WSP has evaluated seven leader areas in southern Sweden regarding the Leader period 2014–2022.
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The purpose was to assess the method's contribution to improved social capital, improved multi-level governance, and improved outcomes, including sustainability dimensions. The evaluation was conducted in 2024-2025 and completed in February 2025.
Summary conclusions, social capital
- Leader has reached out to and anchored itself in many different local community groups
- Leader has stimulated participation in the local community and engagement in local rural development
- Leader has increased project owners' trust, primarily in local actors
- Leader promotes local social capital even in the long term, largely thanks to project results that require ongoing maintenance
”We see that projects funded through Leader often have a higher degree of local acceptance and participation, which makes the results more sought after and relevant.”
Summary conclusions, multi-level governance
- Leader has engaged and brought together actors from different sectors, both public and non-public.
- Through Leader, new networks have been formed and collaboration has been strengthened, and actors have gained increased knowledge and understanding of each other
- The bottom-up perspective has worked well and generated local initiatives
”Trust is built up between the different actors through collaboration in the project – and that is then crucial for implementing our initiatives and making them successful.”
Summary conclusions, improved outcomes
- Leader has given small actors the opportunity to contribute to rural development through projects that otherwise might never have happened
- Through the strong local anchoring, Leader promotes sought-after and long-term results
- The sustainability dimensions are an important part of Leader and within social sustainability, the projects have contributed significantly
”But the most important thing is probably the feeling of one's own ability and power to make changes – it is very much that, that those who own the projects gain strengthened self-esteem. That is among the most important, as it can then lead to more changes being created.”
Julia Karlberg, Karolina Henningsson, Pär Lindquist & Nora Åsling, WSP (2025). The added values of Leader. Evaluation for Leader Region South.