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5 Conclusions 1)Constantly good overall implementation progress is in closing phase (88,6% projects and 70% of activities are completed); 2)State budget overcommitment of 81.4 mln. euro has a considerable role in sustaining financial progress, it has influenced achievement of indicators (many has been eceeded significantly), as well as solving shortage of funds for certain target groups; 4)Most output and result indicators of OP target values have been already reached or even exceeded; 5)There are only few of indicators where target values set in the OP will not be reached fully - Number of students studying for Masters’s degrees with ESF support (85,2%), Percentage of students enrolled in the improved vocational education programmes of the total number of vocational education students (14,3%); 6)Preparation for closure has been started already – different type of audits within intermediate bodies/ responsible authorities, as well within MA; 7)At beginning of 2016 MA will lauch work on the Final implementation report to EC; 8)As in Latvia for ESF activities/projects there were stricter requirements regarding sustainability than demanded by the amended Article 57 of Regulation (EU) No 539/2010, the discussion on the ESF- funded project ex-post monitoring was initiated by MA which resulted with changes of national regulations (lightening ex-post monitoring requirements).

Society Integration Foundation 7 Public foundation (established by the law on “Society Integration Foundation” in 2001) Intermediate body

Project information 8 Priority: 1.5. "Administrative Capacity Building" Measure : "Capacity Building of Human Resources" Sub-activity : "Administrative Capacity Building of NGOs" Project: "Capacity building of animal protection organizations" Project promoter: Ulubele Animal Shelter Total costs: ,68 EUR Project duration, months: 10

(animal police) Help animals (what to do when lost or found, hurt in a traffic accident, displays aggresiveness, cruelty or welfare violation is spotted) Reading-room (useful infotmation, laws and regulations, events, FAQ) Announcements (lost &found,in need for home, currently on the streets, luckies, in memoriam) Profiles of Animal shelters (contacts, etc.) 9

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Project «Development and Implementation of Motivation Program for Homeless Unemployed People» Administrated by European Social Fund Department (State Employment Agency) Budget - EUR Timing - 2 years Beneficiary - Riga Shelter Country - Latvia The aim - develop social care for homeless persons (incl. persons released from prison, people with disabilities, imminent disabilities or chronic illnesses). 11

Project activities 12

Outcome indicator 240 persons have received advanced social rehabilitation services during the project implementation. Interesting facts to mention: –6 persons found permanent job –60 persons show their ability to enter into working conditions/find job –Formed 2 pairs 13

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Finishing the ESF projects under programming period Aivars Voldeks Head of Programme Implementation Division Vilnius,

State Regional development agency  Agency was established on April 23, 2004;  The Agency is an authority operating under the Supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development;  employees More than 17 years of experience in different programme administration: programming period; programming period; -Swiss-Latvian cooperation programme; -Social Safety Net Strategy; -State Budget Programmes; -European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. 19

Activities of ESF in programming period 20 Activities of ESF ESF allocated financing (100 %), EUR Specialists recruited for the planning regions, cities and amalgamated local municipalities  Aim of activity: to attract specialists in local municipalities for the autonomous functions that must be at the same time new service of municipality  Eligible costs: salary of the attracted specialist for 24 month. After this period, municipalities must to maintain a specialist at least 6 months by their own financing Enhancing the administrative capacity and the capacity of development planning in regions and local municipalities  Aim of activity – eleboration of planning documents  Eligible costs: payment for services who develop planning documents (strategies, teritorial plans, development programms etc.) Total

What is done by ESF? 21 Results of activity «Specialists recruited for the planning regions, cities and amalgamated local municipalities»:  Completed 125 projects (of 126);  attracted 237 specialists (the most popular professions: project manager, social workers, lawyer, area organiser, building engineer, an economist). Results of activity «Enhancing the administrative capacity and the capacity of development planning in regions and local municipalities»:  Completed all 71 projects;  Eleborated 133 planning documents (investment plans, territorial plans, startegies, development programs)

Successful Stories I 22 Activity «Specialists recruited for the planning regions, cities and amalgamated local municipalities»:  creating 237 new jobs - the reduction in unemployment in municipalities;  most of the newly created jobs are retained even after project implementation;  municipalities have attracted qualified specialists to function better and more effective implementation;  local government offers a wider range of services to local citizens;  compatibility with other activities! For example attracted:  project managers prepare and implement ERDF projects;  lawyers are involved in implementation of ERDF projects as the organisators of public procurement;  area organizers helps to eleborate strategies and other planning documents in ESF activity;  social workers are employees, for example in social center that is created in ERDF project.

Successful Stories II 23 Activity «Enhancing the administrative capacity and the capacity of development planning in regions and local municipalities»:  133 development planning documents - long term effect for strategical development of municipalities;  some local municipalities cooperate with neighbouring municipalities to establish the common development programming documents for achieving common objectives;  a number of support programmes are implemented on the basis of local development programmes, i.e. municipality may take such investments, which they are the most necessary, but there is a condition that they must be included in the development programme. For example: major street reconstruction (road) to promote entrepreneurship, bridge construction, construction of concert halls, renewal or conversion of cultural and historical architectural monuments, etc.

Lessons learned 24  the lack of qualified specialists in the municipalities - repeatedly advertisements on established vacancies, including reduction of qualification requirements;  public procurement issues (procurements, which are related with the planning documents) - too high qualification requirements;  the public, including local residents and politicians, involvement in the eleboration of local development planning documents - the opportunity to express their views regarding the necessary infrastructure for business development, etc.

Thank You for Your attention! Questions? 25