The LEADER Model of Rural Development - the Irish Experience.

The Irish experience of LEADER since the early 1990s provokes considerable interest in rural development circles throughout Europe and beyond. This paper charts the emergence and evolution of LEADER in Ireland. It begins by looking at the rural development policy context. It then focuses on the dynamics and practices at the local level, and it questions the extent to which specific features of LEDAER, namely place-based development and multi-level governance pertain in practice. The paper takes a case study approach, though which a distillation of processes and outputs at the local level is presented. The research involved longitudinal reviews (1991–2013) of the performance of two LEADER organisations, based on a trawl of their strategic plans and output reports. Data were also collected through a survey of project promoters (entrepreneurs and civil society bodies), which asked them to evaluate their interfaces with LEADER. The paper notes how LEADER in Ireland has been driven by civil society and is strongly endogenous in its orientation. Moreover, its contributions to rural economic diversification and the strengthening of social capital are significant. The paper concludes by pointing-up the elements of LEADER that need to be retained and strengthened in promoting territorial competitiveness. These include the need to place greater emphasis on on-going animation and capacity-building of rural actors, reducing bureaucratic burdens, and enabling bodies to be more innovative in responding to local needs and development potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]