AKIS context

The AKIS of Aosta Valley Region faces several challenges: a) improving coordination among stakeholders; b) enhancing the dissemination of innovations and support services for farms and rural areas; c) effectively identifying the advisory services, training, and innovation needs of agricultural, agri-food, and forestry enterprises, with particular focus on small and micro-enterprises.

The range of actors involved in training activities at the regional level is broad and highly qualified. In this context, there is a need to coordinate the planning of actions in training, advisory, information, and outreach (including through data and experience sharing and the use of technological and digital innovations).

The AKIS-related interventions activated in Aosta Valley Region within the Rural Development Complementary Programme (RDCP) 2023-2027 include:

• Provision of advisory services.
• Training of advisors.
• Training actions aimed at workers in the agricultural, forestry, and rural sectors.
• Back-office services for AKIS.
• Support for pilot actions and innovation testing.
• Cooperation for actions supporting innovation and services for the agricultural, forestry, and agri-food sectors.

Rationale

The political significance attributed to AKIS strategies within the framework of the 2023-2027 Strategic Plans (SP) of the CAP has highlighted the need to establish governance bodies aimed at coordinating AKIS-related interventions and stakeholders to improve implementation and contribute to the CAP SP’s cross-cutting and specific objectives.
Specifically, the AKIS coordination body is identified by the 2023-2027 SP as the contact point for the European Commission and the European CAP Network.

In Italy, as a result of the new delivery model and unlike previous programming periods, the 2023-2027 CAP SP is established solely at the national level. However, as Regions/Autonomous Provinces hold agricultural competency under the Constitution, they have set up Complementary Rural Development Programs (RDCPs), which, under the CAP SP framework, have their own governance structures and implement rural interventions relevant to their specific territories at the local level.

This programming approach means that Italy includes one AKIS strategy and a CAP SP-level AKIS coordination body (Chapter 8 of the CAP SP; General Directorate of Rural Development of the Ministry of Agricultural Policies, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry) along with regional AKIS strategies and corresponding AKIS coordination bodies for each Region and Autonomous Province.

The general model of AKIS coordination bodies for Italy is indicated by the CAP SP that mentions a mix of "institutions that have the responsibility/capacity to provide training, advisory services, research, information". Lately, in mid-2024, the Ministry of Agriculture established a national AKIS coordination model which calls for a collective body, composed by representatives of the variety of key AKIS actors.

Under this national framework, the Aosta Valley Region established an AKIS Regional Coordination Committee to oversee various AKIS activities. This committee is composed of representatives from all AKIS sectors at the territorial level and is chaired by the “Regional Rural Development Policies” structure of the Agriculture Department, acting as the regional Managing Authority (MA) of the Aosta Valley 2023-2027 RDCP.

In practice

1. Who is the AKIS CB

The Regional AKIS Coordination Committee for the 2023-2027 RDCP of the Aosta Valley is a collective body, set up in 2023. The tasks of coordination and technical secretariat will be handled by the MA of the Aosta Valley RDCP 2023- 2027.

2. Composition of the AKIS CB

The regional coordination committee is composed of representatives from institutions and stakeholders who, at the regional level, provide and deliver training, advisory services providers, research, information, digital services, and other activities related to AKIS, tailored to local specificities.

Particularly, it includes (Fig. 1):
1) Representatives of the competent regional authorities and public or publicly significant entities:

• The regional Managing Authority of the RDP 14/22 and RDCP 2023-2027.
• Representatives from the regional Structures of the Agriculture Department and the Natural Resources Department responsible for implementing the interventions provided by the RDCP 2023-2027.
• A representative from the Department of Labor Policies and Training.
• A representative from the Department of Territorial Planning.A representative from the Department of Innovation and Digital Agenda.
• A representative from the Regional Functional Center.
• A representative from the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection.A representative from the Regional Agency for Agricultural Payments of Aosta Valley (AREA VdA).
• A representative from the Chamber of Commerce and Liberal Professions of Aosta Valley.
• A representative from the Regional Agricultural Institute (IAR).
• A representative from the Intermediate Body for the management and implementation of local development interventions (LAG).

2)    Representatives of economic and social parties:

• Representatives of agricultural associations by category.
• Representatives of sector-specific agricultural associations.
• Representatives from professional orders and registers most involved in rural development interventions.
• Representatives from organizations providing education, training, and advisory services.
• Representatives from private research centers operating in areas related to rural development within the region.

Figure 1: AKIS Coordination Body of Aosta Valley RDCP 2023-2027

Source: Our elaborations based on presentation of the AKIS Coordination Committee Aosta Valley - September 25, 2023

3. Functions attributed to the AKIS CB

The committee’s mandate is to coordinate the formulation and implementation of policies for innovation and knowledge within the agricultural, agri-food, and forestry sectors in the region. Additionally, it serves as a liaison on relevant topics with officials of other European funds active in the Aosta Valley, facilitates information flow across regional, national, and European levels, and is represented within the National AKIS Coordination Committee. All stakeholders were actively involved in the establishment of this Regional AKIS Coordination Committee.

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

The AKIS coordination body will convene periodically to ensure effective oversight and monitoring of the AKIS Strategy progress, fostering a collaborative environment for ongoing evaluation and strategic alignment.

Practical implications for replicability

The set-up of a collective AKIS coordination body requires:

• A formal act of constitution.
• 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 coordination body.
• The establishment of internal procedures for coordination meetings and co-decision on action plans to implement the AKIS strategy (internal regulations).

Benefits

• Improvement of governance and participation among various stakeholders.
• Wide representation of the regional AKIS actors.

Further sources of information

• Aosta Valley 2023-2027 RDCP (IT).
• Presentation of the AKIS Coordination Body at the RDCP Monitoring Committee – 25/09/2023 (IT).