Evaluating the social added value of LEADER: Evidence from a marginalised rural region

ABSTRACT

One of the most significant challenges in rebuilding Europe after COVID-19 is stimulating the marginalised, rural areas of the European Union (EU). Amid a social distancing environment, it is quite important to re-evaluate policy instruments that have recorded successes in rural development with an emphasis on the infrastructure of local dialogue;the Liaisons Entre Actions de Developpement de l'Economie Rurale (LEADER) has been such a programme. The current article introduces a qualitatively-integrated Social Return on Investment tool to evaluate the social added value of LEADER. The evaluation method was applied on the rural island of Lesvos in Greece. The evaluation results indicated that LEADER becomes a worthwhile investment when a wide range of its social outflows are taken into account. Additionally, in order to enhance its social value, a level of maturity and a solid economic basis must be first achieved. In this context, continuous monitoring and evaluation become crucial. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd