Roundtable Participatory community and regional development. 20th September, Balti, Republic of Moldova. Project “Overcoming the Digital Divide: Access for Rural Communities”. This project is implemented with the financial support of the East East Beyond Borders Program of the Soros Foundation-Moldova.

1. Information society
Development in Latvia:
A Public Private Partnership
approach
Latvian Information and Communications
Technology Association
Moldova, September 20, 2012

2. About LIKTA
LIKTA – Latvian Information and Communications Technology
Association (established in 1998)
A non-profit NGO representing the ICT industry and ICT
professionals
LIKTA unites more than 200 members:
Over 80 organizations of ICT industry, research and educational
institutions
Individual members (ICT professionals) and other associations
LIKTA is an active member of Pan-European associations:
Telecentre Europe association
CEPIS – Council of European Professional Informatics Societies
ECDL – European Computer Driving License Foundation

3. LIKTA goals
Promoting national ICT strategy and development of Information
Society
Promoting ICT education and digital skills, Latvia@World initiative,
use of ICT technologies in education and 3 rd sector
Fostering e-Services and e-Government development, use of ICT in
different sectors and industries
Encouraging ICT Industry development and growth, export
incentives
Harmonization of regulation and legislation in ICT, implementation
of EU regulatory framework
Promoting and Implementing the Goals of Digital agenda for
Europe in Latvia

4. Information society development and
e-Inclusion actors in Latvia
State – provides political framework financing and development of e-
services and e-government
Municipalities (communes) – support local communities, identify
citizens and enterprises needs, have political, administrative and
financial power in their territories
NGO – unites different groups of citizens, develop e-Inclusion
initiatives and programs, work as catalizators in the commune and
nationally. Main channel of awareness rising!
Businesses: supports NGO and communities:
ICT and business expertise
Donations – financial and non financial
PPP as a standard approach in Latvia
Different partners complement each other with their resources and
expertise

5. ICT charter
The aim of the ICT Charter:
to define clear and measurable objectives for smart use of ICT
and development of information society in Latvia
To define 6 priority areas to be implemented over a period of 5
years
LIKTA in cooperation with the government and other stakeholders
dedicates to commit all its resources and goodwill for:
Better access to public services
More efficient governance and business environment
Improved learning process
Better health care
Quality life-long learning
Conveniently accessible cultural heritage

6. Empowered e-Citizen
In order to allow population access
all available e-services, bypassing
administrative barriers, we need to
implement the following:
E-identity for each citizen
(e-ID card, e-signature)
E-mail address for each citizen
Digital devices (computers,
smartphones) for better access

7. Smart e-Citizen
To make better use of e-environment the
citizens must be digitally literate.
Therefore we need to implement the following:
Interactive, modern learning processes
Digital learning materials, e-books
Comprehensive digital content in Latvian
Trained citizens of how to use e-services

8. The Most Efficient e-Government in Europe
Efficient e-government at national and
municipal level can be provided through
integrated and intuitive e-services:
Re-use of public sector information
E-procurements
Use of open data
90% electronic document exchange
Public private partnership (PPP)

9. Competitive Business Environment
ICT is a part of infrastructure that helps business to
facilitate productivity, competitiveness and export
growth.
Therefore we need to implement the following:
Tax incentives for investment in ICT
Support for creation of new, innovative and
ICT-oriented business start-ups
ICT skills and knowledge training targeting
micro and small enterprises

10. Active Ageing
In order to use ICT as a support tool for
improving quality of human life (ageing
well), we need to implement the following:
Integrated patient data base and unified
electronic health record
E-prescriptions
ICT infrastructure for remote care
ICT integration in life-long learning

11. Conveniently Accessible Cultural Heritage
Technologies contribute to stronger national identity,
development of culture, preservance and promotion of
Latvian cultural heritage.
Therefore we need to implement the following:
To make cultural heritage accessible through
electronic environment (digital libraries, e-museum,
e-archives)
Development of Latvian language and its
preservation in the e-environment
Publishing of new e-books in Latvian

12. LIKTA Initiative Latvia@World
Goal – to diminish the digital and social
gaps in society
More than 110 000 people have acquired
different level of e-Skills since 2005
Latvia@World – an example of PPP,
accumulated resources from:
ESF and other EU funding programmes
Governmental support programmes
Private donors
Municipal funding

14. LIKTA – Coordinator of Get Online Week
Get Online Week – Europe wide
campaign to get new computer
users online and promote e-
services and e-skills
2010 2011 2012
Participants 20 000 41 000 36 000
Partners 100 200 200
Events 300 709 750

16. % of internet users sending filled forms to public auth.

17. Knowledge Distribution Network
Cooperation with 874 libraries
accross country
- All libraries – WiFi equipped
- Librarians as e- ambassadors
and tutors
• 706 librarians trained
• >77% of library visitors use
internet
• ~70% - improved
accessibility of
government services

18. ICT Training for Micro and Small Enterprises
Carried out by LIKTA in cooperation with
Latvian State Investment and Development
agency
Total value of project over 1.95 MLN EUR
Sub-financing from European Social fund –
80%
In 3 years more than 6000 managers and
employees of micro and small enterprises
will receive ICT training, 16 different training
programmes available
Training will take place around Latvia in 10
regional cities, classroom training combined
with advanced e-learning courses

19. Facebook.com/IfYouLikeLatviaLatviaLikesYou

20. LIKTA ICT Charter – Digital Agenda for Europe Action Plan in Latvia