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Rural Development Manual

Though rural developmenRural Development Manual - covert as a term is easy to understand, it is rather difficult to get an insight in qualitative and quantitative instruments available and used to identify rural areas and to assess rural development. Rural development touches all aspects of human economic, social and cultural activities. Different ministries, institutions and associations are involved in the policy building and implementation on national, regional and local level.

The Phare project “Support for diversification of rural economy" (SDRE) was set up to assist Latvian Ministry of Agriculture in formulation and implementation of an agricultural development strategy. The SDRE project proposed and tested methods for elaboration and implementation of rural development plans. An important accent was laid on implementation of these plans on the lowest administrative level (pagast) with active  participation of self-governments, local interest groups and private entrepreneurs.

This Rural Development Manual summarises the strategies elaborated by the project and all the experience related to their various aspects. Chapter one highlights the most important issues and objectives of rural development in general as well as on the EU and national level. Chapter two deals with the roles of relevant European institutions.  Chapter three provides infromation on various structural funds and other resources available for implementation of rural development plans in Latvia. The fourth chapter gives a description of the methodology on national, regional and local level and explains how to involve local communities in preparation and implementation of action plans.