumstances in order to adapt itself to the situation

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES

Motivation of all participants in the evaluation process (time, resources, people, "institutional memory"...)

Objectivity, "human factor"... Semi-structured interview, “implying" that the interviewed person

knows the information, "intellectual arrogance", documenting... Political will, willingness to publicly express views, sharing of

information; Views of other stakeholders about the sensitivity of local

government? “Sensitivity" of those who apply the RSEM? Economic effects, benefits of rural population - whether the

sensitivity of the municipality to rural issues is reflected on benefits of rural population, economic performances, is there any compatibility?

Universality - Suitability of the Model for application beyond the territory of Serbia?

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122nd EAAE Seminar, February 17th – 18th , 2011, Ancona (Italy)

Branislav Milic

Zmaj Jovina Street, 7

SRB-11000 Belgrade / Serbia

Tel.: +381 (11) 2630 394;  2630 414; 2630 611

Fax: +381 (11) 3220 267

Email: branislav.milic@giz.de

Thank You for your attention!