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Latvia

Open Municipal Government (LV0043)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Latvia Action Plan 2019-2021

Action Plan Cycle: 2019

Status: Active

Institutions

Lead Institution: inistry of Environmental Protection and Regional Developmentin cooperation with the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments

Support Institution(s): State and municipal institutions VK, Latvian Association of Big Cities, other municipalitiesinstitutions, VSIA "Latvijas Vēstnesis" Representatives of the society Foundation for Public Participation Fund (PortalManaBalss.lv), Lilita Seimuškāne, University of LatviaOpen Society PartnershipIn Latvia ", Sabile Care Society" Kalme", KurzemeNGO Center, PROVIDUS Center for Public Policy,b Society “Latvian Civic Alliance”

Policy Areas

E-Government, Land Rights and Spatial Planning, Open Regulations, Public Participation, Subnational, Sustainable Development Goals

IRM Review

IRM Report: Pending IRM Review

Starred: Pending IRM Review

Early Results: Pending IRM Review

Design i

Verifiable: Yes

Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information

Potential Impact:

Implementation i

Completion: Pending IRM Review

Description

What are the major national and societal challenges that this commitment will address?
Municipalities are closer to the population than central state institutions, so many of them are accumulatedvaluable experience in involving the public in municipal development processes, budget planning,by organizing advisory councils, public project competitions or public documentingdiscussion. However, good practices are not sufficiently compiled to be shared. Recently it waspublished a compendium of good practices, including a number of high quality organized consultationsprocess examples. There is an urgent problem that should be addressed within the framework of this commitment over the next two yearsstrengthen citizens' participation in municipalities by educating and strengthening their participationability to participate. A number of important activities related to participation in municipalities will be implemented under Regional PolicyGuidelines 2021-2027 It is intended that:
• educate representatives of municipal institutions on the promotion of participation, mutualbenefits and types,
• Provide methodological support for capacity building for different groups in societyevents,
• Promote the implementation of participatory budgeting in municipalities by making necessary changeslaws and regulations.
The implementation of the Participatory Budget in municipalities is one of the issues discussed in this planduring development. Currently the participation budget in Latvia is implemented only in Riga City Municipality.The introduction of a participatory budget in other municipalities would also enable the involvement of citizens in the decisionadoption of the necessary changes in the municipality and the distribution of municipal fundingpriorities by submitting and voting on project ideas.
In developing this commitment, other directions to promote participation in municipalities were also identified.For example, local government referendums are an important tool for public participation. They allowfor a certain number of residents of the municipality to submit a question for decision of the City Council, but from the City Councilit depends on whether it complies with this request (analogous regulation to that contained in the Saeima Rules of Procedure, butmunicipal level). Municipal level collective submissions and petitions can be developed.Within this commitment, it is intended to launch an open local government movement. It aims to increase opennessand transparency in municipal work. Municipalities are involved in this movement on their own initiative,committing to certain actions. The responsible institutions, in cooperation with the State Chancellery, compile andpromotes results. The municipality can subscribe to the Open Governance Declaration to take actionchanges that encourage openness, such as improving access to information about participating in one's ownwebsite (for example, improve the accessibility of municipal binding regulations, make the employee public)list of working groups; highlight information on public consultations; NGO fundingopportunities, involvement of citizens in municipal work, etc. , etc.), to apply these Undertakingsto introduce a participatory budgetu. etc.

Similarly, since 2014, a number of municipalities have undertaken to implement analogous Estonian Action Plansinitiative to make their work more transparent and accessible to citizens. During the preparation of this Action Plan, the need to make the municipality more binding was identifiedaccessibility for the local population and the country as a whole,merchants. It would be useful to make available consolidated versions of binding rulesmunicipal websites and publish the official regulations of all municipalities"Latvijas Vēstnesis" and systematize legislation in the portal http://www.likumi.lv. It would empower anyoneinterested person to compare regulations issued by different municipalities. For example, for businesses it couldbe a useful tool for choosing the municipality in which to develop your business.

What is the commitment?
The commitment is to create a supportive environment in municipalities that focuses on practicing civic participationand more openness. The commitments include the following measures:
1. Reduce formalism in public involvement:
• pooling of good practice in public engagement and networking in practice,
• development of openness standards and recommendations for municipalities,
making recommendations on how to prepare the citizen for a discussion with members / council,
• Involving NGOs in problem solving• promotion of digital forms of participation (eg surveys),
• Provide a contact point on the municipal websites for information onopportunities for public participation in this municipality.

2. Improving the framework for participation and access to relevant information for citizensmunicipalities:
• municipalities are considering the possibility of including the process and issue of public participation; andthe proportion of proposals in their binding rules,
• municipalities are considering the inclusion of a "free microphone" in municipal council meetingsto include ideas in the regulations for citizens to express their ideas, as well as in committee meetings before city council meetingspublic participation section,
• Post a consolidated version of municipal regulations on municipal websites, not onlyindividual amendments,
• ensure that binding rules for all municipalities are published in the Official Gazette"Latvijas Vestnesis" and systematized in the legislative portal http://www.likumi.lv,
• make the format of municipal spatial development planning documents available to the populationfriendlier (such as an easy-to-read summary or a full format review).To organize trips to and reporting to members of the publicon the work done and planned.

3. Promoting educational initiatives on participation:
• implement initiatives in local governments to educate citizens on opportunities for participation.(Action 3 implements commitment 5)

4. Open Local Government Movement:
• Each municipality is invited to take action within its own Action Planmunicipalities, which promote openness, transparency of activities, accessibility for citizens andcitizen involvement,
• Municipalities for their involvement in the activities envisaged in this Action Plan and forcalls on the responsible authorities to be informed of the actions taken. State Chancellerythe information received shall be included in reports on the implementation of the Action Plan and may be passed on to otherscountries as good practice in Latvia.Upon entry into force of the plan, the responsible institutions with the support of the State Chancellery and in cooperation with alla commitment plan shall be drawn up between the parties involved, specifying the responsibilitieson the measures referred to in this section.

How will the commitment help to address the issues identified?
Commitment will increase openness in municipalities - openness and public participation.Recommendations will be made to ensure openness to municipalities, as well as to improve municipalitiesinternal regulation, including requirements for participation.On their own initiative, municipalities will be able to get involved in this plan and implement up-to-date opennessevents.The commitment is to provide high quality and comprehensible information to citizens.

Why is this commitment consistent with OGP values?
The commitment shall comply with the following OGP values:
• openness , as it involves wider disclosure to the public and helps to improvethe quality and comprehensibility of the information provided;
participation , as it is aimed at broader and more effective involvement of citizens in the work of local governments.

Additional information
Available commitment ornecessary financing
The commitment will be implemented from the parties involvedavailable from the state budget, municipal budget orthe budget of the organization.If ministries and other central authoritiesactivities related to the development of new digital tools,educational work or open municipal movements; orcoordination of the practical cooperation network will beneed additional state budget funding thenthe issue is on the 2021 draft state budgetand a medium-term budgetary framework projectpreparation process.

Relationship with other documents
Regionalpoliticiansguidelines2021-For the year 2027Conceptual Report "On Participatory Budgetingimplementation in Latvia " (under development)National Development Plan 2021-2027 year(in development)

Compliance with UN sustainable developmentgoals
Complies with UN Sustainable Development 16.7. for the sub-objective -“Ensure a flexible, inclusive, inclusive andrepresentative decision-making at all levels ”

Commitments

  1. Transparency in Public Procurement and Contracts

    LV0040, 2019, Access to Information

  2. Open Data

    LV0041, 2019, Access to Information

  3. Transparency in Lobbying

    LV0042, 2019, Capacity Building

  4. Open Municipal Government

    LV0043, 2019, E-Government

  5. Public Engagement in Policymaking

    LV0044, 2019, Capacity Building

  6. Anti-corruption Measures

    LV0045, 2019, Anti-Corruption

  7. Public Participation in Decision-Making

    LV0028, 2017, Access to Information

  8. e-Legal Services

    LV0029, 2017, Access to Information

  9. Open Data

    LV0030, 2017, Access to Information

  10. Lobbying Transparency

    LV0031, 2017, Capacity Building

  11. Budget Transparency

    LV0032, 2017, E-Government

  12. Whistleblower Protections

    LV0033, 2017, Anti-Corruption

  13. Ethics in Public Management

    LV0034, 2017, Capacity Building

  14. Zero Bureaucracy

    LV0035, 2017, Legislation & Regulation

  15. Open Public Procurement

    LV0036, 2017, Access to Information

  16. Transparency in State Management

    LV0037, 2017, Access to Information

  17. Beneficial Ownership

    LV0038, 2017, Anti-Corruption

  18. Evidence-Based Governance

    LV0039, 2017, Capacity Building

  19. Starred commitment Concept Note on Publishing Data

    LV0018, 2015, Access to Information

  20. Portal Drafting Legislature and Development of Planning Documents

    LV0019, 2015, E-Government

  21. Platform Unifying Gov. Webpages

    LV0020, 2015, E-Government

  22. Starred commitment Transparency of Selecting Candidates for the Boards and Councils of Public Entity Enterprises

    LV0021, 2015, Legislation & Regulation

  23. Supervising Officials Responsible of Public Resources

    LV0022, 2015, Anti-Corruption

  24. Sustainable Model of Financing NGOs

    LV0023, 2015, Civic Space

  25. Starred commitment Online Collection of Signatures on Referenda

    LV0024, 2015, E-Government

  26. Draft Law on Protecting Whistleblowers

    LV0025, 2015, Anti-Corruption

  27. Assessment of the System of the Financing Political Parties

    LV0026, 2015, Political Integrity

  28. Code of Ethics and a Public Administration Employee’S Handbook for Public Sector

    LV0027, 2015, Capacity Building

  29. NGO Fund

    LV0001, 2012, Capacity Building

  30. Strengthen Social Partners

    LV0002, 2012, Public Participation

  31. Trade Union Law

    LV0003, 2012, Civic Space

  32. NGO Co-Working

    LV0004, 2012, Civic Space

  33. Public Engagement Model

    LV0005, 2012, Open Regulations

  34. Internet Access Points

    LV0006, 2012, E-Government

  35. Public Service Assessment

    LV0007, 2012, Public Service Delivery

  36. Enhancing e-services

    LV0008, 2012, E-Government

  37. Transport e-services

    LV0009, 2012, E-Government

  38. Asset Disclosure

    LV0010, 2012, Anti-Corruption

  39. Lobbying Law

    LV0011, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  40. Whistleblower Protection

    LV0012, 2012, Anti-Corruption

  41. Public Subsidy Control

    LV0013, 2012, Private Sector

  42. State Owned Enterprises Management

    LV0014, 2012, Private Sector

  43. Single Platform for Government Websites and Information

    LV0015, 2012, E-Government

  44. Online Broadcasting From the Cabinet and Parliament

    LV0016, 2012, E-Government

  45. Website For Public Participation

    LV0017, 2012, E-Government

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