In rural areas where life is slower but social problems tend to be deeper there is a need for urgent, pro-active and professional area-orientated development decisions. Due to challenges posed to agriculture by economic globalisation and sustainable development, both theoretical and applied scientific research is necessary for improving agricultural and rural development policies as well as their management. It should be highlighted that the demand for professional and innovative activities is significantly higher in rural development compared to the other sectors. The aim of this research is to explore the role and the functions of rural development administrators in rural institutions. The methodology of this research is based on the positive research paradigm, analysis of content and descriptive analysis, empirical study methods, logical and systematical reasoning, abstract and other methods. In order to assess the role of rural development administrators, three groups of experts (professionals, NGO and leaders of government organisations) were selected. Their opinions enabled the comparison of assumptions regarding the behaviour of rural development administrators as well as their participation in the process of rural development. The findings are expected to be useful for local, regional and national rural development policy makers and other actors inter-ested in management of rural development innovations in public sector.

The CAP support is mostly focused on the technological modernization of farms, linked with production intensification, and weakly focused on the farms prosperity and resilience. As a result farmers and managers of agricultural companies are only a slightly motivated to produce added value and high quality food products, to use short food supply chains addressing constantly changing consumer needs, or to pay much attention on issues related to climate change. The paper findings are based on the Lithuanian case study carried out as a part of the international research project “Rethinking the links between farm modernization, rural development and resilience in a world of increasing demands and finite resources” (RETHINK). The Lithuanian case study was determining farmers’ behaviour and causal factors in decision-making. The research based on the positive research paradigm, case study, content and descriptive analysis, empirical study methods (answers of two groups of experts experts-professionals and experts-farmers), logical and systematical reasoning, graphic presentation, abstracts and other methods. The present paper is examining the impact of political factors on prosperity and resilience on farms and agricultural companies. The political factors have the highest impact for prosperity of the farms and agricultural companies in Lithuania (as compared to the technical – entrepreneurial, ethical - social factors, and intangible values). The support from the EU and the national funds is not fully in line with the current concept of farms’ modernization and agricultural innovation. The public policy influence on the competitiveness of the agricultural sector is more strengthening than weakening. The results show the main elements that farmers believe should be included in the new concept of rural prosperity, as well as the main strategies adopted to reach prosperity divided into the five sub dimensions: development of the rural social infrastructure and implementation of information technologies; strong self-governance, social awareness and partnership; high culture of life and communication; rural employment and job creation in rural areas, population welfare; economic and social viability, ecology and environmental security of the countryside.

The business consulting public services is one of the most successful business building and development conditions. The business public consulting services are an important professional activity helping executives and managers analyze and solve practical problems of other organisations, improve operational efficiency as well as absorb the experiences of other organisations. Various models integrating theoretical knowledge and practice are used for analysing and for evaluating the quality of the services. After performing an analysis of the majority of the models, it was decided that the most suitable models for evaluation or service quality are the Generally Perceived Quality and Servqual. Consulting services are not providing the consumers with any materials goods and therefore, most of the other models are not suitable for evaluation of business consulting services. Research object – quality of business consultation services. Research aim – to identify the quality of business consultation services, provided by public institutions of Kaunas Region and to prepare the recommendations, how to improve it. Research methods: the analysis and synthesis of academic literature, questionnaire poll, logical modelling, comparison and visualization techniques were.

Economic and social indicators need to be given more importance in the management of results-oriented rural social infrastructure (RSI) in order to become an integral measure in the monitoring of country's development. The research aim-to prepare and test a methodology for the assessment of RSI condition in order to ensure the territorial cohesion. The following objectives have been set out: 1) to summarize theoretical aspects of rural social infrastructure development in the context of social territorial cohesion; 2) to prepare a methodology for the assessment of RSI; 3) to reveal inequalities and critical areas of Lithuanian RSI development. The analysis of Lithuanian RSI data revealed differences in RSI development in different rural regions which negatively affect Lithuania's competitiveness and social territorial cohesion. While the articles notes that there have been some positive changes in the use of investment projects over the last couple of years, it also indicates that management of RSI availability and accessibility with respect to locations and sectors is not optimal.

Valstybė ir vietos savivaldybės privalo užtikrinti, kad viešosios paslaugos būtų suteiktos kiekvienam piliečiui. Informacinių ir ryšio technologijų šios paslaugos perkeliamos į elektroninę erdvę. Elektroninės viešosios paslaugos ypač svarbios kaimo vietovių gyventojams, nes šis inovatyvus viešųjų paslaugų teikimo būdas leidžia neišeinant iš savo namų gauti tam tikrą paslaugą. Be to, plėtojant e-paslaugų teikimą kaimo vietovėse mažėja socialinė ir skaitmeninė atskirtis bei vystosi žinių visuomenė. Todėl šiame moksliniame straipsnyje analizuojami teoriniai e-paslaugų organizavimo modeliai bei jų organizavimo kaimiškosiose savivaldybėse ypatumai. Tyrimo objektas-elektroninių viešųjų paslaugų organizavimo modeliai.