Summary
Administration of State financial instruments
The SRDA provides administration for previously started State funded programmes "Development of Specially Supported Territories" and "Income Tax Relief for the Development of Enterprises in Specially Supported Territories", and since 2007 has administrated five new national support instruments for the development of local municipalities – "Support for Local Municipality Investment projects", "Earmarked Subsidies to the Local Municipalities for Providing Free Internet and Computer Access at Local Municipality Libraries", "Earmarked Subsidies to Planning Regions, Districts, and Local Municipalities for Developing Territorial Planning and Amendments thereof", "Earmarked Subsidies for the Activities of the Local Municipalities", and "Support for the Development of Territorial Infrastructure"...
Administration of the EU fund activities
Since 2004, the SRDA has provided administration for the grant scheme co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund "Support for Investment in Business Development in Specially Supported Territories".
In the programming period of the EU funds for 2007-2013, since 2008 the SRDA has provided the functions of cooperation authority for seven other EU Fund financed activities – "Attracting Specialists to the Planning Regions, Cities and Amalgamated Local Municipalities", ”Promoting the Administrative and Development Planning Capacity of Planning Regions and Local Municipalities", "Development of Nursery School Infrastructure at Development Centres of National and Regional Importance", "Support for the Development of Accessible Alternative Social Care Services", "Support for the Development of Internet Points Accessible to the Public","Promoting the Development Centres of National and Regional Importance for Balanced Development of the Country", "Sustainable Development of the City of Rīga".
During the EU fund programming period 2007-2013, the SRDA as a cooperation institution ensures the implementation of the activities co-financed by the ERDF and ESF for more than 200 million lats.
Management of the grant scheme of the Norwegian financial instrument
In accordance with a contract signed between the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, the SRDA will administrate, from 2008 to 2010, the grant scheme "Short Term Expert Fund" co-financed by the bilateral financial instrument of the Norwegian government.
Since 2008, the SRDA has been administrating the grant scheme "Short Term Expert Fund" co-financed by the bilateral financial instrument of the Norwegian government. The objective of these programmes is to address the problems identified in the National Development Plan, by adjusting and improving the infrastructure of local municipalities in order to attract investments and promote the accessibility to services for the population in the territories of local municipalities.
Analysis and assessment of statistical information
One of the main lines of SRDA activities is analytical work involving assessment of territorial development, defining the development trends and the impact analysis of the development support instruments. For analysis, sets of sectoral, demographic and social-economic indicators are used, as for monitoring regional policy, regular and systematic collection, processing and analysis of quantified information on the financial resources of implementing the support instruments for regional development and the result indicators in the State territories are of prime importance. It has been envisaged to provide the necessary statistical indicators for the needs of the Monitoring and Assessment System of regional development as well as to assess the statistical information which, in its stead, will serve as a basis for further analytical work in addressing the issues of state development..
In order to have success in the above mentioned analytical work, and do quality assessment of the impact of various development planning documents on the whole country or separate territories, the SRDA in cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Development and Local Governments is preparing the Regional Development Monitoring and Assessment System (RDMAS).
Thematic research
The SRDA is doing thematic research based an the data and figures available and taking into account the qualitative and sectoral information, necessary for assessing regional policy and planning the development of the country. The analysis of the statistical information will form the basis both for choosing the research themes and for doing the research. The research will be done in different ways – part of the research will be done by the SRDA researchers, part will be done by outsourcing (engaging experts or competent companies), and part will be done by combining both ways.
A separate research field is development modeling scenario building and forecasting. It has been envisaged to prepare different development indicator models, to use statistical and expert evaluation methods in forecasting and modeling development, as well as to do analysis of the logical connection of the RDMAS with the indicators of the state development planning documents and prepare recommendations for their assessment.
First level financial control
In accordance with the mandate of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, as of 2004, the SRDA performs the first level financial control of the Latvian partners of projects adopted within the framework of the European Community initiative programmes INTERREG III A, B, C, ESPON, INTERACT and URBACT, which involves the preparation of 350 opinions within a year. In the new EU funds programming period, the number of cross-border cooperation programmes accessible to Latvia has largely increased as well as the number of projects submitted by Latvia's partners.
In compliance with the requirements of the regulatory enactments of the Republic of Latvia and the European Union as well as the guidelines of the above mentioned programmes, the first level financial control includes an assessment of the accounting, efficiency and correspondence of the tasks performed within the framework of the projects with the planned result, as well as a check-up of the tangible and intangible assets acquired or created during the implementation of the projects and the activities organized..
Transnational cooperation projects
One of the SRDA fields of activity is raising foreign financial resources and participating in transnational activities, ensuring thus exchange of information and experience and promoting the SRDA objectives more effectively. The SRDA participates in bilateral and cross-border cooperation projects as well as in implementing the financial programmes of foreign countries..
Ensuring the administrative work of the INTERREG III B Secretariat and the Programme Joint Technical Secretariat
In accordance with the contract concluded with the Investment Bank of Schleswig-Holstein in 2004, the SRDA will ensure the administrative work of the INTERREG III B Secretariat till the end of 2008. It includes providing the office premises and the necessary facilities for the employees of the INTERREG III B Secretariat, as well as legal, accountancy and administrative support during the whole period of its activities..
During the programming period of the EU funds for 2007-2013, the SRDA will provide administrative support to the Programme Joint Technical Secretariat and to two Information Points.
Ensuring the administrative work of the VASAB Secretariat
According to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of 2006 on the VASAB (Vision and Strategy around the Baltic Sea) Secretariat having its premises in Rīga, the SRDA ensures its work.
A short history on establishment of the State Regional Development Agency is available here
