Increasing territorial development planning capacities of planning regions and local governments of Latvia and elaboration of development planning documents

Project title: “Increasing territorial development planning capacities of planning regions and local governments of Latvia and elaboration of development planning documents”
 
Project objective is to increase territorial development planning capacities of planning regions and local governments of Latvia and to elaborate development planning documents.

Total Project costs: EUR 1,195,972.
 
Project partners in Latvia: Kurzeme planning region, Vidzeme planning region, Riga planning region, Zemgale planning region and Latgale planning region, society „Urban Institute”.
 
Project partners in Norway: Ministry of Local Governments and Regional Development of Norway, Oppland Regional County, Østfold Regional County and Aust-Agder Regional County.
 
Target groups
 
Primary target groups are the planning regions of Latvia, local governments of Latvia, non-governmental organizations of Latvia. The measures that are directly targeted at the capacity-building of the planning regions of Latvia have been planned for project activities 1 (all planning regions) and 4 (Kurzeme and Riga planning regions). The measures that are directly targeted at the capacity-building of the local governments of Latvia have been planned for project activities 2 and 3 and the measures directly targeted at the capacity-building of local communities have been planned for project activity 2.
Secondary target groups are state institutions of Latvia, other legal entities and individuals.
 
Main Project activities:

Project consists of five major activities. 
 
Activity 0. Project management

This project activity will provide administrative project management. It will be ensured by 2 project coordinators – one representing the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia and the other representing Oppland regional county. The project coordinator in Latvia will be employed full-time but the project coordinator in Norway will be partially employed. In order to supervise the progress of the project implementation and evaluation of the performance indicators, a Project Steering committee will be established. The Steering committee, if necessary, will discuss the amendments to the project schedule or budget to achieve the outcomes and results described in both the Project application and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-2014 programme “Capacity-Building and Institutional Cooperation between Latvian and Norwegian Public Institutions, Local and Regional Authorities”.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia will also provide a project accountant and a public procurement specialist in order to ensure the conformity with Latvian and international normative acts that relate to accounting and public procurement. At least 7 public procurement procedures will be organised within this project activity, among these 2 open tenders.
 
Activity 1. Strengthening the capacity of planning regions for elaboration of regional development planning documents
 
The goal of project activity 1 is to strengthen the capacities of the planning regions of Latvia in the field of regional development planning. The activity includes the following main directions of action:

- exchange of experience between Latvian and Norwegian project partners that includes both the Norwegian experts’ visits to Latvia to advise their Latvian counterparts during the elaboration of the development planning documents and participation in the discussion sessions and seminars organised as part of this project activity, and Latvian experts’ visits to Norway to get acquainted with the Norwegian experience in the field of regional planning.

-The elaboration of the development planning documents for the planning regions of Latvia, such as the long-term sustainable development strategies and development programmes for the Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Riga and Zemgale planning regions and the Concept for the development of public services for the Latgale planning region. The implementation of this project activity will also include the attraction of external expertise with the purpose to carry out a multi-faceted and detailed study on the settlement patterns in the planning regions of Latvia and the provision of public services as well as the elaboration of the cartographic material and geospatial data for the graphical part of the regional development strategies, the translation of regional sustainable development strategies into English and printing, thus providing the necessary support to the planning regions of Latvia during the elaboration of their development planning documents. The objective of all sub-activities is to ensure that the planning regions of Latvia finish the elaboration of their development planning documents by the end of 2014.
 
Results to be achieved within Activity 1:
 
1) 3 exchanges of experience between Latvian and Norwegian state and regional authorities;

2) 27 seminars or workshops, including public participation seminars, during the elaboration of regional development planning documents;
   
3) Reference framework for sustainable European cities (www.rfsc.eu) translated into Latvian to familiarise Latvian planning authorities with the experience of other European cities and regions;

4) Cartographic files and geospatial data in order to facilitate the elaboration of the sustainable development strategies of the planning regions of Latvia;

5) Research study on the provision of public services in the regions of Latvia;

6) 9 regional development planning documents, including:
   - long-term sustainable development strategies for the planning regions of
     Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Riga and Zemgale that include the strategic environmental
     impact assessment and studies on the strategic development of the planning
     regions;
   - development programmes for the planning regions of Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Riga
     and Zemgale that include the strategic environmental impact assessment;
  -  The Concept for the development of public services in the Latgale region;

7) Long-term sustainable development strategies of the planning regions of Latvia
     translated into English;

8) 1,000 copies of long-term sustainable development strategies of the planning
     regions of Latvia printed;

9) 5 strategic partnerships between Latvian and Norwegian state and regional
     authorities.
 
Activity 2. Improvement of territorial development planning capacities of local governments
 
The goal of project activity 2 is to secure the capacities of the local governments and local communities of Latvia and to set the stage for closer co-operation between local authorities and local communities.

Project activity 2 includes the following main directions of action:

-Exchange of experience between Latvian and Norwegian partners that includes the Norwegian experts’ visits to Latvia to advise their Latvian counterparts during the elaboration of the local development planning documents as well as the participation in the training seminars organised as part of this Project activity; the exchange also includes Latvian experts’ visits to Norway to get acquainted with Norwegian experience in the field of local planning and community work in Norway.

- Participation in the training programme for the developments planners of Latvia on local economic development tools organised by the OECD.

-The strengthening of the capacities of Latvian local governments’ experts in the field of local territorial development planning. This includes a series of training seminars that will be organised and managed by the Urban Institute and designed for the specialists from the local governments of Latvia. Some events within this Project activity will be organised by the Ministry of Environmental protection and regional development, for instance the situation analysis and development scenario simulation game „Future City” training seminars.

- The strengthening of the capacity of the local communities of Latvia in local planning. This includes selection of six local communities for the implementation of the pilot projects with the purpose to elaborate community development plans as part of a specially designed training programme for the local communities of Latvia. This training programme will be managed by the Urban Institute, which, at the end of the training programme, will present a report on the development of local communities of Latvia.
 
Results to be achieved within Activity 2:
1) six exchanges of experience between Latvian and Norwegian state / municipal authorities and local
communities;

2) the OECD training programme for local economic planners;

3) five situation analysis and development scenario seminars “Future city”;

4) five training seminars within the training programme for the Latvian local
    governments;

5) 22 local governments of Latvia have improved their development programmes by
    introducing community involvement measures and training for local governments
    and communities;

6) twelve training seminars within the training programme for the Latvian local
    communities;

7) independent scientific evaluation of the training programmes for local
    governments and communities of Latvia;

8) the report on the development of local communities of Latvia;

9) one seminar on the results of the training programmes for the local governments
    and communities of Latvia and the report of the development of local communities
    of Latvia;

10) 25 state, regional or local authorities have introduced territorial approach to
     investment planning.
 
Activity 3. Establishment of linkage between the development planning and budget planning at the local level
 
The goal of the project activity 3 is to establish an identifiable link between spatial planning and financial planning in the local governments of Latvia. Project activity 3 includes the following main directions of action:

- Exchange of experience between Latvian and Norwegian project partners that will encompass both the Norwegian experts’ visits to Latvia to advise their Latvian counterparts during the implementation of the five pilot projects, and Latvian experts’ visits to Norway to get acquainted with Norwegian experience;

- the establishment of the linkage mechanisms between the territorial development planning process and an annual or a medium-term budget planning. Five pilot projects will be carried out in selected local governments of Latvia as part of this project activity. A series of performance indicators will be developed during of the implementation of these pilot projects that will serve as an example for the other Latvian local governments and be used as part of the training seminars for the Latvian local governments thus strengthening their capacities and ensuring the transfer of good practice;

-The development of methodological guidelines (printed material) on the establishment of the linkage between the territorial development planning documents and budget planning in the selected Latvian local governments that will include an input from a Norwegian expert and be used as a reference material during the training seminars organised as part of this Project activity;

- Five training seminars will be organised for the local governments of Latvia on the Norwegian and Latvian experience in the establishment of the linkage between the spatial development planning and budget planning.
 
Results to be achieved within Activity 3:

1) three exchanges of experience between Latvian and Norwegian state and municipal
    authorities;

2) five training seminars on the linkage between territorial development and budget
    planning in Latvian local governments and on Norwegian experience in this field;

3) a report on the linkage between spatial development planning and budget planning
    in Norway;

4) 200 copies of methodological guidelines on the establishment of the linkage
    between territorial and budget planning at local level that include information on   
    Latvian and Norwegian experience;

5) five local governments have improved and detailed their local development
    programmes in accordance with the established link between development planning
    and budget planning;
 
Activity 4. Elaboration of national long-term thematic plan for the coastal area of the Baltic Sea
 
The goal of the project activity 4 is to develop a national long term thematic plan for the coastal area of the Baltic Sea. Project activity 4 includes the following main directions of action:

-The elaboration of the long-term thematic plan for the coastal area of the Baltic Sea that will include the coastal infrastructure development plan - a map of strategic development projects and detailed public infrastructure development plans with the purpose to improve the quality and functionality of priority development zones and objects. An integrated map will be used as a basis for the thematic plan for the coastal area taking into account data and other information obtained during the field surveys on erosion and flooding risks in the coastal areas, as well as information from the coastal municipalities on proposed public investment projects and tourist flows;

-The elaboration of the Public safety and rescue plans for the Kurzeme and Riga planning regions, which will be used as important components of the overall thematic long-term development plan for the coastal area of the Baltic Sea and contain certain provisions for the public safety and rescue measures in the coastal zone;

-  Exchange of experience between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional development of Latvia, the Kurzeme and Riga planning regions and the Aust-Agder and Østfold regional counties of Norway to get acquainted with the Norwegian experience in the coastal planning and to participate in the discussion sessions and seminars organised in Latvia as part of this Project activity.
 
Results to be achieved within Activity 4:
 
1) one exchange trip to Norway, two exchange trips to Latvia;

2) five seminars on the elaboration of the state long-term thematic plan for the coastal area of the Baltic Sea, including three seminars organised by the ministry of Environmental protection and regional development of Latvia, one seminar organised by the Kurzeme planning region and one by the Riga planning region;

3) the national long-term thematic spatial plan for the Baltic Sea coastal area, which includes the Coastal public infrastructure development plan, the Report on the environmental impact and Public safety and rescue plans for the Kurzeme and Riga planning regions.
 
Activity 5. Publicity.
 
Project activity 5 includes the following main directions of action:
 
- The project publicity conferences on the progress during the implementation of the projects, the outcomes and results. Three publicity conferences will be organised during the implementation of the project – the opening conference, the interim conference and the closing conference;

- Press releases on the proposed events and implemented activities, including releases on the exchanges between Latvian and Norwegian partners, elaboration of the development planning documents, the strengthening of the capacities of Latvian local governments and local communities, seminars and other sub-activities and events;

- Meeting with the press in Norway on the commencement of the project, its objectives, tasks and activities.

- Placement of the project-related information on the internet sites of all project partners (the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia, planning regions of Latvia, the Urban Institute, Ministry of Local governments and regional development of Norway Oppland, Østfold and Aust-Agder regional counties).