AKIS context

The AKIS in Veneto Region consists of a plurality of actors, many of which are both producers and users of knowledge, although the majority of enterprises appear to be users of the knowledge produced by the research and disseminated by providers of training, information and advisory services.

The regional agricultural, agrifood and forestry sector benefits from the presence of universities, public research centres, technical and professional high schools with agrifood courses, regional agencies, recognised advisory and training organisations, innovative research networks for the smart specialisation strategy and individual and associated producers (Fig. 1). The interventions implemented during the RDP 2014-2022 allowed to start a path of progressive rapprochement and dialogue among all the regional AKIS actors, but the organisational and knowledge exchange flows have not yet reached a systemic arrangement. In this respect, the Regional Government plays an important role as ‘facilitator’.

Figure 1: AKIS actors in the Veneto Region

Source: Agenzia Veneto Agricoltura

Farms are certainly the target of the knowledge sharing flows provided by training organisations and advisory organisations, but they still play a marginal role in the generation and dissemination of knowledge and need to be stimulated to invest time in their own training, to join new projects, and to use new ICT tools.

Rationale

The political relevance given to the AKIS strategies in the context of the CAP Strategic Plans (SP) 2023-2027 has certainly highlighted the opportunity to define governance bodies aimed at coordinating AKIS-related interventions and actors in order to better implement them and contribute to achieving the cross-cutting and specific objectives of the CAP SPs. In particular, the AKIS coordination body is identified by the CAP SP 2023-2027 as the contact point for the European Commission and the European CAP Network.

In Italy, as a result of the new delivery model, and differently from previous programming periods, the CAP SP 2023-2027 is established at the national level only. However, since the Regions/Autonomous Provinces have, by Constitution, the competence in agricultural matters, they have set up Complementary Rural Development Programmes (RDCP), which, within the framework of the CAP SP, have their own governance and implement interventions that are relevant to their specific territories.

This programming scenario implies that in Italy there is one AKIS strategy and one AKIS coordination body at the CAP SP level and AKIS strategies and respective AKIS coordinating bodies at the level of Regions and Autonomous Provinces.

In the Veneto Region, a Regional AKIS Coordination body was set up, which is chaired by the Regional Government and includes the regional representatives of each category of actors. It is responsible for defining the organisational architecture of the Veneto AKIS and the minimum information flows between actors. In addition, the Coordination Body identifies the ‘Knowledge Priorities’ to be proposed for the interventions and takes care of their periodical updating.

In practice

1. Who is the AKIS CB

The AKIS coordination Body of Veneto Region, called Regional AKIS Committee (CAR), is organised on the basis of the following principles:

Pluralism: different AKIS actors from the public and private sector, the organisations and associations of agricultural, forestry and agri-food enterprises.
Relevance: participation of regional structures and institutions, organisations and groups that can influence the implementation of AKIS-related interventions.
Representativeness: each component is representative of a plurality of actors.
Functionality: the number of actors is broad but not wasteful and redundant.
Historicity: recognised on the basis of involvement in partnerships, tables, forums, committees, already established or operating at regional level.

2. Composition of the AKIS CB

The composition of the AKIS Coordination Body of the Veneto Region (Fig. 2) takes into account the AKIS strategy developed at the regional level, and the contribution that all the regional structures and organisations can provide to improve information flows and the dissemination of innovation.

Figure 2: Composition of the AKIS Coordination Body in the Veneto Region

Source: our elaborations on Resolution G.R. no. 946 of 13/08/2024

At the organisational level, the AKIS Coordination Body relies on an AKIS Executive Committee (CEA), which has an operational role, supported by a technical secretariat (CAR Technical Secretariat).

3. Composition of the AKIS CB

The functions of the Veneto Region AKIS Coordination Body are:

To coordinate the definition and implementation of knowledge and innovation policies for the agrifood and forestry sector.
To foster the exchange and connections between the different institutions at territorial level.
To promote the necessary functional relations between the AKIS actors.
Facilitate the flow of information between the different territorial organisational levels (sub-regional and supra- regional).
Discuss proposals coming from the Italian AKIS National Coordination Body (privileged interlocutor) and facilitate their implementation.
Liaise with other possible regional Tables for common and cross-cutting issues.
Identify needs, requirements and problems in the implementation of AKIS interventions and the digitisation strategy to be communicated to the Italian AKIS National Coordination Body.

4. Procedures for interplaying with other AKIS actors and with the MA of the CAP SP

The CAR cooperates and coordinates with the Regional Monitoring Committee of the Veneto Region RDCP 2023-2027, guaranteeing the constant link between the main actors of the AKIS.

It has regular relations and exchanges with the interregional network of agricultural, forestry, aquaculture and fishery research and the Italian CAP network. Moreover, it dialogues with the referents of the programmes financed by the ESF+ and the ERDF.

According to specific needs, additional staff members of the Regional Government, and/or representatives of other regional structures/bodies, as well as experts with specific skills/experiences that can be consistent with and functional to the AKIS areas of activity, can be invited to the meetings of the AKIS CB.

The members of the regional AKIS CB share and assume a participatory role, committing themselves to formally adhere to it, to actively participate in the information and discussion initiatives organised by the Veneto Region, and to contribute to the creation of a stable system of supervision, animation and amplification of information, in particular towards actors directly represented.

Practical implications for replicability

The set-up of an AKIS coordination body like this requires:

A formal act of constitution.
The definition of a general legal framework that is recognised by all members of the AKIS coordination body.
A separation of competences, a clear definition of responsibilities and mutual recognition of respective functions (e.g., provision of technical assistance/advisory services, research, innovation support services, administrative controls, monitoring and evaluation, ...) by the members of the AKIS CB.
The establishment of internal procedures for coordination meetings and co-decision on action plans to implement the AKIS strategy (internal regulations).

Benefits

This configuration of the AKIS CB brings together actors that are already playing some institutional and operational key functions/activities within the regional AKIS.

Wide representation of the regional AKIS actors.
Operation guaranteed by support structures.

Further sources of information

AKIS Coordination body in Veneto Region (Italy)