Leader-like Methods World Wide

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Leader-like Methods World Wide

• in 15 minutes
• George McDowell, USA
• Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics,
  Virginia Tech

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Starting Principles

• 1. Development in stagnant places requires
  investment in, or new knowledge of, community
  assets that can be privately exploited for
  economic gain territorial competitiveness.
• 2. Assets of places HCSCNCHCC
• Places are unique If you have seen one rural
  community, you have seen one rural community.
• 3. Much knowledge of local assets is local some
  is external but must be combined with local.

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Starting principles cont

• 4. Attributes of things matter in relationships.
  Person(s) - Thing - Person(s)
• Consider the relationship between Canadian
  Maritime Authorities and US Navy in the North
  Atlantic via radio in 1995
• US Fleet Collision imminent please alter
  your course!
• Canadians You change your course!
• US We insist you change course or
  suffer the consequences.
• Canadians We say again you change your
  course!
• US We are largest fleet in US Navy! We
  demand you change course!
• Canadians We are a lighthouse. Your call!
• Attributes of many community assets require
  collective decisions.

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Starting Principles Imply

• bottom up
• networking
• collective decision-making
• partnerships all kinds
• capacity building
• area based
• integrated multi-sector actions
• Upper-level governance that can empower unknown
  actions by unknown agents in non-specified
  places.
• These are specific to place-based development
  programs not to LEADER!
• That they are watchwords of LEADERs method is
  evidence that LEADER leadership, and
  followership, understand the world they work in.

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One other RD consideration
Efficiency Vs. Equity (Fabrizio Barca)

• Efficiency opportunity to increase well-being
  development territorial competitiveness
  investments saying no to some proposals.
• Equity socially defined rights minimum
  standards not saying no below minimums.
• Debates at the margin Is IT connectivity
  equity or efficiency?

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Efficiency vs Equity

• the policy domain the grand plan
• unachievable

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Efficiency vs Equity cont.

• Niche Approach Coordinate/funded
  (LEADER) Regional Policies
• Will mainstream LEADER only be more niche policy
  or coordinated/ funded regional policy?

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RD Experiences Outside EU/LEADER

• 1.Bor Sang, Thailand The Umbrella Village
• Territorial development/agglomeration economies
  at work for over 200 years.
• Lessons learned need not be lost.

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1. Bor Sang, Thailand
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Thai OTOPOne Tambon(Village), One Product

• Combines bottom-up development and knowledge
  sharing (agglomeration economies) with national
  and international marketing.
• Territorial development based on handicrafts and
  tourism started in Japan in 1997. In Thailand
  since 1999.
• Now collaborating in marketing with Japan
  External Trade Organization (JETRO)
• Being adopted as one RD strategy in Malaysia, Sri
  Lanka, India, and Philippines.
• http//www.thaitambon.com/English/index.htm

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3. Grameen Bank, Bangladesh

• economic social development from below
  knowledge and risk sharing
• - 7.27 million borrowers
• - 97 women
• - 2459 branch banks in Bangladesh
• - serving 79,539 villages
• Adopted/adapted in over 100 countries since 1976
• 2006 Nobel Peace Prize

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4. Canada was real rural policy not grand,
but good!

• Governance at National level plus institutions to
  facilitate local regional development
• Canada Rural Lens applied rural priorities and
  considerations to all policies was supported
  by a cabinet minister for rural issues. (policy
  proofing)
• Community Futures Development Corporations 268
  CFDC, some strictly economic, some broader.
• Quebec Strong regionally based RD the major
  debates about issues/resources across programs
  takes place at the bottom. It includes 135 RD
  officers to assist rural municipalities.

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5. Mexico Micro-regions and national
governance support.

• Principles for Inter-ministerial Cooperation and
  Coordination (signed by 12 ministries, 2001).
  Inter-Secretariat Commission for Sustainable
  Rural Development.
• Micro-regions integral and sustainable
  development of most marginal regions. Establish
  Strategic Community Centers (CEC) as focus in the
  region for education, communication, and centers
  from which to deliver programs that are
  region-wide. Goals are substantially equity as
  well as development.

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6. Costa Rica Agencia para el Desarrollo del la
Peninsula de Nicoya, ADP(Nicoya Peninsula
Development Agency)

• Over 60 ag producer organizations, officials from
  5 cantons, committee of ag development project
  for the peninsula, with support from National RD
  programme in 2003.
• Goals - shared vision with all involved
  - new governance responsive to all actors
  - process to evaluate initiatives,
  projects, and programs - manage
  financial resources - establish a
  sustaining RD institution governed by
  principles of participation, transparency, and
  legality.

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7. USA No coherent rural policy. . .

• 180 separate programs scattered across nine
  federal departments and 5 independent agencies.
• Virtually all programs are traditional, top-down
  and very few are regionally (territorial
  development) focused.
• Most rural development in the US is still
  dominated by smoke stack chasing at state and
  local levels.

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. . . but some valiant efforts.

• Strengthening Americas Communities Initiative,
  Economic Development Admin. builds on local
  knowledge
• Workforce Innovation in Reg. Econ. Dev., Dept of
  Labor also builds on local knowledge
• University of Wisconsin Extension Program.
  Employs community development professionals
  most with MA/MSc degrees to initiate local action
  programs.

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CNRED in Wisconsin

• 69 CD professionals resident in 54 rural counties
  and groups of counties. Work as educators,
  brokers, facilitators, grant writers,
  Rainmakers, but not money conduits.
• 85 university faculty in economics, sociology,
  planning, natural resources, tourism, leadership,
  political science, local government,
  organizational development, etc, etc. with formal
  responsibility to support above field staff.
• field staff have formal university appointments
  so have direct claim on university staff.
• No other states Extension Service has
  comparable program

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15 minutes are up!

• Thank you very much!!