This article reveals the importance of different methods for assessment of social infrastructure (SI) development needs in rural areas. Rural social infrastructure is a significant element of rural territories interpreted in different ways: as social and economic system, basic services for local community, social bridge for integrating different social groups into the society, important factor for satisfaction of rural people's needs and acknowledgement of their human rights. Besides the mentioned importance of SI to rural areas and rural community, the lack of exploration of methods for analysis of the needs for developing rural social infrastructure has been noticed in the scientific literature. The research aim is therefore to analyse the methods for assessment of needs of rural social infrastructure. The research question has been set accordingly: how different methods for need analysis could be applied to social infrastructure planning and development? The research results show that need analysis is generally linked to various methods, but for the SI planning, development and implementation specifically, there are certain methods, the application of which depends on specifics of rural areas (as territory) and features of local community.Key words: rural social infrastructure, rural area, rural community, needs assessment methods Santrauka:Šiame straipsnyje analizuojami poreikių kaimo socialinės infrastruktūros paslaugoms tyrimo metodai. Kaimo socialinė infrastruktūra yra svarbus kaimo vietovių gyvavimo elementas ir ji apibūdinama įvairiai: socialinė ekonominė sistema, pagrindinės paslaugos teikiamos vietos bendruomenei, "socialinis tiltas" įvairių socialinių grupių integracijai į visuomenę skatinti, faktorius lemiantis žmogiškųjų poreikių patenkinimą ir žmogiškųjų teisių užtikrinimą. Be minėtos socialinės infrastruktūros svarbos kaimo vietovėms ir kaimo bendruomenei, išryškėja ir poreikių kaimo socialinės infrastruktūros paslaugoms tyrimo metodų identifikavimo apribojimai/stoka mokslinėje literatūroje. Šio tyrimo tikslas yra išanalizuoti poreikių kaimo socialinės infrastruktūros paslaugoms tyrimo metodus. Atliekant tyrimą keliamas ir nagrinėjamas šis probleminis klausimas: kokie skirtingi poreikių kaimo socialinės infrastruktūros paslaugoms tyrimo metodai gali būti taikomi planuojant socialinės infrastruktūros pokyčius ir plėtros galimybes? Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad įvairūs tyrime išanalizuoti poreikių tyrimo metodai yra svarbūs, tačiau, įgyvendinant socialinės infrastruktūros pokyčius, dėmesys dažniau fokusuojamas į keletą metodų, kurie priklauso nuo tokių esminių faktorių kaip kaimo vietovės (kaip teritorijos) specifiškumas ir kaimo bendruomenės bruožų.Raktiniai žodžiai: kaimo socialinė infrastruktūra, kaimo vietovė, kaimo bendruomenė, poreikių nustatymo metodai

The European Innovation Partnership (EIP) is considered to be a new phenomenon signalling political will, highly relevant issue in contemporary domain of discussions among practitioners and researchers. While practitioners lack experience, researchers make attempts to identify the factors that influence effectiveness of an innovation partnership, explore the indicators and techniques to determine and evaluate its effectiveness. Aim of the study presented in the article is to determine the external and internal factors that influence effectiveness of the European Innovation Partnership by analysing the operating conditions of an operational group of the European Innovation Partnership in Agriculture (EIP-AGRI). Expert evaluation was carried out by experts who have scientific and practical experience: scientists, policy makers, innovators, developing an innovation partnership. The force field analysis has shown that the number of negative factors of EIP effectiveness exceeds the number of positive factors, and the factors analysed and evaluated allow to identify potential negative consequences in a timely manner and provide the opportunity to predict effectiveness of the EIP-based projects.

In today's context of social sciences and practical discussions teamwork, synergy and synergy effects are considered to be one of the most important research objects. Creativity leads any organizational structure to successful solution of a problem and promotes the achievement of not individual but synergy goals, which are the result of generated and practically applied social innovations. The potential of teamwork synergy is transmitted through team dynamics, team creative process, as well as team purpose. The aim of this research is to identify the indicators describing the potential of synergy regarding team creative process and to evaluate their importance in the team creative process while developing innovative solutions. A case analysis method is applied: two different teams, which performed creative tasks, were chosen and analysed. In order to estimate the potential of synergy of creativity, a set of quantitative and qualitative indicators was formed. Features describing each indicator were evaluated by using questionnaires filled by the teams participating in the research. In addition, the teams were observed, in order to estimate the team creative process. The results of the research are valuable for authorities of organizations, who aim at greater synergy results and social innovations encouraging the development of public, social and business interests and creating multiplying effects of ideas. The generalized findings of the research are presented in the article, as well as the applied methods of scientific literature analysis and synthesis, abstraction.

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Intersectoral partnership challenges the new rural development programming period and requires innovative and rapid management decisions which creates synergy and add value. This paper aims at examining the methodological principles of rural development synergy evaluation. This research attempts to take a closer look at the theoretical assumptions behind different concepts of the rural development management process and the importance of synergy. On the grounds of the key findings, propositions have been made regarding rural development management synergy evaluation.