Making the diversity of CCI-related LEADER interventions comparable: A portfolio-to-case approach combining LLM-assisted coding and close reading

Abstract

The EU LEADER program supports diverse rural local initiatives, which suits Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) related activities with their varied forms and place-specific resources. Yet its flexibility also complicates systematic comparison and learning, as portfolio patterns can obscure differences in local organization and implementation, while individual cases can be difficult to situate within the wider range of interventions. This study therefore develops a portfolio-to-case approach combining large language model (LLM)-assisted coding with comparative close reading that support both perspective evidence. We coded 1528 project descriptions in the EU CAP Network Good Practice database across five dimensions, thematic field, challenge, action, actor, and territorial scale. Of the 403 LEADER-tagged projects, 135 were identified as CCI-related. The coded common project types then guided the structured comparison of 56 cases for close reading. In this database selected for dissemination, cultural activity mostly serves wider development purposes. Organizational capacity is central, and it takes a different form in each type: collectively led tourism projects coordinate providers and operate attractions, privately led tourism projects develop offers under enterprise management, heritage projects connect documentation and training with public activities, and social inclusion projects link cultural participation with continuing support. Projects draw on this capacity and can also strengthen it. Project descriptions, however, often omit the organizational work behind the results, and brief reporting on it would improve the database's value for comparison and learning. The approach provides a structured basis for comparing projects and identifying organizational arrangements and resources relevant to adaptation elsewhere.