The social cohesion policy implemented by the Ministry of Culture is not targeted and does not provide measurable results. Despite its importance in the internal security of the country, the policy lacks clear planning, coordination and specific achievable indicators. Complete information on the sector's funding and its spending is not available. The State Audit Office of Latvia calls on the Ministry of Culture to improve policy planning and implementation significantly by setting clear priorities, coordinating state institutions involved effectively and cooperating more closely with local and regional governments and population. A data-based monitoring system is needed that would allow assessing the impact and effectiveness of the policy. Special attention should be paid to improving the Latvian language learning system for adults, as it is one of the most important tools for promoting social cohesion, the State Audit Office of Latvia concluded in its audit.
BRIEFLY:
- The area of a cohesive society affects many sectors and has been identified as one of the national security priorities.
- The Ministry of Culture develops a social cohesion policy that is unclear, fragmented and ineffective. There is a lack of coordination among state institutions and public involvement in the planning and implementation of this policy. The role of Social Integration Fund is unclear.
- There are no clearly defined indicators that would allow assessing the impact of the policy and the dynamics of social cohesion. The measures taken so far are not purposefully oriented towards achieving specific results.
- Common finances for the implementation of the policy cannot be determined and there is a lack of clarity about the use of funds.
- Latvian language lessons for adults are uncoordinated, organised by various state institutions without a common strategy, and data on learning outcomes is lacking.
A cohesive society is a society that works for the well-being of all members of society, fights against social exclusion, creates a sense of belonging, promotes trust and ensures upward social mobility for its members, or an increase in participation and action opportunities regardless of social status.
“A cohesive society is an essential factor in the internal security of the country but our social cohesion policy is not targeted because it is general, does not provide an understanding of the problems to be solved, the desired situation and achievable results. Policy planning and implementation are fragmented and uncoordinated, and the invested funds are not identified. We expect that by implementing the audit recommendations, the policy of the Ministry of Culture for a cohesive society will be clear, targeted, with an effective coordination and cooperation mechanism, and the public will be provided with clear and comprehensive information on the work done, achieved results and the funding spent to implement the policy,” emphasised Ms Inga Vilka, Council Member of the State Audit Office of Latvia.
In Latvia, the Ministry of Culture has been responsible for the policy of cohesive society since 2011. The government has approved the Guidelines for the Development of a Cohesive and Civically Active Society for 2021–2027 (Guidelines 2021–2027). The Social Integration Fund (SIF) has been operating since 2001, and it must implement measures in social integration in accordance with development planning documents. In case of general and unclear policy, the SIF also fulfils the role of a policy maker partially. “A peculiar situation has arisen, in which politicians are involved in policy implementation more actively than in policy making because a representative of the Prime Minister and five ministers serve on the SIF Council,” points out Ms Vilka.
The social cohesion policy affects a wide range of sectors, state institutions, local and regional governments, and organizations, but the Ministry of Culture lacks an effective cooperation mechanism with those dealing with social inclusion, education, employment and other issues. The Guidelines 2021–2027 cover only the competences of the Ministry of Culture, without affecting the measures of other state institutions and do not include them in the overall strategy.
The social cohesion policy affects every resident of Latvia, it should promote a national, solidary, open and civically active society. However, the action plans of the Guidelines 2021–2027 do not state clearly what problems they solve and which groups of society they affect. The practice of assessing the impact of measures implemented under a policy in the long term and its dynamics has not yet been introduced. The data of the Ministry of Culture is incomplete and unsystematic which makes analysis and comparison impossible. It is also unclear whether the indicators of the Social Cohesion Radar created by the SIF will be used. At the same time, one should note that more than 110 scientific studies and researches commissioned by state institutions were conducted in the field of cohesive society from 2014 to 2024 for at least 17 million euros.
The total funding from the state budget and European Union (EU) funds for the area is unclear. The NDP 2021–2027 provides for at least 24 million euros per year indicatively while the Guidelines 2021-2027 indicate 42 million euros for the entire period. A large part of the funds is attracted from EU funds or requested within the framework of priority measures every year.
To facilitate a single policy and coordinate cooperation among state institutions, a Guidelines Monitoring Council with more than 20 members has been established but its activities are passive and limited to an informative level. The auditors have concluded that the Council does not fulfill all its tasks and does not use the granted powers, therefore the effectiveness of its activities is questionable. Public participation in policy planning also does not achieve the expected effect because the involvement of the Ministry of Culture is insufficient and the process is turning into a formal procedure that consumes the resources of both the Ministry and the population without real improvements. There is a critical lack of feedback, as people are not informed why their proposals are or are not taken into account. Trust in state administration and citizen participation depend on positive experiences, so participation mechanisms must be reviewed by making them meaningful and effective.
Latvian language learning for adults is essential for social cohesion but the learning system is not coordinated meaningfully. The Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Welfare, the SIF, the State Employment Agency, as well as local and regional governments organise the learning in an uncoordinated manner. There is a lack of complete data on learning programs, target groups, results and funding. The different conditions set by different institutions create inequality and uncertainty for learning participants and educational institutions, and the effectiveness of the programs cannot be assessed without centralised monitoring. The State Audit Office of Latvia calls for the introduction of a single strategy and coordination because language learning is not only an issue of education but also of security, immigration, employment and integration.
Additional reading: audit report summary.
Recommendations of the State Audit Office #PēcRevīzijas
The audit provided three recommendations whose implementation will result in:
- The social cohesion society will be clear and targeted with defined priorities, target groups and measures by ensuring a clear role and coordination of state institutions and public involvement in decisions.
- A transparent monitoring system will be created with identified indicators, compiled data, including on the funding used, with analysis, evaluation and cooperation among state institutions. Monitoring will be more effective.
- An effective, coordinated Latvian language learning system will be created. Overlapping tasks will be eliminated, teaching methodology will be improved, and training will be accessible to all target groups.
About the State Audit Office of Latvia
The State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia is an independent, collegial supreme audit institution. The purpose of its activity is to find out whether the actions with the financial means and property of a public entity are legal, correct, useful and in line with public interests, as well as to provide recommendations for the elimination of discovered irregularities. The State Audit Office conducts audits in accordance with International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions INTOSAI (ISSAI), whose recognition in Latvia is determined by the Auditor General. Upon discovering deficiencies, the State Audit Office of Latvia provides recommendations for their elimination, but it informs law enforcement authorities about potential infringements of the law.
Additional information
Ms Gunta Krevica
Head of PR and Internal Communication Division
Ph. 23282332 | E-mail: Gunta.Krevica@lrvk.gov.lv