Project summary
By the end of 2012 Latvian Society for Quality (KVALB) began the application preparation for the Society Integration Foundation and the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism 2009-2014 programme “NGO fund” sub-programme “NGO activity support measure”.
The application assessment stage closed on July, 2013 and, with great satisfaction, we received news that the Society Integration Foundation had approved the project submitted by KVALB – “For sustainable development with good management”.
Supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
The total implementation period for the project: 01.08.2013. – 30.11.2015.
KVALB co-operation partner in implementing this project is Kurzeme NGO Support Centre (KNVOAC, www.kurzemesnvo.lv).
The object of the project „For sustainable development with good management” is to strengthen the understanding of the civil society on good management and transparency that is aimed at ensuring Latvia’s sustainability by expanding KVLAB activities from a local level to a national level organization, creating regional support centres, as well as promoting KVALB and KNVOAC institutional and human resources capacity strengthening for regular and long term collaboration in the policy and decision making process.
During the implementation of the project the Latvian Society for Quality (KVALB) has successfully carried out its objectives – popularise the principles of good management and transparency, as well as the principles of democracy and participatory democracy, initiate the KVALB activity transition to a national level organization by creating two regional support centres in cooperation with Kurzeme NGO Support Centre (KNVOAC) and Zemgale NGO Centre (ZNVOC), thus strengthening the institutional capacity of all organizations mentioned above, and attract financial support with the help of the society’s organized events and implementation of planned projects for the continuous activity of the society, as well as involvement in the policy and decision making processes:
1. To encourage the participation of the civic society in the policy making process, members of the Latvian Society of Quality (KVALB) have taken part in work groups and organizations (e.g. work on the Cabinet of Ministers Memorandum council, a work group created on KVALB initiative (in cooperation with the Ministries of Welfare, and Education and Science) to make corrections to the Profession classificator of the Republic of Latvia, activity on the council of the Latvian National Accreditation Bureau, as well as the standardization technical commission, volunteer participation in the Latvian national standardization body’s Latvian Standard organized translation of the new ISO standards editions, discussion group at the State Chancellery). Using the society’s informative platform KVALB organized informative and training events on international standard requirements (particularly necessary with the new editions of the ISO 9001 and ISO 14000). A successful cooperation with the State Chancellery has been formed. Through all these activities participation of the civic society has been encouraged, as well as a better understanding of the principles of good management and their implementation for the interests of the society.
2. Altogether four trainings were organized for participants of KVALB and KNVOAC (both members and volunteers) to improve their professional knowledge and skills (training topics: moderating/ event and interest group hosting; social media using possibilities; risk management in quality management systems; decision making and successful communication and management principles). During the implementation of the project there have also been several experience exchange events and trips to other NGOs. KVALB has developed a successful international cooperation with organizations in Estonia, Lithuania, Finland and other countries.
3. The KVALB medium-term strategic document has been developed, as well as the principal activity process map. During the implementation of the project several interest groups operated and their activity is planned to continue after the end of the project. An evaluation of KVALB according to the EFQM Excellence model was carried out and suggestions for improvement of the society’s activity were summarized. A great contribution to the development of both the strategic document and the process map, as well as the activity of the interest groups was the volunteer work of the society’s members.
4. Work on KVALB regional support/ competence centre development was begun and successfully continued in cooperation with KNVOAC, thus creating a Latvian NGO cooperation network. Currently KVALB has two regional support centres – in Kurzeme region (KNVOAC in Talsi/ Kuldīga) and in Zemgale region (ZNVOC in Jelgava). To encourage the popularization of good management principles and broaden the informative area of KVALB, several regional meetings, experience exchange and educationally informative events, seminars on good management principles and organization capacity strengthening possibilities were organized within the cooperation.
5. A nationwide conference on good management principles was successfully organized. The conference “Good management practice and efficiency in state administration and municipalities” took place on 23 September 2015. KVALB partner in organizing the conference was the State Chancellery. The conference speakers were professionals and experts from Latvia and the Baltic states. Every year KVALB also organizes an international conference on good management, quality and efficiency improvement where the speakers are established world level professionals in their field. These activities have helped to attract new members, but the international conferences – additional financial resources.
6. During the whole time of the project implementation information about it (publicity events, KVALB and KNVOAC home page improvement, publications of the latest information and its distribution at events organized by the society, as well as two circulations of the KVALB brochure were issued) was available to KVALB, KNVOAC members and the civic society. All launched activities will be continued after the end of the project implementation.
