All the participating partners across the Northern Periphery region share concerns for the difficulties faced by service providers, as well as service users in remote and rural areas. Each participating region has topographical, geographical and demographic similarities to overcome that create problems in accessing services, as well as in the delivery of services. The DESERVE project seeks to establish the transferability of models of service delivery to remote and rural areas among the participating partner regions. Each participating region will implement a project in their native region utilising a model, or elements of various models, previously tested by partners in their own regions. The emphasis is on models of service delivery to remote and rural areas rather than on the specific services provided in these areas. The rationale for this being that sectors may be able to learn lessons from one another. Partners are also keen to establish the extent to which models must be adapted to suit local contexts. Expected Results: • to improve the level and quality of rural service delivery• the implementation of innovative approaches to common problems - what is already a solution in one region may be an innovation in another - towards finding new and improved ways of delivering rural services• to establish more integrated ways of working by moving away from the present sectoral approaches found in most partner regions, to a more co-ordinated and co-operative approach that should be more effective and efficient• to develop a long lasting transnational co-operation promoting continued learning and joint working towards the resolution of common problems in rural service delivery