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Main Project activities:
Project consists of five major activities.
Activity 0. Project management
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
