What expectations from Research to intensify the efficiency of public action in low-density rural territoires ? Eleven acting people express themselves

Abstract

The organisers of the first international days on research for sensitive rural territory management, (Clermont-Ferrand on 27-29th April, 1998) wished to bring together the Research circle with the circle of acting people involved in territory management in order to answer the expected « perspective » and analysis requirements for designing and preparing interventions capable of solving problems on these areas. Word was therefore given to eleven acting people who are research users involved at geographic levels ranging from local level to European level, including regional, inter-regional and national levels: councillors, administrative persons in charge, socioprofessional and associative persons in charge. The main questions were concerned with the type of contributions that research can bring and on which territorial levels the problems can be grasped and public action terms can be specified ? The type of acting people's requirements for territory management is very diverse and may require the development of very acute methods, tools and scientific deepening. However, what seems to be lacking most generally are research work and synthesis intervals. Facing scientists who declare not to always listen to demand sufficiently, and not to transfer their knowledge sufficiently, some public-decision acting people acknowledge that they have to learn how to express their requirements.