The ALICERA project aims to test the RAL-instrument in different European rural regions and to assess its effectiveness by carrying out a large-scale evaluation. The results give insights into the significance and potential of educational instruments like RAL for the rural development. As an educational measure, RAL is directed at children, youth and adults. The implementation of RAL is based on regional co-operation structures between actors from the sector of agricultural / food industry and educational sector. The close connection of both sectors is the unique characteristic of this new approach. RAL activities take place in local agricultural and food enterprises where the participants receive on-site training by qualified RAL-multiplicators. ALICERA main activities: 1. interregional experience exchange and transfer (workshops, internal forum at website), 2. development of 36 RAL modules, 3. training of 720 RAL multiplicators, 4. regional networking, 5. implementation of 3.660 RAL activities in total, 6. This scope of activities allows to make scientifically founded statements on the effectiveness of the RAL-strategy. Achievements: ALICERA is the abbreviation for the project title 'Action Learning for Identity and Competence in European Rural Areas'. This title reflects the project‘s aims, methods and framework: Based on the methodological approach of 'Action-based Learning' the project is designed to support the development of 'Regional Identity' and 'Participatory Competence' of the population of 'European Rural Areas' in order to effectively promote sustainable development in these areas. The basic concern of ALICERA is to explore the prospects and potentials of out-of-school learning sites as a component of sustainable regional development in rural areas. To achieve these overall objectives, the new and innovative educational strategy of 'Rural Action Learning (RAL)' is applied and evaluated in the ALICERA project.The supported lout-of-school earning activities are aimed at children, young people The operation started in January 2005 with a 2,5 year duration. ALICERA partner regions are Lower Saxony (DE), Latvija (LV), Nyugat-Dunantul (HU), Tyrol (AT) and Brittany (FR). In the 1. semester the main focus was on setting up the basic operational structures and outlining the RAL concept. In the 2. semester 36 RAL modules for out-of-school learning activities targeting children, young people and adults have been developed. Based upon the elaborated RAL concept the training of RAL multipliers started as well as the implementation of RAL activities. Up to the end of the operation X rural actors are qualified as RAL-multiplicator and X participants took part in a total of X RAL-activities (state June 2007). Parallel to this progress, the partner institutions established networks among different rural actors in each project region. These regional networks provide the informal frame for the implementation of the RAL-strategy in rural areas. Since the vitality of these regional co-operation structures is a key factor for the sustainability of the ALICERA apporach after the end of project, the enlargement as well as the consolidation of the networks have been strongly promoted in the 3. to 5. semester. The conduction of the evaluation took place in the 4./5. semster: In all project regions participants of RAL-activities have been interviewed within a quantitative pre-post-questioning. Altogether 2.179 participants gave responses. An qualitative interview study with 18 RAL experts completed the evaluation. The results of the studies substantiate the demands to recognise out-of-school regional educational plans as a regional-political supporting instrument, because they successfully facilitate the participation of the population in the sustainable development of their regions. The intensive exchange of experience and the development of the RAL strategy was realised by 5 interregional workshops and 2 international conferences. All main results are documentated in the project brochure 'Regional learning in European rural areas', which is available on www.alicera.org