M

1
M
ainstreaming of LEADER and Innovation The
finnish experience
2
L
ocal Action Groups 2000-2006
LEADER method has been fully mainstreamed into 3
other programmes than just LEADER (the only
excample of full mainstreaming in EU) 58 LAGs
covering 419 municipalities out of 444 (centres
of larger cities and a few small cities remain
outside)
25 LEADER groups (LEADER Programme) 19,5 LAGs
financed from Regional Rural Development
Programme 6,5 LAGs financed from Objective 1
Programme 7 LAGs with POMO national financing
3
L
ocal Action Groups 2000-2006
almost 5.000 projects have already sprung
up total number of projects will probably be
around 7.000 during the entire functioning period
approximately 220 million euros of public funding
and 120 million euros of private funding will be
used for projects established through LAG work
4
L
ocal Action Groups in Finland
LEADER -action group POMO - action group ALMA -
action group Objective 1, Northern Finland
- action group Objective 1, Eastern
Finland - action group Border of Objective 1
-Programme
5
L
EADER features in all LAGs
area-based approach bottom-up approach local
partnership innovation multi-sectoral
intergration inter-territorial co-operation
(incl. transnational co-operation) networking dece
ntralised management and financing

6
L
ocal Action Group in Finland approximately
7 municipalities / LAG area 41 000 inhabitants /
LAG area 1,8 people working in a LAG founding 6
Meuros (until 2006) / LAG
7
C
ommon features for all LAGs in Finland
Members in the board of the LAG 1/3
representatives of municipalities 1/3 local
associations and enterprises 1/3 rural
inhabitants National public financing Municipalit
ies of the LAG area must cover 20 of total
public financing National Network Unit financed
nationally and serves all local action groups
8
Local Action Group
Board 1/3 representatives of municipalities 1/3
local associations and enterprises 1/3 rural
inhabitants
staff
Project
Project
Project
munici-palities
Project
Project
Project
local people, enterprises, farms and residents
9
A
dministrative model
10
F
inancing model
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
project- and administrative funding (EU and
State)
National funding
RURAL DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
NETWORK UNIT
administrative funding (EU and State)
project funds (EU and State)
LOCAL ACTION GROUP LAG
MUNICI-PALITIES
project- and administrative funding
(municipalities)
municipal project funding
PROJECT n private funding
11
H
ow was the LAG work mainstreamed in Finland? How
has the national rural policy been supporting LAG
work?
strategic choice made at top policy level and
translated down to lower ranks of the
administration necessary cross-coordination with
other relevant authorities at horizontal level
(Rural Policy Committee) local people very
interested in LEADER activities regional
broadening and deepening of LAG work was
supported by national rural policy
12


13
D
escription of the process of mainstreaming LEADER
autumn 1995 writing of the 2nd Rural Policy
Programme - drafters made a suggestion to
distribute LEADER method nationally the rural
policy report presented by the Government to the
Parliament included statement Local Action Group
work should be broadened to cover all areas of
Finland 1996 and 1998 proposal was one of the
most important issues in the Rural Policy
Programme drafted by an expert committee
appointed by the Government
14
D
escription of the process of mainstreaming LEADER
Rural Policy Committee (YTR) had political
backing for trying to find national funding for
new LAGs -gt acchieved -gt funding from
Agricultural Development Fund for POMO groups
(guidelines 1997) 22 LEADERII and 26 POMO LAGs
working 1997-1999, planning of the future LEADER
became only a bit bigger for 2000 - 2006 -gt
needed other funding for the good work to be
mainstreamed autumn 2000 (after Finland sent the
L programme to the Commission) General Secretary
of the Rural Policy Committee started negotiating
with 12 regions about funding for LAG work
15
D
escription of the process of mainstreaming LEADER
the negotiating position was strengthened by the
situation where the final selection of LEADER
groups was not yet completed General Secretary
presented the issue for the Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry -gt funding for 26 LAGs
in either ALMA or Objective 1 Process involved a
big risk that regions would start lobbying to get
more LEADER groups - list of L LAGs held until
the end 7 LAGs was still out of funding and the
Ministry wanted to use Agricultural Development
Fund specifically for agricultural funding
16
D
escription of the process of mainstreaming LEADER
LAGs took their concerns to the members of the
Parliament -gt question to the Government How
will the Government act to enable all areas to be
covered under the LAG work, as was promised in
defenitions of the policy? Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry had to consent, since
the Agricultural Development Fund was the only
possibility for funding seven LAGs whole country
became covered with LAGs for 2000 - 2006 idea of
mainstreaming autumn 1995 - goals attchieved
autumn 2002
17
W
hat can we learn from this?
Cross-administratorial rural policy need an
organ, which constantly develops the rural policy
system as a network in central administration as
well as the regional and local levels Risks have
to be taken to achieve results Although the main
direction and power of LAG work moves upwards,
the crucial beginnings must be brought about from
a higher level downwards
18
W
hat can we learn from this?
Rural policy needs contact persons who will
watch the progress of whole projects, preferably
on all levels of action Activities must be
considered and planned sufficiently long into
the future, for example the negotiations carried
out at the turn of 2000 and 2001 were aimed for
both the periods 2000- 2006 and 2007-2013 LAG
work functions well for local people and is close
to them
19
W
hat does the future look like in Finland?
LAGs are essential part of Finlands entire rural
policy LAG work will continue during the period
2007-2013 in the entire Finland An increase in
the amount of social tasks for the groups has
taken place of regional mainstreaming Goal for
LAG work is to remain stable and grow stronger in
the whole country
20
I
nnovation in the rural development programmes
innovation of the Rural Policy Committee in the
mainstreaming someone has to make moves in
getting new ways of doing spread -gt this will not
happen just bottom-up, you need also
top-down LAGs have to start new processes and
ways of doing also by themselves innovation can
be just something slightly different from the old
and can still have strong influences
21
I
nnovation in the rural development programmes
tripartition in the boards of finnish LAGs has
been innovative and is really important, as it
keeps the work of the group on the wide
base there has to be rules of administration and
they have to be controlled and secured (Work
Group for the LAGs in Finland, under Rural Policy
Committee)
22
I
nnovation requirements in the rural development
programmes
there should not be strict rules for appropriate
funding and eligibility for experimentation and
innovation or strict requirements for
innovation when people get freedom for
innovating and the financing bodies use
consideration and take some risks, the activity
and development potential will rise result
local people stay very interested in developing
their rural areas
23
M
ore information about LAG work and Rural Policy
in Finland
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,
www.mmm.fi Mainstreaming, Mr. Eero Uusitalo,
eero.uusitalo_at_mmm.fi Rural Policy Committee,
www.maaseutupolitiikka.fi Secretary-General,
Rural Counsellor Mr Eero Uusitalo, Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry, Mobile [phone]
9916, eero.uusitalo_at_mmm.fi Deputy
Secretary-General, Senior Officer Mr Risto Matti
Niemi, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,
Mobile [phone], ristomatti.niemi_at_mmm.fi
Secretary of the Project Group, Senior Officer
Mrs Johanna Heikkilä, Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry, Tel. [phone],
johanna.heikkila_at_mmm.fi Programme Secretary,
Senior Officer Mrs Marjatta Koskinen, Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry, Tel. [phone]
53348, marjatta.koskinen_at_mmm.fi Secretary,
Departmental Secretary Mrs Maarit Skogberg,
Ministry of the Interior, Tel. [phone],
maarit.skogberg_at_intermin.fi Rural Development
Expert Mrs Tytti Siltanen, Mobile [phone]
5551, tytti.siltanen_at_elisanet.fi