To answer this question, the IfLS evaluation team is currently visiting four federal states, as was the case last week in the Odenwald district of Hesse. There, we asked various stakeholders in rural development about the effects of the funding programs and were particularly interested in hearing from grant recipients about where they’ve had positive experiences and where they see potential for improvement and simplification.
The findings from the regions provide important insights into the implementation and impact of funding at the local level. They are being incorporated into the nationwide evaluation of the CAP Strategic Plan, which the IfLS is conducting in collaboration with other partners. Nationwide, a total of 20 districts across all 13 non-city states are being examined as part of the case study.
The focus is on evaluating the added value of LEADER and Specific Objective (SO) 8 of the CAP Strategic Plan: promoting employment, growth, social inclusion, and local development in rural areas, including the bioeconomy and sustainable forestry (with an emphasis on simplification and gender equality). Project partners include the Thünen Institute of Rural Life, the Triesdorf Research Group for Agricultural and Regional Development (ART), and Gerald Wagner Regional Research & Consulting.
Further information on the evaluation of the CAP Strategic Plan can be found on the BMLEH’s dedicated webpage.
Contact persons at IfLS: Jörg Schramek (schramek[at]ifls.de), Dr. Ulrich Gehrlein (gehrlein[at]ifls.de), Lukas Welk (welk[at]ifls.de), Viola Krieger (krieger[at]ifls.de)
