GAL del Ducato

Local Action Groups (LAGs) are made up of public and private partners from the rural territory and include representatives from different socio-economic sectors. They are provided by the European Union Regulation for the local management of rural development programmes. Each LAG elaborates both the Local Development Strategy (LDS) and the Local Action Plan (LAP) for the areas in which it operates and it receives financial assistance to implement LDS by awarding grants to local projects. They are selected by the Managing Authority responsible for the management of the programme at local level. The Local Action Group del Ducato is a not for profit organization (not performing economic activities on the market) established in May 2015 with the aim to promote the economic development of Parma and Piacenza territories (Emilia-Romagna Region, North of Italy), acting both as Local Development Agency and Local Action Group according to the LEADER and Community-led local development approaches. The LAG gathers together 31 local partner organizations both public and private in the area (http://www.galdelducato.it/gal_del_ducato.html), including 59 Municipalities in the two Provinces (http://www.galdelducato.it/territorio.html), for a total of over 138.000 inhabitants and a surface of 3.904,91 square kilometers. The LDS del Ducato has been approved by the Managing Authority (Emilia-Romagna Regional Government) with the Resolution no. 926 26/01/2016 according to the arts. 34 and 35 of Reg. (EU) No . 1303/2013. The first months of operation in 2015 of LAG del Ducato (GdD) were almost totally devoted to the preparation of the LDS first and the LAP at a later time, according to the EU Reg. 1303/2013 and the consistent MA rules (Emilia-Romagna Rural Development Programme 2014-2020). For more information on our Strategy please visit the following link (http://www.galdelducato.it/strategia.html). In order to fulfill an efficient action as Local Development Agency the GdD has appointed 5 staff members following to a public selection procedure. Three of them have more than 20 years of experience on the Leader Programme (since the first programming period) implementation in the territory, several EU programmes and co-financed projects, gained in other organizations, notably in the field of coordination, management and participation to a number of EU projects and more in general in the field of territorial development and cooperation, and also as consultants, advisors and lecturers in EU policies and programmes. The staff members can count on a broad experience in networking, international relations and EU cooperation, also directly with EU main Institutions and Agencies; all of them may easily communicate and work in English and other EU official languages; they are capable to work in a multicultural environment, and pursue a bottom-up approach with a strong involvement of local communities including a permanent activities of listening the needs of the territories they serve. The GdD adopts a strict managerial system compliant with the EU Reg. 966/2012 and the ESI Funds, including public procurement procedures having to deal on a daily base with EU funds for rural development. Considering a wide area joining Parma and Piacenza Provinces, GAL del Ducato territory of competence is characterized by a polycentric approach and work methodology, and consequently by a “diffused” cultural heritage. The rural areas of the Apennines of Parma and Piacenza are characterized by a natural environment of great quality, a presence of mainly craft activities and agri-food products with a strong typicality, and environmental (parks and reserves), historical, artistic, gastronomic, cultural and religious characteristics of great value. The territory also counts on the presence of a relevant agri-food production (including worldwide known food products), food and other kind of Museums, important cultural itineraries (i.e. Abbots, Francigena, Longobards, San Colombano ways, etc.), that are a GdD strategic topic, parks (i.e. Western Emilia Park institution), numerous Castles, the presence of two Universities, and a considerable amount of underestimated (and often abandoned) important architectural heritage, of church, public and private property (i.e. public/private/artisan/industrial buildings, parishes, etc.). Nevertheless, all these important assets are disconnected in their management and relation, this causing fragmentation, difficulties for an efficient and coordinated promotion and valorization of the territory and its natural and cultural heritage and landscape, and costs. Through the project, the GdD would be interested in investigating and learning new governance and methodologies and strategies for a better and coordinated management of the cultural heritage (also including public-private-community partnerships), increasing its potential of resilience and to act as a driving force for the rural regeneration, development and sustainable growth of their rural areas and local communities (also in economical terms), also improving of the link between cities and their provincial territories.

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