NRN Self-Assessment Profiles

Latvia

The Latvian Rural Network (LRN) has been fully operational since July 2008 and has its network support unit (NSU) established within the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre. The NSU consists of 5 full-time employees in the central office, plus a 0.2 FTE (full-time equivalent) in each of the 25 District offices of the Rural Advisory and Training Centre (i.e. one 1 day per week per District office).

The Network Steering Committee is led by the NSU and has 14 members representing all key rural sectors, including agriculture, crafts, organic farming, rural education, vocational training etc. The Steering Committee usually meets two times per year, more frequently if required.

The Steering Committee agrees the Annual Work Plan (AWP) which includes a simple planning matrix of activities, monitoring indicators (output and results), responsible persons and intermediate targets for each monitoring indicator per quarter. Day-to-day operational-level decisions regarding implementation of the AWP are then made by the NSU team leader after consultation (as appropriate) within the Managing Authority.

See here [PDF ] for an example of a typical planning matrix.

The LRN puts a lot of emphasis upon self-assessment as a tool for supporting reporting obligations to the Managing Authority; internal quality management procedures, and; on-going improvements in the delivery of network services.

The monitoring indicators in the AWP planning matrix include both ‘quantitative’ (e.g. 125 participants on EU study trips) and ‘qualitative’ (e.g. participants’ feedback on evaluation forms) indicators.  For example, in order to ensure the efficient and cost effective delivery of network events, such as seminars and trainings, by the regional offices: 

• all organizational and running costs are strictly controlled according to the level of participation, and;
• questionnaires are distributed at each event for collecting feedback on the level of satisfaction etc.  The ‘originals’ of each feedback form are kept in the regional offices of the NSU – only a summary is sent to the central office.

Most LRN training activities are supported by regional specialists contracted by the District offices of the Rural Advisory and Training Centre.  All contracts are carefully controlled and evaluated – including on-the-spot checks during training activities to assess the quality of the training delivered.

Evaluation of individual events and activities is supported by regular surveys of all key stakeholders to assess the level of satisfaction with LRN performance. For example, there were 3 questionnaires prepared and circulated in 2011. The results of these questionnaires are fed into the NSU reports to the Ministry of Agriculture and ultimately into the preparation of the AWP for the following year. Please see Existing Tools Used by NRNs for Self-Assessment for examples (in Latvian).