The practice research project pursues three objectives for the rural areas. It aims to improve the structural conditions governing integration, promote peaceful coexistence between local communities and immigrants and achieve higher participation of the immigrants in social and political life: The main focus concentrates on gaining practical and orientational knowledge for municipal stakeholders and developing best practices for improving the integration of the various groups of immigrants. At the conclusion of the project, the findings will be published as a publication, thus ensuring the sustainability of the study.

Secondary research is a key element in realising the goals and objectives. The research team will operate in continuous communication with the participating districts and towns and the steering committee accompanying the project. The sharing of ideas and experiences within a network of participating towns and districts is a central component of the project. During the three year project period a total of four network meetings will take place where stakeholders from the towns and districts as well as other interested parties can discuss the project issues and challenges. The participating towns communicate project concerns to the respective town communities  and together with the rural districts organize a public debate on integration issues. In addition to the meetings, the findings will be communicated through a publication and an Internet Forum.

During the project “Immigrants in the city”, initiated by the Schader Foundation and completed in 2007, a lack of awareness of the plight of immigrants in peripheral towns was revealed. The project accordingly looked into immigration and integration issues in small and medium sized towns in rural areas. Initial findings reveal that the conditions for integration vary depending on the size of the municipality, the regional structural framework, the social resources of the host society and the particular immigrant backgrounds. Positive conditions for integration are clarity, social control, personal networks and an active social life. Deficits exist in the structural embedding of integration programmes. For the most part there is a lack of available institutional, financial and human resources.

Evaluation will be performed using the following instruments: 1. secondary research, 2. the steering committee.

1. In addition to the general state of research, the preconditions for integration will be documented in a survey in the participating towns and districts and the coexistence between immigrants and the local community will be investigated using qualitative methodology. Focus group discussions serve to reflect on selected integration-relevant issues as well as identify needs for action.
   
2. The steering committee serves to provide contextual support for the evaluation and quality assurance of the project. It has ten members representing the project partners, the respective ministries, the Federal Commissioner for Integration, two scientific experts and two civil society representatives.

The practice research project focusses on small and medium sized towns in rural areas. It addresses in detail immigrants and the host town population as well as stakeholders in the science and practice domains who deal with migration and integration issues and policy measures.

The Schader Foundation is project initiator and coordinator. The project is funded by the European Integration Fund, the project support programme of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and since 2010 by the Federal Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration. Contextual assistance is provided by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities and the German County Association. Secondary research is conducted by the Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development ILS in cooperation with the Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning IRS.