ANNUAL MEETING
SWISS-LATVIAN COOPERATION PROGRAMME
April 2016 – March 2017
Riga, May 2017
Agenda
1. Completion of last 3 projects:
 Youth Initiatives programme
 Sarkandaugava remediation
 Financial reporting
2. Swiss Programme’s results – impacts
3. Further actions towards closure
2
Agenda
1.Completion of last 3 projects:
 Youth Initiatives programme
Sarkandaugava remediation
Financial reporting
2. Swiss Programme’s results – impacts
3. Further actions towards closure
3
Youth initiative – outputs overreached - 175%
OUTCOME - Equal rights to youth from
less developed regions to get involved in
youth work and non-formal education
activities
 196 trainings, seminars, conferences,
forums for youth and persons involved
in youth work
 5268 participants from all planning
regions of Latvia
OUTCOME - Socially active young
people
in
peripheral
and
disadvantaged regions
 26 multifunctional youth
initiatives centres in peripheral
and disadvantaged regions
 safe environment for youth
Youths’ social and work skills
improved
 15 methodological training materials
elaborated
4
Youth initiative – sustainability ensured
Post completion issue solved – all agreements with municipalities
includes condition - youth centres operational by 31 March 2027.
Main conclusions form programme’s final evaluation report:
- Centres has substantially strengthened the support environment
for non-formal youth activities and youth work;
- Centres have great importance to young peoples lives – 49% of
attending centre 3 or more times a week;
- Trainings and events had positive impact on youth workers'
competences and capacity and encouraged impulse of new
initiatives.
Ministry of Education and Science will take into account evaluation's
conclusions and recommendations to enhance the support to efficient
education, training and quality youth work - measures co-financed by
the EU Erasmus+ Programme.
5
Youth Initiative - Publicity/Swissness
In
October
2016
opening
of
multifunctional youth initiative centre
«Dinamīts» in Balvi with participation of
Ambassador of Swiss Confederation in
Latvia.
Study visit to Switzerland was organized in cooperation with Swiss organization
Euforia on October 2016 - representatives from Swiss and Latvian youth centres
exchanged best practises and gained valuable experience.
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Youth initiative - Video
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Agenda
1.Completion of last 3 projects:
 Youth Initiatives programme
Sarkandaugava remediation
Financial reporting
2. Swiss Programme’s results – impacts
3. Further actions towards closure
8
Sarkandaugava remediation in 3 sites –
outputs overreached - 108%
OUTCOME - quality of
groundwater and surface
water improved
 Groundwater and surface
water quality indicators
achieved - pollution
reduced by 60-70%
 1 712 tons (111%) of
floating oil products
pumped out till mid of May
2017
OUTCOME - quality of
soil and ground
improved
 Soil quality indicators
achieved -pollution is
reduced by 60-70%
 In total 7 122 tons
(more than 111%) of
polluted soil excavated
OUTCOME - inflow of
pollution prevented
 376 metres long
(104%)
waterproof barrier
and 110 metres
long drainage
system installed
! Threats to human
health reduced!
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Sarkandaugava remediation –
fully completed by June 2017
Post Remediation Monitoring Concept for
historically polluted sites developed – on 1
June 2017 will be presented during project’s
final conference
Infrastructure use & sustainability - will be
ensured
10
Sarkandaugava remediation - Swissness
 Valuable experiences and knowledge were
gained in April 2017 study visit on post
remediation monitoring in Switzerland site
“Kollinken”,“La Pila” in Fribourg and in
Austria
sites
“Benda
Lutz”,
“Kemmelbach”,“Siemans” & around Linz.
 On 1 June 2017 Project’s closing conference
on remediation of the polluted sites in
Latvia - Swiss experts will share
Switzerland’s experience.
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Agenda
1.Completion of last 3 projects:
 Youth Initiatives programme
Sarkandaugava remediation
Financial reporting
2. Swiss Programme’s results – impacts
3. Further actions towards closure
12
Financial Reporting – main outputs reached
OUTCOME & Impact - strengthened capacity within the regulatory community &
accountancy profession & enhanced transparency
17 Trainings on International
Standards on Auditing,
International Financial Reporting
Standards, tax field
Enhancement of public debates
on regulatory issues




Strengthened capacity of Latvian
institutions to be active within
European policy-making process (ROSC
report, international
conferences/workshops on financial
reporting and auditing)
Guide on Accounting for micro commercial companies developed
Training program for the sworn auditor candidates developed
Sworn auditor qualification examination programme updated
Trainings for 223 internal auditors in public administration - strengthened
professional capacity ( satisfied ~ 8,5 out of 10)
13
Financial Reporting –
fully completed by June 2017
 Guides elaborated:
– for Ministry of Finance as competent authority in case of
administrative proceedings with auditors
– on operating and oversight of public entity’s audit committee
– RISK: for municipalities to enhance cooperation with sworn
auditors during audits (may be not accepted by EA due to low
quality)
 IT Software system for the oversight of the sworn auditors
(Database)
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Financial Reporting - Swissness
3 experience exchange seminars for internal auditors in cooperation with
Swiss partner Institute of Internal Auditors of Switzerland
Topics: Assurance Mapping and Frameworks; Performance Audit;
Effective Techniques for Successful Risk – Based Audits
Feedback: > 90% rated trainings as good or excellent & useful
15
Interactive way to show benefits in easy and attractive
way – Facebook, Twitter etc...
Guide on Accounting organization – overall benefit
After – structured road map
Before - CHAOS
– efficiency gains, trust
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Interactive way to show benefits in easy and attractive
way – Facebook, Twitter etc...
Trainings – overall benefit
Before – all or nothing
After – according to
competence level & needs
17
Interactive way to show benefits in easy and
attractive way – Facebook, Twitter etc...
IT support tool for sworn auditors – overall benefit
Before - inefficiency
After – professional, upto date info, time savings
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Agenda
1. Completion of last 3 projects:
 Youth Initiatives programme
Sarkandaugava remediation
Financial reporting
2. Swiss Programme’s results –
impacts
3. Further actions towards closure
19
Regional development and security
Impact
Results
110
6 360
 Enhanced access to
education
 Increased safety of school
children in rural and less
developed regions
transported average
per
day
 Enhanced fire safety at
Overall
115
14 800
school in rural and less
developed regions
 Increased knowledge
about fire safety
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Youth
centres
 Extended youth centres
network for youth initiatives
 Created safe environment for
youth to spend qualitative
leisure time activities
Sustainability:
busses,
fire safety,
youth centres
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Justice - courts are more accessible and effective
Reached results
94
+
video
conference
equipment
units
+
308
In all
courts and
prisons in
Latvia
sound
recording
equipment
units
Impact
 Latvia’s justice
system become
more
technologically
advanced;
 More effective and
accessible courts
proceedings
 General public
security and safety
enhanced
(minimised cases of
prisoners’ convoys
from prison to court
and back)
Sustainability ensured
 Swiss Programmes
Courts Modernization
project in Latvia
created impulse for
further development
 Within ESF project
additional
videoconferences
equipment will be
installed in courts to
provide trainings
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Environment and infrastructure – threats
to human health reduced
Reached results
More than 1700 tons
Territory released from
floating oil products
More than 7100 tons
Tons of polluted soil with
oil products excavated
376 metres long
Waterproof barrier
Impact
Refreshed and
improved
quality of soil,
ground,
groundwater and
surface water
Eliminated
pollution inflow
in the Daugava
River and Baltic
Sea
Sustainability
will be ensured
due to installed
waterproof
barrier and
drainage
system
22
Private sector – enhanced economic
activities
Reached results
21
Seminars, trainings for
auditors, tax inspectors,
internal auditors,
accountants, academical
staff
2 IT systems
• Support tools for sworn
auditor companies
• and for oversight of
auditors
More than 1300
Micro Loans issued
Impact
Enhanced conformity of
Latvian accounting and
auditing legislation with
internationally recognized
practise
Improved administrative
and professional capacity in
accounting and auditing
policy elaboration and its
applications
More than 3100 work
places saved/newly created
Enhanced access to micro
loans contributed the growth
of employment and business
in regions
Sustainability
will be ensured
due to:
• operationality
of both IT
systems;
• Micro Loan
Fund is
operational by
June 2020
23
Education and research –
improved knowledge
Reached results
More than 90
Researchers
from
Switzerland
provided
lectures in
Latvian higher
education
institutions
27
scholarships
More than 6500
Students, academic
staff, researchers
participated in
lectures and
research activities
50
Research publications,
incl. 30 with Swiss
researchers
Impact
Possibility to gain
new knowledge
Increased quality
of higher education
and research
activities
Strengthened
scientific potential
of Latvian higher
education and
research
institutions
Promoted
research based
higher education's
development
Sustainability Ministry of
Education and
Sciences would
use final
evaluation
results to enhance the
support to
efficient
education,
training and
quality youth
work
24
Non - governmental sector –
improved life quality
Reached results
More than 14 480
Children and youth
+
More than 6200
Seniors involved in
activities to enhance
their life quality
Impact
Closer cooperation
between the NGO
and public sectors
encouraged
(especially with local
municipalities)
Enhanced work
with the groups in
risk of social
exclusion and
poverty
Sustainability:
several projects'
activities are still
operational and
supported by
municipalities
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2. Impressive financial progress – 97% of Contribution invested
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Agenda
1. Completion of last 3 projects:
 Youth Initiatives programme
Sarkandaugava remediation
Financial reporting
2. Swiss Programme’s results –
impacts
3. Further actions towards closure
27
Further actions towards closure
Complete activities in last 3 projects till 13 June
2017 (Sarkandaugava, Financial reporting, TAF)
Last 3 final financial projects’ audits
Last projects’ reports (issue/proposal to discuss
– last projects PIR &PCR combining)
Final Swiss Programme Report (by NCU)
Monitoring of post completion obligations (EA, IB,
CFCA and NCU)
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Thank You for attention!
Dankeschön!
Un grand merci!
Grazie mille!
Minister of finance Ms.Dana Reizniece-Ozola
and Ambassador of Swiss Confederation in
Latvia Mr. Markus Niklaus Paul Dutly signed
amended protocol on double taxation on
2 November 2016
More information on:
www.swiss-contribution.lv
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