Paper/Speech Details of Conference Program for the 14th NISPAcee Annual Conference Program Overview VIII. Working Group on Degree Programmes of Public Admin... Author(s) Armands Kalninsh I do not belong to any Institution Riga Latvia Silka Jolanta Title Public and self – government servants training opportunities in Latvia File Paper files are available only for conference participants, please login first. Presenter Abstract Latvia’s law “About Public service” of 1994 was provided that public service will be established also in municipalities. Of some reasons it was not done (reasons, which are usually mentioned according to this, are: municipality’s resistance, insufficient explanation of necessity to establish public service, lack of finance and others). “State public service law” of 2000 did not provide public service establishment anymore. Although even during the time of accepting law and also after it is discussed about the necessity to make amendments in law “About municipalities” or make the law about municipal public service, so that principles of public service organisation ascribe to municipal authorities organisation and management. One of the most problematical questions of municipalities` development is municipal authorities` systematic educating. Municipal authorities have got education in certain area (economics, finance, accountancy, labour law, pedagogy and others); besides a lot of them have only secondary education what totally is not enough nowadays. At that moment in Latvia is situation that municipal and its institutions authorities did not have the possibility to acquire public administration theoretical and practical knowledge and skills, which are based on effective strategic policy planning and implementation. If in state public servant education is established certain system- appropriate specialists educating takes place in Latvia University (Public management MA and doctoral studies), Daugavpils University (professional MA studies “Public and institutional management”), but state public servants further education- State administrative school, so in municipal authorities educating such system is not established in Latvia. However not all authorities have the necessity to get master degree in public administration to perform duties qualitative. Also Latvia municipal scholastic centres and regional adult educational centres have the task to do short- term topical courses. Nevertheless it is not possible to describe all public administration innovations and to do consonant courses all around Latvia, at least it is not the task or possibility of these centres. As from the 2006th the first time in Latvia is offered educational program “Public Administration specialist”(strategic policy planning and implementation) for municipal authorities. This program is offered by Accounting and financial college. It includes the experience of other countries and Latvia experience in municipal authorities or similar areas specialists’ education. This first level higher professional educational program is possible to get in 2 and half years, so to develop professional career in municipal and other public administration institutions, companies or organisations. This program also is good for those specialists who make or plan to make municipal deputies duties or are involved in public administration work. Educational program is made so that employers from public agencies and organisations could get needful knowledge and skills for their professional growth. It includes public administration, labour laws, economics and other subjects. As well additional subjects are offered. There are 30 000 authorities working in municipalities, what means that quite many municipal authorities will have the advanced educational possibility. Besides many municipal authorities are looking for qualitative and comprehensive educational possibilities, because they feel needs to get new knowledge and lifelong education. Especially topical this task becomes with Latvia integration in EU, its rapid growth and necessity to use EU opportunities especially in EU regional policy and structural funds. Municipal authorities’ needs are still researched to develop educational program further.
