• most of problems are rather shared between West Balkan countries, then specific

• differences expressed seems to be more result of the moment, just someone remembered to mention this or that,

• the situation differs more between some local communities and individual stakeholders within one country

• most of countries have problems in designing adequate RD policy adapted to their specific needs, due to absence of participation, bad organization and lots of political influences

• she knowledge which is missing is starting with skills needed to organize and use participation, then to do situation analysis and planning using that approach, than organizing adequate system for rural development support with clear responsibilities…

• Generally systems in all countries grow faster or slower, and learn how to grow through own experience more then following lessons learned from countries which have already passed the process.

• More then expected Western Balkan countries are repeating mistakes made before, which means that RD lacks knowledge.

• What seems to be obvious from discussion is that all these problems more or less derive from financial problems, but lack of knowledge seems to be even more important.

• Even those problems which seem to be unbearable on the first sight since look they are consequence of political influences, actually derive from lack of knowledge, just in political structures.

• Most of participants think in sector way, reflecting the situation in their own countries. They themselves admit that they still have no clear idea what is rural development and how to start action.

• Those who are coming from countries which have completed RD policy are sure that these policies are not adequate to real needs, being designed in offices, without participation.

• In addition they are still not sure how to start implementing it, neither have people and system for doing this.

• Few countries in the region have selected different structures for implementing rural policies. Their support systems are agriculture advisory services (Albania and Montenegro), or branch offices of the ministry (Macedonia) or NGO networks like in Serbia, however they are mostly not ready to overtake the responsibility.

• NGOs and some projects with their experts have idea and want network to do systematic information campaigns and extension to rural population and start the process of participative local strategic and action planning, for being able to use IPARD funds and RD funds from the national level.

• So far they have regular, but still project based financial support just in Serbia.

• Candidates such as Macedonia need urgent local strategic and action planning, so they have no time to build the structure and then start working.

• For this reason stakeholders involved in discussion require assistance for establishing task force – a team of RRD workers to act in one of 8 regions as a team and include representatives from rural development sector, MAFWE implementation body – branch offices and few public-private-civil society representatives - partners down from the regional level.

• In other countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, the lack of experience with rural development support is preventing participants to even answer completely all questions. However even them, have a clear picture of having need for establishing rural development network of NGOs and vertical team for managing establishment of the support structures and changes in it including capacity building.

• They see their first task in rising public awareness about rural development including the government as a target group.

• For this purpose most of countries involved asked for complex training with “serious” certificates (Ministries to be involved and offer certificates together with InWEnt and SWG to make new created professional profile officially recognized) and even transfer of curricula to formal education.

• That is the only way, they think to have permanent capacity building of professionals; no matter do they derive from public or from the civil sector. What is, however clear is that those professionals countries will be able to train in next two years will actually be the core group for completing first round of RD policies building, running first measures and support, meaning they should start working immediately and learn along with actions they conduct.

• Participants are mainly very careful about who should be trained for rural development

• Enormous fluctuation of skillful people due to financial and political reasons is so much influencing the RD process, that participants of discussion with full confident require special contracts between future trainees and their organizations and their organizations

• They also require complex selection procedure, which will include certain set of criteria to help identify the most active and most interested people.

Formulation of needs concerning the topics and format

• In most of countries lack of human resources or their constant change due to political changes, insufficient knowledge and competences in regional rural development are creating general lagging behind of rural development support system establishment and work on designing of the political framework for it.

• No specific problem could be emphasized. • The development processes are ongoing,

however they are slow.

• Stakeholder representatives participating in discussion, foresee that future young professional should increase knowledge about RD – rural, economy, rural sociology, etc. (including achieving better understanding of CAP, national strategic documents and legislation).

• …should pass practical trainings and start learning by doing, since there is no time for sequencing theoretical and practical trainings and then to start working.

• …also has to learn better English and improve his computer literacy and increase own capacities to communicate, use participatory approach, plan and implement RD policy.

• In a mean time it is necessary local stakeholders networked to cooperate as much as NGOs to be networked on the national level.

• Their YP should be trained to participate or even manage these processes, to gain managerial skills and diverse social skills.

• Competences should be developed for assistance to PPP establishment, organization and management of the RD system. Improving skills seems to be as much important as increasing motivation, even human qualities of people which are or will be involved in RD support.

• YP have to learn how to be self motivated, and launch actions by himself, to develop skill for noticing things and responds with the right action. He should also be authoritative, loyal and really interested in to the RD problems and oriented towards development changes.

• It is also important for YP to be able to work under pressure and dedicated.

• Motivation expected to help will be: advanced development in the country, reduced poverty, more opportunities for all, Integration, improving knowledge, contribution to country development, migration stopping from rural areas, employment increasing in rural areas, improving rural life, improved knowledge, good knowledge of legislation and documents, data collecting, dedication to work of rural development issues, to be aware about the contribution he can make in economy, communication and social issues with rural population

• It is of utmost importance is that professional in rural development should possess excellent knowledge of rural areas in their own countries, yet to be able to keep necessary professional distance from rural population. He should have sensitivity for both rural and urban areas, to understand rural mentality as much as mentality of administration.

• For that purpose he needs at least basic competences in pedagogy and psychology, to be a good listener, politically independent, with adequate education – preferably specialized and formally trained for rural development.

• YP to be familiar with diverse sources of funding for RD, to be able to provide adequate information to rural population and help with fund rising for his community. He should also possess negotiation skills, presentation and PR skills and learn motivation techniques. He or she should be capable to do M&E, identify good practices, provide lessons learned exercises and manage conflicts, to lead and to create visions out of information he collects. All this require much, much better payments for RD professionals and their mobility to be able to constantly learn in its own environment, countrywide and abroad.

• YP should be capable for multi-tasking thinking and team work and learn change management.

• RD work should be properly documented, so YP need to learn reporting and also to be equipped with literature to be provided with general knowledge about existing resources and development opportunities, knowledge on new rural development approaches in the region and out of it, to have general knowledge about existing legislation around the Europe and worldwide as much as, existing strategies at central and local level etc. to be able to compare and find solutions for his own environment.

• The professional in RD should be up-to dated regularly about all things interesting for RD sector. This is the additional reason for being networked with other stakeholders, especially NGOs, but also for having well equipped training centers and centers of excellence.

The following program is suggested, following shared interests of all 7

countries/territories:

Basic RD training for YP in RRD and media, aiming preparation of their work with rising public awareness and awareness of governments*

– Rural development as a term; objectives and priorities– Rural space of EU and specific country– RD legal and strategic framework

• Policy, institutions and organizations of importance for socio-economic development

• Sectorial and umbrella strategies important for RD in concrete country;

• National strategic documents and legislation for RD, CAP and rural development, national RD measures and history of RD support (1, 2, 5, 7, 10)

• EU RD legislation and institutions; • EU and WTO Integration Policies, IPA/IPARD EU funds (2, 9, 4)

– Institutional and development of RD support Development of national support structures

• Community development: Local PPP partnerships (LAGs, LEADER), forms of organizing rural population, organizing of farmers, NGO organization

• Development of decentralized system of support

– RD activities in present and future• Development projects in concrete countries and

the region• Regional RD initiatives (SWG and its activities)

Rural sociology – Demography, population structure, ethnic groups, social groups, habits, norms,

regions, traditions – Social inclusion and gender issues in rural areas– Poverty and battle for eradication of poverty, MDG goals, national policies for rural

areas– Administration and social services - health, education and social policies and

services in rural areas– Strengthening of cooperative structures and PPP partnerships– Rural labor market– Rural psychology and ethno-psychology for rural development workers; Psychology

of masses, – Rural cultural heritage and its role in rural development (including multi-cultural

issues, rural architecture, music, customs, literature, religions, languages etc.)– Specifics of knowledge transfer in rural areas (formal, non-formal and informal

education, methods for transferring knowledge, diverse types of assistance and tools, consultancy, agriculture advisory services, extension etc.)

Skills– Socio-economic research including participatory methodologies – Communication; Modern information technologies and media in service of rural

development, promotion of rural areas and products, public appearance and presentation (PR etc.)

– Facilitation and moderation, negotiation, leadership, lobbing, motivation techniques and negotiation

– ToT

Rural ecology

– Rural natural heritage and its role in rural development

– Sustainable management of natural resources

– Nature and environmental protection and its role in rural development; EIA, HNVNF,

– LFA, Nature 2000 areas etc.

Rural economy

– Principles of rural and regional development,– Value of natural capital – Agriculture, forestry, collecting practices and para-agriculture their

importance in rural economy (including conversion from subsidence traditional farms to modern farms - farm based development planning, marketing of products, introduction of new technologies, farm business management, FADN

– Multi-functionality of agriculture and environmentally friendly agriculture productions and their role in rural areas

– Food processing and other industries and their importance for rural development (with emphasize on SMEs and traditional handcrafts, standards and branding of products and regions, adding value)

– Tourism and services in rural development – Sustainable diversification of rural economy– Social employment and entrepreneurship, – Good practices in rural development– Banking and insurance, taxation, laws

Rural development management

– Strategic and action planning on the national and local levels - Data collection and analytics, mapping of resources and needs/situation analysis of rural areas, participative work (SEAGA, PLA/PRA), GIS and data management, documenting, reporting Territorially specific programming; Strategic and action planning; Change management; Financial managements, Environment impact assessments,

– RD support and organizations: Models of making local public-private partnerships (LAGs. And LEADER approach), civil society development, NGOs (nonpartisan, non-profit organizations), cooperatives (profit organization) and their role in RD; Networking for rural development support, good practices

– Institutional building: Local governance and role of local self-governments in rural development, National level structures for rural development support

– RD organizations management: Organizational skills, team work, team building, staff, conflicts,), managerial skills, leadership, human resource management, multitasking thinking

– PCM (with examples of the logic needed to be followed for writing projects for IPARDP and other calls; use of for instance PRINCE methods, M&E, Pilot projecting and implementation; Operating of strategic plan/implementation of strategies

– Fund rising in RD, IPA/IPARD EU funds, national funds