Resilience and Resilience and adaptation adaptation

in the project statein the project state

Gusztáv Nemes, Chris HighGusztáv Nemes, Chris Highnemes@econ.core.huc.high@open.ac.uk

RE-INVENTING THE RURAL BETWEEN THE SOCIAL AND THE RE-INVENTING THE RURAL BETWEEN THE SOCIAL AND THE NATURALNATURAL

XXIII European Society for Rural Sociology XXIII European Society for Rural Sociology CCongress Vaasa, Finland ongress Vaasa, Finland 17-21 August 200917-21 August 2009

OutlineOutline

• The The New RNew Rural ural PParadigmaradigm and the and the Project State Project State

• Why it is not working?Why it is not working?

• Hungarian Leader – the veterinary Hungarian Leader – the veterinary

horsehorse

• Resilience and adaptation through Resilience and adaptation through

reflexive agencyreflexive agency

The ‘new rural paradigm’ The ‘new rural paradigm’ (OECD 2006)(OECD 2006)

• A shift from subsidising declining sectorsA shift from subsidising declining sectors, , areas, social groups,areas, social groups, towards investment to towards investment to develop an area’s most productive activitydevelop an area’s most productive activity

• Valorisation of local specificitiesValorisation of local specificities

resourcesresources

• Decentralised administration and Decentralised administration and managementmanagement

• Embrace Embrace multi-level governancemulti-level governance

Bryden Bryden

20072007

Paradox – why does not work?Paradox – why does not work?

The era of the ‘The era of the ‘Project Project State’State’

• Counter-narrative Counter-narrative to Welfare to Welfare StateState

• Project state – an institutional Project state – an institutional system that has arisen to deliver system that has arisen to deliver the ‘New Rural Paradigm’the ‘New Rural Paradigm’

• Project state – reasons for Project state – reasons for failure:failure:

The nature The nature of of projectprojectssand project and project managemenmanagemen

tt

Failure of Failure of multi-level multi-level governancgovernancee

Tyranny of projectsTyranny of projects- projects ruling actors- projects ruling actors

• management tools management tools from businessfrom business (logframe, (logframe,SWOT, etc.)SWOT, etc.)

• competition competition • match funding match funding

• Fixed support Fixed support

•Creating exclusion

•Impeding co-operation,

Difficult to sustain results and dev. capacity

MMulti-level governance ulti-level governance tend to fail for lack of:tend to fail for lack of:

• genuine decentralisation genuine decentralisation (power, responsibility, capacity missing on lower (power, responsibility, capacity missing on lower levels)levels)

• Partnership and real participation on every levelPartnership and real participation on every level(interest-harmonisation, animation, beliefe in the (interest-harmonisation, animation, beliefe in the system)system)

• appropriate institutions, and communicationappropriate institutions, and communication(interest representation, development capacity, (interest representation, development capacity, continuity)continuity)

• effective social learning and evaluationeffective social learning and evaluation(no improvement of development policies and (no improvement of development policies and institutions)institutions)

What is behind What is behind failure/success multi-level failure/success multi-level

governance?governance?• Political culture, participative democracy;Political culture, participative democracy;

• Strength of civil society, social networks;Strength of civil society, social networks;

• Existing development capacity Existing development capacity

• Approach of the centre to decentralisation;Approach of the centre to decentralisation;

These vary greatly, BUT backward areas These vary greatly, BUT backward areas

are likely to be weak in these too…are likely to be weak in these too…

2007-13 LEADER 2007-13 LEADER HUNGARYHUNGARY

• Action research, supported by Norwegian Action research, supported by Norwegian Financial Mechanism: Financial Mechanism: Local Local dedevelopment policies in a velopment policies in a EEuropeanuropean project stateproject state -- a systemic a systemic analysis of institutional bricolageanalysis of institutional bricolage 2009- 2009-20112011

• Ex-ante evaluator of RDPEx-ante evaluator of RDP• LAG memberLAG member• Planning group + mentoring (various LAGs)Planning group + mentoring (various LAGs)• NAURAMA AllianceNAURAMA Alliance

The veterinary horseThe veterinary horse

The Hungarian LEADER The Hungarian LEADER ProgrammeProgramme

Problems during Problems during planningplanning

• Little time to set up LAGs;Little time to set up LAGs;• Strong incentives to make them large Strong incentives to make them large

(Ours (Ours - - 60 villages, 184 LAG members);60 villages, 184 LAG members);• Rural Development Training and Consultation Rural Development Training and Consultation

Institute – 400 employee, BUT controlInstitute – 400 employee, BUT control NOT help NOT help• No training or professional support, no financial No training or professional support, no financial

resources for local planning (5000 working hours)resources for local planning (5000 working hours)• Planning to strictPlanning to strict,, standard standard, badly designed –, badly designed –

onlineonline!!• 4 month, with ever changing guidance4 month, with ever changing guidance• StrongStrong artificial artificial competition competition betweenbetween LAGs LAGs

Problems during Problems during implementationimplementation

• Political aims dominatePolitical aims dominate• Administrative Procedure ActAdministrative Procedure Act• Lack of trust, human decisions, Lack of trust, human decisions, • Insufficient central administrationInsufficient central administration• Divide and conquer, etc…Divide and conquer, etc…

System should collaps but System should collaps but doesn’tdoesn’t

WHY?WHY?

Resilience and Resilience and adaptationadaptation

• Enthusiasm, energyEnthusiasm, energy• CapacitiesCapacities• Creative bricolageCreative bricolage• Mediation, translationMediation, translation• Networking Networking • Social learningSocial learning

Reflexive agencyReflexive agency

Reflexive agency – the rural Reflexive agency – the rural bites back I.bites back I.

From rabish From rabish picking picking to hightechto hightech

• Capacities andCapacities andcreative creative bricolagebricolage

Reflexive agency – the rural Reflexive agency – the rural bites back bites back II.II.

• Spontaneous Spontaneous co-operation co-operation

• Lobbying on Lobbying on regional levelregional level

• Social learningSocial learning

Reflexive agency – the rural Reflexive agency – the rural bites back bites back III.III.

• Co-Co-operation operation ‘for the ‘for the fun of it’fun of it’

• EnthusiasEnthusiasm and m and networkinnetworkingg

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

Gusztáv Nemes, Chris HighGusztáv Nemes, Chris Highnemes@econ.core.huc.high@open.ac.uk