eInclusion Policies and facilitation of Motivation: Experience in Latvia Agrita Groza Deputy State Secretary Ministry of Welfare, Latvia

The Latvian government is implimenting the socioeconomic programm “e-Latvia” which defines the priorities and strategies for ICT development in the country for the coming years: Promote free competition in the market of information and electronic communication services; Ensure rational and efficient use of limited national resources (radio frequency spectrum, numbering and addressing); Encourage education of society in the area of information technologies; Implement public e-government and wider accessible e-government services, introduce electronic signatures, at the same time putting in order the public administration structure, and ensure strong co-ordination in the creation of various information systems of national importance; Develop public Internet access points.

Basic facts about Information Society development in Latvia 54% of the population have used a computer and 82% of those have used it within the last six months. But among the unemployed only 34% have used a computer. The locations where a computer was used were: 51% at home, 46% at work or at school. Currently just 25% of households have computers at home. The prices of PCs in comparison with average salaries are high in Latvia. 33% of people was used Internet in Latvia in 2004 In Latvia, the number of broadband connections per 100 residents was only 2.4 at the beginning of 2005, compared to the EU average of 9 per 100, although increasing by 66% in a six-month period; Only 1,5% of Latvia’s inhabitants shopped online, 9,8% of population use e-banking service, but 90,2% did not use e-commerce transactions; Only 20% of municipalities have Internet home pages, mainly in the regional centres and big cities;

The “digital device” is influenced by the following negative factors: Low average income level (only 45% of the EU average GDP per capita); The prices of PCs in comparision with average salaries are high in Latvia; Regional disparities: there are significant differences in relation to employment levels and revenue indicators between cities and rural areas; Demographic trends: population of Latvia continued to decrease, Latvia faces problem of population ageing; Low level of internet access is a serious problem in remote and poorer rural areas. The availability of ICT infrastructure in schools, libraries and municipalities is increasing from year to year, however there is much room for improvement. Poor access to the communication networks is a serious barrier for development of the information society. High percentages of people with no e-skills say that they have no motivation or no need to develop these.

How to improve situation and motivate To ensure inclusion of all social groups into the information society and to improve their quality of life, To empower everyone to have access to knowledge, To encourage to work with information technologies; To make use of e-services provided by the national and local governments and the private sector, To invest more and more efficiently in human capital at all ages; as well as create distance learning possibilities; To make work possibilities more attractive and to use tele-work possibilities. To invest in adequate infrastructure and harnessing the potential of new, accessible ICT for all.

Example of motivation (1) LIKTA’s initiative - particularly the EQUAL project „Training in Computer and Internet Usage of Unemployed in Latvia”, which targets one of the most vulnerable social groups who find it difficult to achieve social integration, often because of a lack of skills, offer such basic training. The “Basic Information Society Skills” Certificate is a good example of motivation from LIKTA EQUAL project. Each person who completes the course receives an official “Basic Information Society Skills” certificate, which is recognised by the Secretariat of Electronic Government Affairs. Holders of the certificate can apply for more in-depth computer training courses. They can make free use of computers and the internet at public internet access facilities. Each recipient of a certificate also receives a free address. People in rural regions also receive reflectors with the symbols of the project so that on dark winter evenings they can safely make their way to internet access facilities. They’ll learn to save time and money by paying their bills through internet banks. The mass media have helped to ensure a very positive image for the certificate in Latvia, and so people are very pleased to receive it.

Example of motivation (2) Activities of the National Employment Agency The National Employment Agency, NVA, offers a variety of modular professional education courses for free to officially registered unemployed people with the objective of raising their qualification level or retraining them. The shortest course comprises 40 hours of classroom instruction and lasts about two months. ICT instruction is also offered in 120 hour-long courses covering office applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, internet) or PC hardware. Unfortunately, many of those who register for a course drop out without finishing it for lack of motivation. Longer courses are also offered leading to a professional diploma. NVA is a strategic partner in the LIKTA EQUAL project. It will benefit from the short eight-hour basic e-skills instruction modules that will motivate some of the participants to continue with additional, higher-level ICT instruction courses.

Development of e-services provided by the institutions of Ministry of Welfare (1) Under national program “ICT development for administrative institutions of social service system” of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) there are being implemented two projects: The development of the network of technical aids data base and technical provision (project implementation period from 2004 to 2005); The development of disability information system (project implementation period from 2004 to 2006). An objective of these projects is to establish a unified database and to develop unified ICT establishment in the State Commission for Expertise for Health and Capacity for Work and the Technical Aids Center and their regional units, thereby ensuring the quality of communication, circulation of information and quality of services in all regions. Simultaneously it provides precise statistics and compatibility of existing database for efficient use of data and multi- sectoral co-operation, in order to plan effective measures to reduce social exclusion of disabled people.

Development of e-services provided by the institutions of Ministry of Welfare (2) State Social Insurance Agency plans to implement a project that will provide technical and program support for effective, modern and qualitative electronic service on social security field. Prospective results: improved quality of the State Social Insurance Agency’s services, int. al., information’s accessibility for customers provided operative and qualitative customer support provided information exchange with other information systems

Development of e-services provided by the institutions of Ministry of Welfare (3) State Employment Agency some of its services provides online simultaneously with detailed information about all provided services. possibility to consult with specialists of SEA at web site forum or via online information on regional seminars and topical evens for employers online data basis of registered job vacancies in Latvia and abroad and information about working and life conditions in EU countries (EURES). The State Employment has received support for implementing information society and maintaining wider usage of information communication technologies from ESF and PHARE programms.