Giorgio Franceschetti

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).

Practicing Social Capital in Local Development: How the Method Applies to Real-World Cases

The proposed method for the evaluation of the endowment of social capital in LEADER has been developed following different sequential steps. In this chapter, we show that this stepwise process can be applied to European Local Action Groups (LAGs), it can be used for comparing values across indicators for both monitoring and evaluation, and the results obtained can unveil the intervention logic of “social capital” at different steps of aggregation. As promised in the introductory chapters of the book, we show the steps taken for opening the “black box” and identify how this method fits within the 2014–2020 programming period and specifically contributes highlighting the value added of LEADER.

Introduction: Motivation, Aim and Contributions

The chapter offers an introduction to the relationship between social capital and local development processes in European rural areas. Focusing on the EU LEADER initiative, the chapter draws attention to how social factors of each territory influence socio-economic variables, thus explaining heterogeneity in socio-economic outcomes. The chapter highlights that despite the pressing social needs arising from the recent economic and financial crises, EU funding and decision-making bodies have not explicitly addressed and assessed the role of social dynamics and specifically of social capital, which still remain a black box.

LEADER and Social Capital in Veneto: The Case Studies of Prealpi e Dolomiti and Bassa Padovana Local Action Groups

Social capital and rural governance are central elements in the evaluation of development projects based on the neo-endogenous approach to local development. The aim of this chapter is to measure both quantitatively and qualitatively the endowment of social capital in the Prealpi Dolomiti and Bassa Padovana LAGs in Veneto. The analysis shows that a consolidated partnership history, focused on the capacity of the LAG in bridging between stakeholders and the local governance system, and combined with the effective and efficient delivery of high-quality projects, concurred to increase the levels of social capital in the two LAGs.

Capitale sociale e approccio LEADER: dalla teoria all’applicazione

Intangible resources like social capital (SC), if supported by proper governance mechanisms, can positively influence rural development processes. Within the EU LEADER Approach, through the stakeholders’ cooperation and the creation of networks, Local Action Groups (LAGs) should generate SC. This paper, on the basis of empirical evidences collected through questionnaires to 9 LAGs (case-studies) in 4 Italian regions, provides a set of 96 innovative indicators for understanding how the structural and cognitive SC contribute to increasing LEADER performance. Results consist of analytical descriptions of indicators’ values for different LAGs and comparisons among indicators, which allow stressing causes of excellence in each explored dimension of SC.