Focus groups with local stakeholders and policymakers on drivers and policies of territorial inequalities

Focus group data generated in WP2 of the EXIT project. The aim was to analyse local policymakers' and other relevant stakeholders' perceptions of policy drivers and approaches to territorial inequalities. The dataset contains factsheets from 20 focus groups, with 98 participants across seven countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Serbia, Spain.

In terms of participant profiles, 41.84% of participants were institutional stakeholders with a role in addressing territorial inequalities either at the local, regional or national level, that is, representatives from local, regional, and national institutions, such as municipal authorities, government officials, and policymakers. Another main group of stakeholders involved were representatives from civil society organizations (42.86%), with participants from grassroots movements, non-governmental organizations, and community initiatives. A third group, included in some but not all countries, were academic researchers and experts from related fields (15.31%). In a few groups, where deemed relevant to the local context, participants from the private sector were also included to add perspectives on economic development and local challenges. This diversity of participants facilitated a comprehensive and multi-faceted discussion on the complexities of territorial inequalities in rural, urban and post-industrial contexts.

In terms of territorial governance levels, 50% operate at the local level, followed by national (21.43%) and regional (17.35%) levels. A smaller proportion of participants (4.08%) are associated with the EU level in some capacity, in addition to their involvement with institutions at the national or regional level.