CC BY
3
УДК 338.262.7
Zlateva R. St.
Assoc. Prof. PhD
Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Republic of Bulgaria RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS OF THE TERRITORY -AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT FOR DEVELOPING A COMMUNITYLED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Abstract: The article presents an author's methodology for conducting research and analysis of the territory, market, environment, moods, participants, creation of a database as part of the preparatory activities for developing a Community-Led Local Development Strategy. It specifies the research tasks that are worked out with this type of study. The mechanism for obtaining information is revealed and the system of the research methods used is identified.
Keywords: Rural Development Program, LEADER approach, rural areas, Community-Led Local Development Strategy, territory research and analysis.
The development of rural areas is part of a wider EU strategy for investments. It is a challenge for the Member States to draw up rural development programs that meet their needs and opportunities.
Under the Rural Development Program 2014-2020, Bulgaria applies a set of measures aimed at developing and exploiting the socio-economic potential of rural areas by stimulating the implementation of the Leader approach (LEADER - Links between the Rural Economy And development activities) for community-led local development that helps rural participants assess the long-term potential of their area. It finances the implementation of local development strategies, characterized by the necessary justification and providing added value for the development of the territories [1].
The LEADER approach is used as a useful tool for implementing and complementing development policies. Its strength is provided by three main components: local initiative groups composed of representatives of the local public, economic and non-profit sectors, local development strategies developed according to a model and inline with the relevant programs of the European and Structural investment funds, applicable at municipal level or union of neighbouring municipalities and/or neighboring settlements - part of the municipality/ies [2].
The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the role of the territory exploration and analysis in the preparation of a community-led local development strategy that creates prerequisites for sustainable socio-economic changes in rural areas. The challenge is the practical implementation of the study and the analysis under the specific conditions created by the applicable regulatory framework [1, 2, 3, 4].
In this regard, the development tasks are related to:
- presentation of an author's methodology for conducting research and analysis of the territory, market, environment, moods, participants, creation of a
database as part of the preparatory activities for developing a community-led local development strategy;
- disclosure of the mechanism for obtaining information on the potential and public interest of the territory regarding the preparation of a community-led local development strategy in response to the conducted survey among the targeted groups and highlighted stakeholders;
- indication of the link between the study and the analysis as well as the development of a community-led local development strategy. The provision and usage of the most up-to-date and reliable information that accurately reflects the current situation and the trends of the territory is fundamental to the study and the quality of the analysis.
The Information assurance is characterized by the following main aspects:
- identifying and organizing the necessary baseline data in the research process and ensuring the information security for the analysis that is critical to its successful completion;
- defining target groups, identifying and analyzing potential stakeholders interested in the development of a community-led local development strategy funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development or by more than one European Structural and Investment Fund for the territory and their necessities and needs;
- collection, processing, synthesis and analysis of the necessary data for the territory and for the stakeholders;
- identification of data gaps and deficiencies in the data quality and undertaking of measures to overcome them;
The main object of the survey is the potential for development of the territory of the local initiative group and its relation to the necessities and the needs of the stakeholders. The subject of the survey is the existing territorial features, socio-economic and ecological conditions and opportunities for their development in the context of a community-led local development strategy. The study aims to reveal the theoretical and empirical potential for development of the territory of the local initiative group, as well as the dimensions of its state and the opportunities for its improvement. This requires the following major research tasks to be solved:
1. Identification of the target groups and their needs as well as identification and analysis of the potential stakeholders in the development of a community-led local development strategy.
2. Identification of the territorial features, socio-economic, ecological conditions and local specifics of the territory of the local initiative group.
3. Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the territory and identification of possible directions for its development.
4. Identification of the awareness, interest and attitudes of the stakeholders in the territory.
5. Identification of the readiness of stakeholders to participate.
The sample for the survey is formed by two groups formed by power
(institutional) status - work in the local authorities and by subjective status (status identification) - self-identification of the person.
The first one includes mayors/mayoral deputies in the settlements in the territory of the local initiative group, and the second one is formed through the so-called "method of the respondents". In this method, consultation issues are advertised in a publicly accessible place, such as the website of the local initiative group on Internet and in places accessible to our community - information conferences, information meetings and trainings. The advantage of the online survey is that it ensures coverage of practically all stakeholders. The main disadvantage of this method is the fact that the reliance depends more on the psychological attitude of the surveyed people than on their degree of interest and awareness of the problem.
The research methods have different possibilities and specific limitations and should therefore be used in combination. An agreement is set between the used methods that the results obtained by one of them would be compatible with the information collected by another method. The system of research methods used includes:
- research, analysis and synthesis, SWOT analysis, comparisons and analogy, interpretation of strategies, plans and programs at different levels, legal and normative documents, statistical data and information from specialized websites;
- content - analysis of legislation relevant to the problem;
- creating, conducting, processing, analyzing and benchmarking the results of surveys related to the study of the target groups and their needs as well as of the potential stakeholders in the development of a community-led local development strategy.
The study is done in a logical and chronological unity of the phases with overlapping applied for achieving the objectives. Part of the research is based on survey polls. For this purpose, questionnaires are produced. The questionnaire is individual and is filled in by the surveyed person voluntarily and independently. It has closed and open, problem-oriented questions. The questionnaires are seen both as a platform for collecting and analyzing data and generating information as well as as an indicator of potential stakeholders and their attitude towards the development of a strategy for community-led local development.
In view of the successful application of the survey method by the research team, the representatives of the local initiative group get familiar with the basic rules in preparing a survey card and gathering information. The main goal is that the local community is provided with timely and competent help in completing the survey cards and that the distance between the research team and the surveyed people is overcome.
Three types of questionnaire cards are developed (preferably no more than 30 questions), then starts the collection and analysis of empirical data and information from different sources for the territory of the local initiative group. A direct group survey and direct individual poll are planned which will ensure that
the widest possible range of local community representatives are reached.
The first questionnaire includes issues related to the collection of information on settlements in municipalities within the local initiative group, population volume and age, employment, education, health, infrastructure, transport, communications, services offered, agricultural production, investment opportunities, implemented projects by the private sector, potential beneficiaries, external investments, local attractions.
The second questionnaire includes issues pertaining to the organization represented by the respondents as well as the type of its activities, the experience of the European Union programs, the knowledge of the Rural Development Program 2014-2020 and the approach "Community-led local development", what support is expected from the local initiative group, is there support for the idea of registering and promoting a brand for products and services produced and delivered in the territory, is it possible organic production to be developed, where it is considered that there should be information about starting and / or developing a business and what are the motivating factors for this, do small and medium-sized farmers and processors of agricultural products in the territory deserve more attention, what non-agricultural activities are attractive, what kind of specialized assistance is expected to be provided, what are the motives for developing business projects, which issues are most serious for the citizens and the business in the territory of the local initiative group.
The third questionnaire includes issues related to the sector that is represented by the respondents of the survey and their field of activity, for presence of experience as per the Rural Development Program 2007 - 2014, for knowing the Rural Development Program 2014-2020 and the approach "Community-led local development", is there an interest in implementing it on the territory of the local initiative group, how do they perceive the implementation of a community-led local development strategy, would they take part in projects to start and/or develop a business, which programs included in the framework of the Community-led local Development strategy are most attractive, what is their main motivation for developing a project inline with the Community-led local development strategy of the local initiative group.
Questionnaires of the respective type are printed and distributed on selected events and places which is needed for the execution of the research tasks.
The first questionnaire is sent to the town-halls in the settlements. The questionnaire should reach every person included in the surveyed group - mayors and mayoral deputies. The person responds in a convenient time and place for them. No additional organizational and technical efforts are required for this type of survey.
The second questionnaire is conducted after information conferences taking place in the territory of the local initiative group and among the participants in the information meetings held in the settlements. The information meetings are used as a convenient occasion (premises are ensured, time, appropriate size of the study group - over 8 and under 40 people) to conducting a direct group survey which
allows short-term interviewing of a large number of people by a few interviewers, the anonymity and the good quality of the information gathered is ensured.
The third questionnaire is distributed among the municipal administration officials, while questionnaires for citizens are left in the service and information centers in the territory. The questionnaire is also available on the local initiative group website. The choice for this survey option is determined by the fact that it provides relatively good access to the interested parties, filling in the questionnaire at a convenient time and place and making it more economical. To participate in the survey, people are invited to the information meetings, conferences, trainings and through the local initiative group's website, representatives of potential beneficiaries, local government, local business, non-profit sector, local education, cultural and sports institutions, residents of the territory.
In the event of research challenges in the study, related to the inability of some of the respondents to fill in the information in the questionnaires, covering up ignorance and provision of formal answers, the form of communication with the respondents is developed - transfer to another type of consultation such as the interview where the questions are read and the answers are recorded by an interviewer.
The community-led local development strategy is developed on a model. Some of the criteria for evaluating the strategy in terms of its quality aspect are: assessment of the quality of the analysis (site analysis and SWOT analysis);
- compliance of the selected objectives of the strategy with the identified needs of the territory and the vulnerable and minority groups, if any;
- compliance of the selected objectives of the strategy with the potential of the territory [1, 2].
In this regard, together with the aforementioned, the carrying out of territory research and analysis should be considered among the most important components of the process of developing a well-founded community-led local development strategy that adds value to the development of the territory.
References:
1. Regulation № 22 of 14 December 2015 for the implementation of sub-measure 19.2 "Implementation of operations as per strategies for the Community-Led Local Development" of Measure 19 "Community-Led Local Development" of the Rural Development Program for the period 2014 - 2020.
2. Regulation № 16 of 30 July 2015 for the implementation of sub-measure 19.1 "Aid for preparatory actions" of measure 19 "Community-Led Local development" from the 2014-2020 Rural Development Program.
3. Guidelines for local stakeholders regarding the Community-Led Local Development // http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/informat/2014/guidance_clld
local actors bg.pdf
4. Rural Development Program 2014-2020. // http://www.dfz.bg/bg/prsr-2014-2020/prsr--2014-2020/
