Overview July 1999: Latvia

1. Types of Activities

1.1. National program "Informatics"

The program "Informatics" ( http://www2.acadlib.lv/grey/saraksts.htm ), hereinafter named as the Programme is a national programme which has been elaborated on basis of Cabinet of Ministers (CM) regulations No. 129, dated May 9, 1995, "An order for national programs elaboration and implementation". The list of national programs in compliance with CM Direction No. 146, dated 30^th April 1996, "On national programs for economic policy realisation" was supplemented by the program "Informatics" upon resolution No, 172 of CM, 09.04.97.

The Minister of Transport administers and holds the main responsibility of the Programme. The elaboration team for the Programme was appointed in the Direction No. 47 of the Transport minister 12^th May 1997. The paragraph is named "On establishing and functions of the expert panel for elaboration of the National program "Informatics".

The Programme was first presented at the conference "Baltic IT&T’97" 2^nd April 1997. The programme was also presented the 15^th May 1997 under the headline "Latvia and perspective telecommunications technologies", as well as in the Latvian Academy of Sciences session within the theme "Information science and its applications: situation and perspectives of development in Latvia" 25^th April 1997.

In December 1997, the expert panel elaborated the programme structure and subsequently defined the objectives and sub-objectives. For the possible achievement of these objectives subprograms were established. The Ministry of Education and Science financed the work with the programme structure as a research project ordered by the Ministry of Transport. Based on the research project, the programme content was approved by the Co-ordination Board for the National Program "Informatics".

The Co-ordination Board of the Programme has a wide representation of major IT actors in Latvia upon execution of the Direction Formation of the co-ordination board for the Programme. The Minister of Transport issued the functions of the board on 20^th November 1997.

The Board currently consists of 45 members. The members are all professionals in respective field. The board has representation from the Informatics departments and/or Informatics Boards in all government ministries as well as, representatives of the biggest telecommunications and data transmission network operators (Lattelekom, Latvia Mobile Telephone, the Latvian Postage computer network, Government Data Communications Network). The association of local governments is also represented, as well as some primary registers and manufacturers of computer hardware and software. Educational establishments and Latvian Academy of Sciences are also represented in the board. It is managed by the Minister of Transport, and since the board represents the major actors in the IS filed in Latvia, the board could be said being the Latvian Information Society Forum.

The main task of the Co-ordination Board is to ensure implementation of the Programme in accordance with the defined and approved priorities including approval of branch information technology concepts and strategies, assessment of bills and investment projects, the international co-operation program, and co-ordination of individual projects.

The Co-ordination Board approved the elaborated program during its meeting on 30^th June 1998 and by Cabinet of Ministers on 30^th March 1999.

The programme’s duration is between 1999 – 2005 and it consists of thirteen subprograms. It also includes a detailed analysis of the current situation, objectives of the separate subprograms, tasks and priorities, risk factors and a description for the suggested course of execution. For execution of each subprogram, tasks are identified and realised in concrete projects.

The fundamental goal of the programme is to integrate Latvia into the global development process and to form the information society in Latvia.

The programme’s economic objectives are directed towards an essential increase of the whole society’s level of life. The economic objectives also include provision of remote workplaces and development of small and medium-sized enterprises. It is hoped that this will create a solid base for development for all regions in the country.

The programme’s political objectives are directed towards a further democratisation of Latvia and its integration into the European Union, including enhancement of the capability of the governmental administration for accession.

The programme’s social objectives are directed towards maintaining of Latvia identity for all strata of society, development of the state and society in the multicultural and multilingual Europe.

The programme’s execution basis is a universal service conception realisation in the country. This basis will ensure for each member of society a qualitative access to all types of information, in compliance with the rights set in the normative acts. A practical realisation of universal service should be ensured by a number of subprograms:

• The Informational subprograms envisage establishment of various generally available and confidential state and municipalities information systems.
• The Communications subprograms task is to ensure all types of information transmission and supply to users.
• Putting together legislation, standardisation and Latvian cultural requirement issues are envisaged in normative subprograms.
• Knowledge subprograms should ensure high educational level of the whole society, researches and development of technologies in informatics and telecommunications.
• Applied subprograms are dedicated for planning of information technology applications and projects and determination of priorities.

For Latvia the development scenario offered by the programme is particularly advantageous - orientation of society and national economy towards general information and knowledge usage in total will increase Latvia’s development possibilities. It is seen form the government as crucial that the programme is realised for a sustainable development of the society in Latvia.

A total, as of today, known number of projects under the framework of the programme between 1999 and 2005 are 122. For the execution of the program financing needed is approximately 243 million LVL.

1.2. Bodies responsible for IS activities

Another important feature approved by the Cabinet of Ministers is the formation of Boards of Informatics in all governmental ministries in Latvia. Their task is to deal with informatics issues, representing the interests of their ministry and branch (development of informatics concepts for their branch, development of computer networks at the ministries and institutions under their supervision, preparation of the priority project investment programmes of the branch). Performing gradual informatization of state administration in all levels, it is envisaged to form Informatics Boards also in local governments. Their task is to investigate and solve the informatics problems in their regions.

In order to ensure actual development of the strategy, leading experts from the members of the Co-ordination Board form the Strategic Task Group. Including the director of the Department of Informatics, the Task Group consists of nine members.

The Strategic Task Group has the following tasks:

• Co-ordinates implementation of the Programme;
• Make analysis and provides conclusions about state-financed projects within the field of informatics;
• Estimates the investments required in the state investment program observing the priorities defined by the Programme;
• Submits proposals for distribution of investments for informatics when discussing the annual national budget;
• If required, organisation of expertise network of state information systems and databases.

The Technical Board of Informatics consists of information technology professionals of various institutions; the Deputy Director of the Department of Informatics manages the Board. The board has the following tasks:

• To co-ordinate use of compatible document interchange standards in state administration computer systems;
• To investigate and restrict use of unlicensed computer programs in state institutions which is the logical initial step against computer program piracy;
• To deal with the Year 2000- problem.
• To co-operate with the Information Technology Standardisation Technical Committee established in 1995, and others.

Supervisory boards for three long-term informatics investment projects have also been set up. The three projects are the National Integrated Library Information Network project (transformed into an individual limited company in the framework of the Ministry of Culture), the Education Informatisation System project and the State Revenue Service Information System project.

The following task groups have been formed and operate in the following field of informatics:

• legislation;
• development of Baltic Government Data Communications Network;
• development of the Integrated Transport Information System concept;
• development of Unified Local Government Information System project;
• standardisation of geographical information systems (GIS).

1.3. Active role of schools and libraries

Schools and libraries should be envisaged as the main public institutions that implement in practice the basic social idea of information society: information should be available to everybody and everybody should be able to use information for his benefit. Therefore informatisation of educational system and creation of unified library information network are top priority projects in Latvia.

A certain progress has been achieved so far in solving the organisational issues of implementation of information technologies in the field of education. The first branch IT Board in Latvia was established by the Ministry of Education and Science in 1996. In 1997, the Ministry organised elaboration and implementation of Latvian Education Informatisation System which was assigned, on a call for tender procedure, to the University of Latvia. Within this project, the implementation strategy of information technology in the educational system was formulated. The implementation phase consisted of an all-round, gradual, co-ordinated and balanced informatisation of the educational system and development of the required infrastructure in parallel. This processed ensured modernisation of the educational processes including possibilities for all members of society to receive a sufficient computer literacy as well as efficient use of the financial resources.

Priority within the project is given to the methodological tasks, development of study materials and teacher training programmes. This supports efficient use of hardware and software and the invested financial resources.

Implementation of information technologies in the educational system is performed consistently. In 1997, development of pilot products, approbation of these and implementation in some educational establishments, school boards and the ministry took place. Activities in this stage include development of administration informatization software as well as development of main databases, including administrative, scientific and methodological structures. The implementation also includes training of small selected groups of teachers and students. In the work of these group educational programmes and methodology have been specified. In 1998, the developed products were gradually introduced in other institutions. New products are currently developed, the development pace depends on the funding available.

It is very essential to implement distance education methods in the educational system in Latvia, especially in combination with supply of computer hardware. Within the PHARE program, seminars and courses have been organised to prepare experts in organisation and methodology of distance education. Implementation of distance education is also hindered by the insufficiently developed and expensive telecommunications system in Latvia.

Development of distance education infrastructure is also taking place, following the distance education concept, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Support for this is provided by PHARE programme International Co-operation in Distance Education. The activities are co-ordinated by Latvian Board of Distance Education. Distance education study centres have been established in the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University and Daugavpils Pedagogical University, as well as in Riga Commercial School. A regional distance education centre has been established at Liepaja Academy of Pedagogy. Another centre, the Distance Education Centre Hagen-Riga, has been established in conjunction with Hagen (Germany) Distance Education University.

An intermediary stage for distance education is currently developed by preparation of corresponding training courses for distribution via CD-ROM technology: CD-ROM library, CD-ROM study books, CD-ROM Plus-1 (information technology), Plus-2 (Internet), Plus-3 (Physics & History) which are educational tools containing courses and tests. Finally, one could mention the CD-ROM for teaching history at schools developed by the private company, Tilde. It uses the multimedia opportunities presenting historical facts and events.

Several projects are implemented to create advanced technological infrastructure in libraries and to enable development of full spectrum of electronic information services. The bases for these projects are the practical experience that was gained during the introduction of electronic technologies in major academic libraries since early nineties.

The main common final goal of the projects is to create an integrated library information network LATLIBNET in Internet environment in accordance with the Open Systems ideology. Any library and other information institution can be included in the LATLIBNET in the future. The kernel of this mega-project is the creation of advanced information infrastructure in libraries for above-mentioned processes:

• integrated automation of library processes: acquisition, cataloguing, OPAC, circulation, patron’s services, etc.;
• electronic information services: CD-ROM, on-line, document delivery, reference service etc.;
• creation of electronic information sources according to the profile of library: directories, indexes, databases, WWW Sites, electronic duplicates etc.

A number of advanced principles should be assumed as a basis of the LATLIBNET:

• interconnection of unrestricted number of libraries and other information institutions;
• interoperability of all information services and applications;
• integration of all systems of library data processing including accounting, desk top publishing, etc.;
• compatibility of various automation systems including specific systems developed by The British Council, US Information Center, Eurofaculty, etc.;
• possibility to use several special classification systems and thesauri, as MeSH, AGROVOC, International Patent Classification of WIPO, etc.;
• exchange of bibliographic records including centralized distribution of the national bibliography;
• integration of corresponding university information systems including registers of lecturers, students and study programmes.

Achievement of the above mentioned goals in eight libraries of significance is the subject of realisation of the project "Integrated Latvia libraries information network" running between 1997-1999. Installation of hardware and software, creation of LANs and connection of libraries to LATNET should be realised in the libraries. Implementation of the project is made possible due to matching funding of the National Investment Programme and the grant provided by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (altogether more than US$ 2 Million).

The Ministry of Culture developed the Public Library Network Programme in co-operation with IT ALISE Ltd. Library automation software package Alise is chosen by the Ministry as a unified system for public library automation in Latvia. The package has been specifically adapted to cover public library needs. The programme includes also development of electronic information services (CD-ROM, on-line, etc.), creation of electronic information sources, participation in making of analytic records for the national bibliography. Implementation of this programme means dissemination of information services to the peripheral regions of the country, which is in line with one of the basic principles of the development of the information society.

The pilot stage of the programme was realized in 1996. Data processing needs typical for public libraries were analyzed in several libraries and acquisition and cataloguing modules of the Alise were installed in Limbazi Regional Library and Jelgava City Library. The Ministry of Culture and local authorities financed the pilot project.

The programme Unified Information Network of Latvian Public Libraries project was realised between 1996-1998. The Soros Foundation Latvia, Open Society Institute (Budapest) and the local authorities financed the project; total expenditures were maximised to US$ 150 000. Seventeen public libraries of various regions were selected taking into account several criteria:

• significance of the library;
• readiness of computerisation, including management quality, skill of the staff and support of local authorities;
• coverage of the region by data transmission network.

Representatives of several types of public libraries were included:

• regional libraries;
• Riga and other city central public libraries;
• libraries of small towns;
• school libraries.

Installation of hardware and software for electronic services and data processing, interconnection of computers in libraries and connection to Internet service providers are the basic items of the project. As the result of this pilot project, the first phase of modernisation in the country’s public libraries was realised and basis for the next phases have been laid.

1.4. General promotional activities

Society’s knowledge on technologies is promoted by special press issues, for example, DT Media issued journals Datorpasaule (Computer World), Datoru avize (Computer Magazine), Baltic IT&T Review, Baltic Electronics, as well as other issues -- Sakaru pasaule (Communications World), special supplements, for example, in the newspaper Dienas bizness (Daily Business). The new technologies are advertised and analysed in exhibitions and conferences on telecommunications, computer engineering and computer technologies, for example, in the exhibitions Datortehnika (Computer Technologies) (1994-1999), annual conferences Baltic IT&T (1997-1999), Latvia and perspective telecommunications technologies (1994-1999), etc.

Training for information and telecommunications technologies is provided by five academic institutions e.g. University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, Riga Aviation University. Another well recognised institution, the International Olympiads organises competitions for schoolchildren in order to introduce them to information technologies and services. Information on technologies is obtained from company presentations, public tenders, and specialists’ business trips abroad. Essential experience is being obtained by participating in joint projects elaboration and implementation jointly with foreign partners.

Harmonious development of computer technologies and software directly influences all information services and applications. By analysing the situation in Latvia, one can conclude that the most advanced technologies actively used in the country are brought in to the country.