Implicaciones comerciales

Having representatives from different sectors all speaking and working together in one group allows for sharing of good information, knowledge and seeing integration. Within the voluntary, the private and the local government sectors there are key individuals who understand how the LAG works and they are there to provide expertise and experience of the sector they represent and an overview of how rural development should work in the area and steer decisions which the LAG makes. ‘They are also there to ensure good

governance, that the lead partner, who is administering the funds, is doing it fairly and responsibly’.362

The contributions which individual members make to their partnership divide between general functions shared by many partners such as to be an animator, to advise applicants, and identify gaps in rural development implementation, strategic planning, community representation. More specifically, the LEADER strategy defines the term ‘animators’ as any person responsible for building of good partnerships and ensuring the effectiveness of these partnerships, and so they are a vital part of the governance dynamic in the LAG. In terms of responsibilities and roles within the rural areas, it is worth mentioning that quite a few of them have community development trusts. These trusts do an assessment of what they would like to see in the area of what needs to be upgraded, what they have and also done a fair bit of consultation with the local community and they will help support projects ‘on the ground’ backed by action plans, dissemination of information, network and involving the local community. Consequently, it is not just the LAG and then the community projects: there are various organisations in between that are there to assist in terms of community

361 _{Argyll and the Islands LAG Official operator no. 1.} 362 _{Argyll and the Islands LAG Official operator no. 1.}

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development.363 _{This profile of membership appears therefore to be a long-standing feature} of the rural governance rather than any significant development in the time period assessed for this case.

The LAG does not directly employ people. There are partnership agreements with the local authorities (e.g. the local council), which are delegated the responsibility and decisions to manage the contracts of the applicants. Up to a certain management threshold, the staff can make decisions about money within the project; beyond this, they refer decisions back to the LAG. More specifically, the Argyll and the Islands LEADER LAG is built on the

administrative structure developed during the former LEADER+ Programme. Argyll and Bute Council, which has the presidency, undertakes the overall responsibility for the programme management.364 _{With the employment of two LEADER project co-ordinators, the Council} delivers and promotes the programme at local level by providing support and assistance in project development, making sure that community groups that are claiming money for work done know what they are claiming. The latter is particularly true for new groups that are applying to LEADER for the first time, to ensure that they are meeting the terms of their agreement and that everything is signed off accordingly.365 _{Moreover, there are}

commissions, contracts and consultants to review the performance of the LEADER approach in the LAG. The review tends to use interviews of local people and statistical analysis.366 The LAG has roughly four decision meetings a year, once a quarter with one additional meeting for disposal of strategic business.367 _{The LAG reports to the partnership what they} are funding and how it relates to the local development strategy and the community and makes sure that the priorities meet the priorities of the locally elected members.368 _{‘There is}

always a good turnout at the LAG meetings and there has been a relative consistency of attendance as well, but what really works is getting all the assessment done prior to the

363 _{Argyll and the Islands LEADER 2007-2013 Local Action Group (2012) Annual report 2010-}

2011. Oban: Argyll and the Islands LAG.

364 _{Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership (2009) The Argyll and Bute Community}

Plan 2009-2013, issue no. 1 – Autumn, Winter. Oban: Argyll and Bute Community Planning

Partnership.

365 _{Argyll and the Islands LEADER 2007-2013 Local Action Group (2014) Annual report}

2012/2013. Oban: Argyll and the Islands LAG.

366 _{Argyll and the Islands LEADER Local Action Group (2009a), pp. 44-45.}

367 _{Argyll and the Islands LEADER Local Action Group (2009b) Rules of procedure. Oban:} Argyll and the Islands LAG.

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meeting. Nobody has come in cold as they know exactly what we are about! We spend a lot of time getting consensus over the direction and priority, aims and objectives. When the time comes to decide on money, there is a good consensus about our priorities. We discuss gaps, challenges and future projects before the meeting. We don’t have much dissent. We have scored and assessed our proposals before we come to the meetings. There are people challenging and asking specific questions about a project, but a consensus is usually kept. There is rarely a case where we have to have a vote’.369 _{Moreover, ‘we have a very clear}

traffic light (red, amber and green) expression or conflict of interest form. So, if you bring in a project and you have been very heavily involved in assisting with that community project, its maybe part of your daily work then you have to leave the room when it’s being discussed and the decision is made whether they get LEADER money or not. If somebody has just had some dealings with the project but they are not involved on a day to day basis, they could stay in the room and take part in the discussion on the application of the project but can’t vote to decide it. And, if there is no conflict of interest at all then you can take part in the discussion and as a LAG member you vote’.370

The LAG gives out no more than 50% (25% LEADER + 25% Scottish funding) awards to a project. The applicant has to find the other 50% from a wide range of sources. The UK National Lottery is one such source although it is not administered by the government, but rather operates as a public fund and is available for anyone in the UK. ‘They apply to us for

LEADER money and demonstrate that they have got the other 50% funding before we fund them. So, it is not our responsibility to fund it. They could come to my organisation if they are doing an environmental project and get 50% from LEADER, and 50% from Scottish natural heritage. We also fund quite a bit of feasibility studies and new ideas. We don’t necessarily fund the final outcome, the project on the ground. But what we do is get people to

communities and groups to the point where they have tested an idea to show that it will work. And maybe another scheme will follow from the actual project’.371

Concerning the involvement of the people in the partnership, the LAG disseminates information about the types of activities that they have funded so that the public can see. The public can get involved by applying to LEADER and getting direct feedback about their

369 _{Argyll and the Islands LAG Official operator no. 1.}

370 _{Argyll and the Islands LAG Official operator no. 2. Oban, 17 December 2013.} 371 _{Argyll and the Islands LAG Official operator no. 1.}

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project. ‘We don’t generally invite the public to our meetings. If someone in the public

wanted to witness, they could come along and observe’.372

Community involvement and mobilization have been quite important for a lot of projects when they were initially thinking about them and also just deciding on the best type of structure or construction, whether this project can go ahead or not and with that level of support, to go not only with LEADER funding to build and to implement the project, but also to engage with other funders as well in match funding.