Role of non-profit organizations in the provision of services of general interest in Latvia Gunta Anča Chair person of The Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability Organisations SUSTENTO Viceprezident of European Disability Forum Member of European Economic and Social Committee Board member of European Women’s Lobby Warsaw,6/3/2016

ccessibility vailability ffordability wareness

Procedure for the provision of social services Legal: The state determines: a minimum basket of services; the minimum quality requirements; procurement procedures; Local municipality determines: selection process of service providers; arrangements of service costs and fundings NGO is not specifically mentioned

Individual clients Organized clients Wealth Clients Poor clients Local municipality Services of Local municipality and its institutions NGO services Private Services Diferent NGOs Religios organisations Civil society initiatives Order Procuriment or direct payment Project based financing Demand/Client Supply

Social srvices in Latvia

2011 NGO - Social services providers organisations 2013 NGOs - Social services providers organisations

NGOs – providers of social services Advantages: Have high level expertise Have information about people who need these services Good knowledge of customers needs Ability to attract additional resources Ability to offer cheaper services Attract, train and coordinate volunteers Acquire and implement foreign experience Involve costumers in the solving of the problems You may use the funds/resources more flexibly.

Disadvantages: More difficult to control quality of services provided by NGO Local municipality has risk that service will not be provided due to lack of external Many local NGOs are not able to provide services according the criteria of social services of Ministry of Welfare.

Entrepreneurs – providers of social services Advantages: Cost-effectiveness Possibility to get partly subsidies from entrepreneur Disadvantages: Disadvantages : A focus on wealthy clients' needs Lack of knowledge of customer needs Small supply of services

Institutions of local municipalities – providers of social services Advantages: Local municipality has direct control over its institutions Warranty about sustainability of the services Possibility easier to use infrastructure of the local municipality Possibility to attract governmental resources

Institutions of local municipalities – providers of social services Disadvantages: Disadvantages : There is no competition which reduce quality of services Bureaucratic procedures make it impossible to adapt quickly to customer needs. There is no possibility of raising additional funding / resources

Flexibility of services In connection with the deinstititionalisation process rapidly increasing demand for smaller social services throughout the country Looking ahead: The need for a greater diversity of services

Obstacles to the development of NGO services There is no legal framework for social entrepreneurship There is not a political settings to provide sustainability of the ongoing projects Procurement regulation - the cheapest services only High administrative burden