Publikācijas (ESASAC) / Staff Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

https://dspace-dev.lu.lv/handle/7/49013

Browse

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Social Participation Through Volunteering as Co-production of Public Services: Case Study of Latvia
(University of Latvia, 2016-05-12) Putans, Romans; Starineca, Olga; Voroncuka, Inese
Active civic and social participation is considered to be significantly important for a country`s development in democratic societies. One of the popular forms of active citizenship is volunteering – the third economy sector that produces civic goods and/or services in which the public and private sectors are weak or inactive. In this aspect, volunteering is also a means for organized civil society to participate in the production of public services i.e. co-production. The aim of this research is the exploration of social participation in Latvia through volunteering, including its legal regulation and organizational setup, and identification of the aspects and prospects of volunteering in Latvia within the concept of co-production of public services. The research is exploratory by design. The main methods of the study applied are analysis and synthesis. Volunteering in Latvia is yet on its way to being considered a valuable part of general active citizenship and social participation, and admittedly even further from being a serious part of co-production. Compared to other European countries, volunteering in Latvia is a new way of social participation that mostly attracts youth and seniors. Volunteering is only a relatively recent recognized activity in Latvia, however this sector of economy is developing and has its achievements. The current research has both theoretical and practical application. The study is organised within the framework of the EU program’s “Europe for Citizens” international project “Volunteering – Code of Active Citizenship” implemented in cooperation with six partners from different EU member states under the leadership of Kaunas University of Technology.
The Feasibility Study of Innovative Public Policy Client-Accordance Index
(IIAS Study Group on ‘Coproduction of Public Services’, 2019-05-27) Putans, Romans
The role of the societies and their interaction with public administration is changing toward ever closer cooperation. Since 2009 scientific literature, and to a lesser extent also the public administrations themselves, have increasingly been exploring the changing and dynamic role of the recipient of public services, or the client, as that of a partner in the provision of public services. In scientific literature this phenomenon is described as the concept of co-production or co-creation of public services. This is foreseen as the next stage of evolution in the relationship between public administration and society. With growing and wide-ranging social and civil participation in overall public governance, it is inevitable that new tools and approaches will be needed to facilitate the cooperation and co-production between policy makers and society itself. Furthermore, similar growing tendencies and principles of closer cooperation between providers and recipients can also be found business sector, most visibly in e.g. social entrepreneurship and crowdfunding. This, in turn, can give additional lessons to learn from in understanding the possible developments of the co-production of public services. Author`s proposed policy client-accordance index (PCA index), which measures the relevance of policy planned results and policy-makers’ expectations in relation to clients` intentions, is a draft try to contribute to this necessity. Such a research to large extent tackles also the general problem of insufficiency of innovation in public governance. The main goal of the research is to set for the experts` discussion on the applicability and challenging aspects of the feasibility and to test the possible transfer of the author`s developed Latvian youth policy case-based policy client-accordance evaluation methodology model for evaluating the relevance of any public administrations` policies to the intentions of the policy`s respective client target group – the client-accordance index of a given public policy. The research design essentially consists of 1) selection of public policy areas, 2) identification of main policy intentions and expectations, including the review of methodologies to do so, 3) categorizing the segments of the respective policy`s clients` target groups. To conduct the research on these stages, the contents analysis of respective legislative acts and expert interviews are to be conducted. The fourth stage of research design shall be 4) setting of the methodologies to collect the respective policy`s clients` target group intentions and evaluations with regard to the co-production process in the public governance in the respective policy area. Large focus of the research is planned to be put on the usage of existing data or collection of data for clients`/co-producer`s profiling – their interests, intentions, needs. The uncertain concept of the big-data, the risks of the surveillance state as well as the certain concerns of data privacy issues in relation to state information registers shall be reviewed. The research methods includes, firstly, scientific literature analyses to review the applications of relevant theories, experts` discussions and analyses of several empirical studies in EU countries. The literature research and experts` discussions forms the basis of creating the draft typology and structure of public policies, its respective services` groups, client target groups, and client-based approaches as an integral part of co-production. Then the feasibility of the author`s developed youth policy case study based client-accordance index methodology model shall be analysed. The main expected outcome of the research is the classification of typology of public policies, their respective services, client groups, and most importantly adjusted feasibility methodologies of client-accordance index measurement showing the integrity level of coproduction of public services.
From Design to Service Design, and Co-production
(2019-05-27) Zarina, Solvita
This paper focuses on interdisciplinary approach to finding similarity of problems and their solutions, how both governmental institutions and designers can deal with service and social design, co-creation and co-production. The paper provides an empirical analysis of several case studies, one of which was a co-production session held by CITADEL Team and students of the Computing Faculty, University of Latvia. The Conclusion part marks a possible future scenario, involving in co-production the students from design, as well as other relevant departments, thus helping to engage young citizens, and at the same time future professionals in a better delivery of public services.
Digitalization in the regional context: the case of e-government services in Latvia
(Warsaw University, Centre for Europe, 2018-12-15) Muravska, Tatjana; Stacenko, Sergejs; Zeibote, Zane
This article examines problems of the digital trends in economies and societies from two perspectives: the extension of a digital economy to social dimensions, and the role of digital government services in regional cohesion perspectives in Latvia. This methodological approach could serve as a tool for integrating a number of main goals related to the digitalisation trends in the EU, that require support of societies as well as the improvement of social welfare at the regional and national levels. The contribution aims to offer insight into the concept of social investment and innovation as well as co-creation concept and the impact of digitalisation of public services on regional cohesion. The study observes these implications in relation to the need to expand and adapt the content and approach of the digital services implementation. The further digital development as a precondition for diminishing regional and well being divide, facilitating administrative processes for people and entrepreneurs, as well as e-services availability in Latvia is discussed. The article concluded that efficient decision-making related to social investment and innovation for improving social welfare at regional and national levels needs implementation of digitalised services in a wider scale as they inevitably become more important due to the increased digital competitiveness of countries.
Digital single market conducive to the promotion of social dialogue and social investment in the regional cohesion context
(University of Latvia, 2017-05-20) Muravska, Tatjana; Zeibote, Zane; Stacenko, Sergejs
This article examines problems of the digital single market from two perspectives: the extension of a digital economy beyond capital, goods and services to other areas of the economy including labour markets, social dialogue and social dimensions, and from the role of digital government services in regional cohesion perspectives in Latvia. This methodological approach could serve as a tool for integrating a number of main goals related to the Digital Single Market (DSM), that require support of societies as well as the improvement of social welfare at the regional and national levels. This contribution aims to offer insight into the concept of social dialogue (SD) in DSM and the impact of the DSM on regional cohesion. The study observes these implications in relation to the need to expand and adapt the content and approach of the DSM implementation. The further digital development as a precondition for diminishing regional and wellbeing divide in Latvia is discussed. The role of electronic government services and social investment is examined based on the qualitative interviews among users of Unified state and municipal customer service centres (CSC) in Latvia. The article provides recommendations to social partners for DSM regulatory system of decision-making as well as social investment for improving social welfare at regional and national levels. It is concluded that the digitalization and implementation of SDM have inevitably become more important due to the increased digital competitiveness of countries.

Browse

Recent Submissions