Guidance on CLLD for local actors Key messages Paul Soto.

Guidance on CLLD for local actors

Key messages

Paul Soto

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Target:- potential new and old partnerships (builds on 1st guidance for MAs)

Aims• To encourage demand by ESF and ERDF• To help 2600 existings partnerships adapt to a) a very different

external environment and b) the opportunities in the new Regulation• To provide examples of how to make things simpler, faster and

safer and how to coordinate between funds.

Not legally binding but has the weight of 4 DGs. A practical manual.

Aims of the guidance

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1. Why CLLD?

2. How to launch CLLD in 8 basic steps?

3. How to support CLLD partnerships respond to the new challenges

4. Why and how to carry out CLLD in cities?

5. Why and how to carry out CLLD for social inclusion?

6. How to coordinate with other funds?

7. How to make CLLD safer, faster and easier for LAGs?

Content of the guidance

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Why CLLD

ADDED VALUE

OF CLLD

COST AND RISK OF

DELEGATION

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Seven reasons (derived mainly from A32)

1. CLLD puts people facing a challenge in the driving seat It is the only EU wide programme where strategies

designed and projects selected by local people

No one partner controls (49% rule). Strengthened role for private and civil society (at least 50% votes)

2-7.But this has to lead to clear results at local level.• Responding to diversity• More flexibility• Builds linkages and levers• Results in change and innovation• Networking and coordination (support but no straight-jackets)• Financially attrractive (long term + 25% animation +10%

confinance

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How to launch CLLD in 8 basic steps

1. Decide what you want to change (S)

2. Build alliances to help that change (P)

3. Define appropriate boundaries (A)

4. Prepare a strategy based on local needs (S)

5. Agree on partnership structure and roles (P)

6. Adjust boundaries (A)

7. Prepare an action plan and funding application (S)

8. Create a system for periodic review, evaluation and refreshing (S)

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Key challenge – finding right the balance

CentralisationMore focus

Concentration

Delegation

Responding to local needs

Narrow scope and eligibilityDemarcation

Broad scope and eligibility

Speed/flexibility/results

V

Accountability/responsibility

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Balancing top down and bottom up

What is the role of CLLD in achieving

strategic objectives?

What types of strategies,

partnerships and áreas (criteria)

What do you want to achieve/change at

local level?

Who are the best allies?

Over which area? (boundaries)

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New challenges since 2007.

Continuing challenges of globalisation, aging, migration, environmental sustainability, growing inequality…

Crisis means some EU 2020 targets are further away (jobs -need 16m increase in employment + 30m reduction in poverty, one third increase in R+D.....)

Europe has started to diverge. Greater need for tailor made responses.

Citizens are responding in different ways and CLLD needs to adapt with speed and flexibility to local needs.

Commission is trying to strengthen certain elements of CLLD which can help it do this.

By strengthening a) the strategies (A33) and b) the partnerships (A34)

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Focus on what you want to change or achieve.

Court of Auditors: “Local strategies should be at the heart of the LEADER aproach”….but many stategies “serve as little more than an application to the MA for funding”… “objectives are not specific, measurable or achievable within a set time frame”.

Common Provisions Regulation (A33.1): “A CLLD strategy shall contain at least the following elements…c)a hierarchy of objectives, including measurable targets for outputs or results”

A hierarchy of objectives. Not a wish list. Priorities + targets agreed with the community onwhere CLLD can have máximum impact

SMART objectives. Not general principles: fishermen trained, quality schemes established, jobs created for fishing famililies, pescatourism visitors

Action plan + financial plan

But how to be focussed and flexible? How to respond to risk and change?

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Building learning into implementation

Common Provisions Regulation (A33.1): “A CLLD strategy shall contain at least the following elements…d) a description of the management and monitoring arrangements of the strategy….and a description of the specific arrangements for evaluation.”

Include a plan for monitoring and evaluation in the strategy

Not as an extra administrative burden

But as a procedure for the FLAG to learn from what is working and not working and responding to changing circumstances. Incorporate this flexibility.

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Other measures to improve strategies.

Coherence with programmes – but flexibility + broad scope within monofund programmes

Strengthen community involvement (evidence at all stages)

Definition of areas – top down frameworks – bottom up boundaries. 10-150,000

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The Commission aims to strengthen local partnerships

Minimum tasks of FLAG – clarify level of delegation• Preparing and publishing calls for proposals• Selecting operations and fixing the amount of support

Reinforce role of private sector and civil society (49% and 50% rules)

Streamlined cooperation procedures (preferrably local if not continous or very regular)

Strengthen capacity building and project development

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Stronger animation and capacity building.

The EC: FLAGs are not just decentralised offices for delivering funds decided elsewhere. The added value comes from animating and developing better quality local projects.

CPR A34.3: “The tasks of the local action groups shall include: a) building the capacity of local actors to develop and implement operations including their project management capabilities”

CPR A35.1.“Support from the ESI funds concerned for CLLD shall cover: a) the costs of preparatory support consisting of capacity building, training, and networking…

CPR A.35.2 . 25% for running costs and animation. Ensure total budget is sufficient. If not piggy back.

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Developing higher quality projects

Support at different stages of the project cycle eg:

Ideas identification and animation

Assembling or bringing together stakeholders with different interests

Project engineering – markets, economic and financial viability technology, human resources…

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Why and how to carry out CLLD in cities and for social inclusion

Inspirational examples with some elements of CLLD but not necessarily all

To extend to cities and social inclusion – need to adapt:

• Strategies – build integration from a specific entry point

• Areas – to the distribution of the problema you are trying solve

• Partnerships – to ensure have relevant allies.

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Cooperation between funds

It is a means to achieve results not an end in itself

It is obligatory with or without multifunding

Needs to take place at all levels EU, national, regional, local

Less coordination at one level means more at another

Commission has set the framework but the mechanics are are left for national/regional levels

If this is not done well – complexity can drown local groups

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Conditions for multifunding

Agreement between funds over the types of areas and projects

Common criteria for the lead fund Common calls for preparatory support and the final

selection of areas and strategies Common criteria and procedures for the selection of areas,

strategies and partnerships Agreed criteria for the selection of projects Agreement over the role and function of the groups and

Mas Separate but coordinated plans for monitoring and

evaluationDifficult without a common intermediate body

A bad solution for a reduction in funding.Beware of demarcation.

Partnership Contract

Programming and implementing multi-funded LDS

ESF national/regional

programme(s)

ERDF national/regional

programme(s)

EAFRD national/regional

programme(s)EMFF nationalprogramme(s)

Joint Selection committee

Multi-funded LDS

Indicative allocation for CLLD

Partnership Contract

Programming and implementing mono-funded LDS

ESF national/regional

programme(s)

ERDF national/regional

programme(s)

EAFRD national/regional

programme(s)EMFF nationalprogramme(s)

Selection committee

LDS

Indicative allocation for CLLD

Selection committee

Selection committee

Selection committee

LDS LEADER FLAGs

CONSISTENCY AND COORDINATION

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Making CLLD safer, faster and easier for local action groups

Improving access to finance at local level • up front cofinancing, • interim and staged payments, • Prefinancing using advance payment• Speedy decision making – avoiding duplication

Reducing administrative burden through small project and umbrella schemes

Clarifying issues around eligibility • Transparency • Common understanding – what is not eligible. • Specific issues (VAT, bank guarantees, in-kind contributions)

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Making CLLD safer, faster and easier for LAGs

Using simplified costs • standard scales of unit costs• Lump sums• Flat rate financing

Audit and control

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Thank you for your attention!

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CLLD Guidance on CLLD for Local Actors http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information/guidelines/index_en.cfm#4