LEADER and Social Capital in Veneto: The Case Studies of Prealpi e Dolomiti and Bassa Padovana Local Action Groups

Social capital and rural governance are central elements in the evaluation of development projects based on the neo-endogenous approach to local development. The aim of this chapter is to measure both quantitatively and qualitatively the endowment of social capital in the Prealpi Dolomiti and Bassa Padovana LAGs in Veneto. The analysis shows that a consolidated partnership history, focused on the capacity of the LAG in bridging between stakeholders and the local governance system, and combined with the effective and efficient delivery of high-quality projects, concurred to increase the levels of social capital in the two LAGs.