Strengthening the capacity of local governments to improve the efficiency and quality of their operations

As part of the support provided by the European Recovery Fund, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MoEPRD) plans to carry out evaluations of local government public services to identify shortcomings and challenges in their provision. As part of the evaluations, proposals will also be made for services whose efficiency and design need to be improved, as well as for the necessary knowledge and skills of specialists in planning regions and municipalities to ensure efficient service delivery.

Based on the evaluation results, with the support of the planning regions, at least 1,300 specialists of local governments and planning regions will be trained to improve the efficiency of their operations and services provided. It is also planned to develop methodological recommendations for local government specialists for the improvement of service provision, as well as to provide support for testing new ways of providing services. At the end of the period, an evaluation of the impact of the provided support is planned, the methodology of which was developed as part of the evaluation.

Title	Strengthening the capacity of local governments to improve the efficiency and quality of their operations
Investment project identification no	3.1.1.2.i.0/1/22/I/VARAM/001
Programme	European Recovery Fund
The field of politics	Regional development
Objectives	To build the capacity of local governments by improving the efficiency and quality of their operations in the context of the administrative territorial reform, so that they can ensure the performance of their autonomous functions prescribed by law in comparable quality and availability, as well as to be able to provide citizens with high-quality services at reasonable costs in accordance with current demographic trends.
Beneficiary of funding	Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
Project partners	Vidzeme planning region Riga planning region Latgale planning region Zemgale planning region Kurzeme planning region
Activities	MoEPRD conducts evaluations of municipal public services, identifying shortcomings and challenges. The evaluation provides proposals for the necessary support for effective provision of services in local governments and for strengthening their capacity, as well as a methodology for evaluating the impact of investment project support is developed. MoEPRD organizes two conferences, informing about available support, planned, and implemented activities and achieved results. Planning regions organize suitable and capacity-building training and events (seminars, working groups, experience exchange visits, idea hackathons, etc.) for specialists of planning regions and municipalities. Each of the planning regions organizes one event of national significance.
Results	Two evaluations of municipalities’ public services are made – one for identifying areas of needed support and the second with evaluation of the support’s impact on capacity building and recommendations for further actions. Appropriate training is made for at least 1,300 specialists of planning regions and municipalities to increase their capacity, including at least 260 persons in the Vidzeme planning region. The efficiency of the local governments that have been created as a result of administrative territorial reform has been promoted. Higher quality and more efficient access to public services at reasonable costs is ensured. Two conferences are organized, presenting planned and implemented activities within the framework of the support, as well as prepared recommendations or methodical suggestions. Each of the five planning regions has organized one event of national significance.
Budget	The total budget of the project is 2,500,000 EUR VPR budget – 366,722 EUR
Implementation period	08.12.2022 – 31.08.2026
Contact person in VPR	Ieva Dzalbe Phone: +371 25491165 E-mail: ieva.dzalbe@vidzeme.lv

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