Innovative Elements of the Proposed Evaluation Method and Indications for Improving Monitoring and Evaluation Activities in Rural Development Policy

This chapter presents the innovative elements proposed in the method for quantifying and qualifying the endowment of social capital in Local Action Groups of the EU LEADER initiative. In sum, the innovative elements of the evaluation correspond to a deep scrutiny of the economic implications of social capital in rural areas; the identification of different dimensions and sub-dimensions of social capital and rural governance; the use of Social Network Analysis for the elaboration of data regarding information sharing, reputational power, and trust among actors; the proposal of a large set of indicators selected after a careful phase of testing in the field; the validation of a methodology in the field; and a first attempt at measuring governance in relation to social capital. The chapter concludes with recommendations on the implementation of the method for improving monitoring and evaluation activities in rural development policy