Enhancing Public Sector Innovation Capacity in Latvia - European Commission
Skip to main content
European Commission logo
enen
Strategy and policy
Reform Support

Enhancing Public Sector Innovation Capacity in Latvia

Supporting reforms to reinforce efficient and high quality public administrations

Funding Programme
Year
  • 2022

Enhancing Public Sector Innovation Capacity in Latvia

The Commission aimed to strengthen the capacity for public sector innovation in Latvia at both the national and municipal levels. By equipping the Latvian State Chancellery Innovation Lab with tools and strategies, the project enabled a more coordinated, evidence-based, and impactful approach to innovation. It resulted in an innovative capacity assessment, a national innovation strategy, and capacity-building efforts, particularly in policy design and strategic foresight.

Context 

Latvia has been undertaking reforms to modernize its public sector, including a competency framework and centralisation of key functions. However, innovation efforts have been fragmented and lacked systematic evaluation. With only 29.5% of Latvians trusting the government, there was a need to build confidence by making public services more responsive and innovative. This project directly contributes to the European Commission's policy priorities on digital transformation, public sector modernisation, and sustainability (including the New European Bauhaus initiative).

Support delivered  

The project was implemented through the Technical Support Instrument and delivered by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation in cooperation with the European Commission. Key activities included

  • Conducting a national and municipal-level innovative capacity assessment, incorporating surveys (1,600+ responses), literature reviews, and workshops.
  • Co-creating a National Public Sector Innovation Strategy through workshops and bilateral meetings.
  • Developing a monitoring framework to track innovation progress and outcomes.
  • Providing capacity-building on policy design and strategic foresight through training, workshops, and pilot projects.
  • Implementing innovation sprints on key issues, including affordable housing and the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative in Latvia.

Results achieved

  • A comprehensive innovative capacity assessment identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
  • A National Innovation Strategy with a vision for an effective and impactful public sector.
  • A monitoring framework to measure public sector innovation and its impact on public wellbeing.
  • Capacity-building for Latvian public servants in strategic foresight and policy design, applied to real challenges such as regional development and climate resilience.
  • Development of a two-year roadmap for the New European Bauhaus initiative in Latvia, ensuring cross-sector collaboration.
  • Increased awareness and participation in public sector innovation, with dissemination efforts including social media, blogs, and engagement with OECD working groups.

Useful links

More about the project

You can read the documents related to the project here: