Success stories

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

Although it seems that the Nordic countries are significantly ahead of Latvia when it comes to sustainability issues, we saw during the experience exchange visits that we often face the same challenges. And these are the questions of how to measure the impact of environment, climate and sustainability, what are results which show our progress and how to convince politicians for purposeful actions, not populist promises.
The representatives of the Hoor municipality admit that it is important in planning that the documents are developed by the employees themselves and no outsourcing is used, so it is possible to discuss important issues for the municipality, including problematic issues, and to seek a compromise between different interests. This is an important insight, because in Cēsis we develop a lot of planning documents ourselves and the question often arises whether to outsource this process. Questions about the development of the territory are worth discussing with the public - involving communities, residents, various groups of society in decision-making.
In recent years, the political culture in Latvia has been changing, when the public is increasingly involved in making various decisions, issues are discussed with the public, management and politicians are no longer "afraid" of the public's opinion. Study vistis show that community involvement in sustainable development, circular economy issues and implementing new change processes is vital. We have communicated the findings from the visit to the management of the municipality, which we should follow as democratic society.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

The project has created new collaborations, as it is mentioned before, the representatives of the Hoor municipality continue to cooperate with the representatives of the Cēsis municipality, sharing their experience on natural resource management and also on waste management solutions. The experience of Hoor municipality in creating Nature based solutions in the city has been presented to Cēsis stakeholders. Cooperation with the Kerava community continues as a good practice, how to promote the connection of community initiatives with the municipality and support such community initiatives. In 2024, the municipality of Cēsis has planned a discussion with the public about the practical implementation of bioregion initiatives, where we see that the representative (CEO) of the Kerava community, Anna Evila, could participate and tell about her experience.
During study visits we informed the project partners about the Nordic - Baltic mobility program "Public administration" and possibilities to get funding for this kind of activities.

References in the media

Information in web pages, Facebook, LinkedIn:
https://www.hoor.se/nyheter/lettisk-kommun-lar-av-hoors-miljoarbete/
https://www.facebook.com/Hoorskommun/posts/pfbid0o1Uo3TmmSLpz86ngsFNM1AZTVVU1qp4dsyiEyXdncqfcgzSLcctQCb4ZbLN6jEaDl
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/h-rs-kommun_lettisk-kommun-l%C3%A4r-av-h%C3%B6%C3%B6rs-milj%C3%B6arbete-activity-7114595051896250368-PJXD?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/h-rs-kommun_lettisk-kommun-l%C3%A4r-av-h%C3%B6%C3%B6rs-milj%C3%B6arbete-activity-7114595051896250368-PJXD?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Ihttps://www.facebook.com/rainakvartals/posts/pfbid02vA3HGLCzFmdydicYRa5JSgSNhhmqvEKpB1UNocGvr7QWyFgof3FVk6tTawTidHuBl?locale=lv_LV
https://www.rainakvartals.lv/post/iedvesmas-un-ce%C4%BCojums

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

One of the greatest values ​​is a common understanding of the complexity of environmental and climate issues in both the Baltic and Nordic countries. The informal talks between the partners were of great value in order to gain a deeper understanding of the common principles of how society, politicians and institutions in Latvia, Sweden and Finland treat climate change.
We are really happy about how interested the employees of the Hoor municipality were in their conversations with us and the deep, genuine interest in how we work in Latvia. At the same time, the Covid pandemic and various other external conditions have created the same challenges for all countries.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

The program met our expectations and needs and within the project we achieved what we planned, at the same time creating new collaborations and new ideas for future work, which are important, creating a common understanding of how we work with environmental issues in Europe and thinking about future projects in which to develop new ideas.

Contact: Zane Pipkaleja, project manager of the project "Exchange of experience for the implementation of circular economy principles, public involvement and development of the bioregion idea"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

The project has realised several significant improvements in the qualifications of cyber patrols, yielding tangible benefits to their operations. These enhancements encompass more effective prevention measures in the electronic space, streamlined communication with notifiers, proficient management of the cyber patrol page, and the creation of impactful messages utilising best practices. The incorporation of new OSINT tools for information retrieval in the electronic space has fortified the patrol's capabilities, while the adoption of best practices has facilitated the creation of messages with the goal of achieving the broadest possible dissemination. These advancements collectively contribute to a heightened overall effectiveness of cyber patrolling. The patrols are now better equipped to navigate and prevent cybercrimes, demonstrating an increased proficiency in responding to incidents reported by the public. The optimised management of the cyber patrol page ensures a more engaging and informative online presence, fostering a sense of trust and collaboration with the community. By integrating new OSINT tools into their practices, cyber patrols have enhanced their ability to proactively search for information in the electronic space. This proactive approach aids in the early identification of potential threats and contributes to a more robust preventive strategy. In essence, the improvements implemented through this project have elevated the cyber patrols' capabilities, fostering a safer online environment and fortifying public safety in the digital realm. The project's impact is reflected in the patrols' enhanced skills, efficient communication practices, and adept use of technology, collectively contributing to the fulfilment of their crucial role in safeguarding the cyberspace.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Public Administration was presented to colleagues from abroad, the concise description of the procedure for funding was presented, and what documents need to be filled out in order to participate in this programme. Colleagues from Finland also intend to participate in this project in 2024, so the information we provided to them was particularly important. Contacts (Emails, phone numbers, links to social accounts) were exchanged with foreign colleagues in order to develop further cooperation in the future. The Nordic and Baltic public administration mobility programme project turned out to be very successful, so Lithuanian cyber patrols will also seek to participate in this project in 2024, receive funding, and visit colleagues in other foreign countries.

References in the media

One colleague from Finland (cyber patrol) shared the group photos on his Instagram profile of the social network.
(Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyDjhUYNmEK/?img_index=1)
The photos shared show how the Nordic and Baltic public administration mobility programme helps to improve cooperation and the exchange of good practices. Colleagues from Norway shared the group photos on their internal police intranet.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

We found out how other countries manage virtual patrols and the tools they use to search for information. We got electronic links to better block harmful online content. We also got in touch with someone who can help us get a blue identification badge for our Facebook virtual patrol. We received a bunch of advice on what content to share online to increase our popularity. And the most important thing is that we created new connections, with the help of which we will be able to cooperate and exchange good practices in the future as well.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

The Nordic and Baltic public administration mobility program met all our expectations. If possible, we plan to join again next year and visit other northern countries with virtual patrols. We'll also encourage everyone else to make the most of this fantastic project and visit colleagues abroad.

Contact: Tomas Špigelskis, project manager of the project "Training of Cyber Patrols"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

During the project trips, the employees of Valga County Vocational Training Centre got a lot of ideas on how to better advertise our school, how to get new students to learn different things, and how to expand our school's student base. Nordic countries, including Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, have highly regarded vocational education and training systems that could serve as models for Estonian schools. One of the key strengths of Nordic VET systems is their close collaboration with employers and industry associations. This ensures that vocational education programs are aligned with the needs of the labor market and that
graduates have the skills that employers are looking for. Many VET programs in Nordic countries also include on-the-job training, which gives students hands-on experience in real-world settings. Another important feature of Nordic VET systems is their emphasis on lifelong learning. In summary, Nordic countries offer excellent examples of how VET systems can be structured to provide high-quality education and training that meets the needs of individuals and employers alike. All the participants also shared all their ideas with their coworkers during a seminar and in different meetings at school.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

All of our project partners that we visited and cooperated with have a more hands-on understanding of how and why the Nordic-Baltic cooperation program works. We are sure, that all the experiences that we shared on the site visits, will benefit all the partners mutually. We surely have gained some ideas and are already processing the plan to change curricula to be more attractive to younger people. We already have shared experiences of participating in the Nordic-Baltic cooperation program with another school in Estonia and they are interested and researching already to participate also in this program. During this project, we also discussed a lot of our opportunities for further cooperation and we are planning the next steps to cooperate with these partners in the near future. Also, we introduced this project on our social media, and a lot of young people got their first knowledge about this project from there.

References in the media

Yes, we covered all the project activities in our school social media or website, in social media we have more than 3600 followers.

https://www.facebook.com/ValgamaaKOK/posts/pfbid0HFgSkGyiHHXP79V9cLZD6yJ6TiqvQnjAX2jjXxaKgSCZS1DZVBagEFgkgToRBp3ul

https://www.vkok.ee/et/uudised/valgamaa-kutseoppekekuse-meeskond-kulastas-nordplus-projekti-raames-islandit

https://www.facebook.com/ValgamaaKOK/posts/pfbid02MWPLU7fXsiAaFZkBsT4miMoviV8qBw1NQ32xefKMNSKCVoinkf2CHosvCwtDYhjfl

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

All the employees of the Valga County Vocational Training Centre who participated in the project got a lot of experience with different learning methods and teaching methods, and the experience they got there from schools in the Nordic countries will help to raise the quality of teaching in our school and thus make teaching more attractive to young people. During the project, we encountered a lot of innovative solutions that we can later integrate into our teaching, of course, using new attractive tools and methods in our teaching, we must update our curricula to fit them. In Valga County Vocational Training Centre there will be further development of our work-based learning system, so that even more students can study in our school in the workplace, and we will certainly expand work-based learning to other specialties where it is not yet implemented. During the project we saw and encountered a lot of how Nordic schools have a very green attitude when they organize their education, they use a lot of different methods to reduce their ecological footprint, and we intend to introduce various measures to be more environmentally friendly in the Valga County Vocational Training Centre as well. We also investigated in all schools how they advertise their school and how they recruit new students to their curricula, we also got new ideas in these areas, how to improve the advertising part of our school and increase recruitment

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

Yes, the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Public Administrations met the expectations, because we could share and receive a lot of experience, that helps us successfully develop our school and VET education's popularity and quality!

Contact: Maarja Adamson, project manager of the project "Innovative Vocational Education: Best Practices from Nordic Countries"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

As expected, project gained experience, international cooperation. And we created 2 new project ideas for the future in the field of STEM education and also job shadowing opportunities for teachers. We found out very practical work approaches, the management of the education system, school organization, financing, also some solutions for different problems.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

Existing networks are stronger now, we know more each other in person, trust is bigger, also it helped to speak easier about future cooperation. Nordplus and Erasmus+ project ideas were discussed.

References in the media

We put the information in our webpage www.valmierasnovads.lv and shared it via social media. Press release was prepared.
https://www.valmierasnovads.lv/valmieras-novada-izglitibas-parvaldes-darbinieki-iepazist-izglitibas-sistemu-zviedrija/
https://www.facebook.com/Valmiera.Valmierasnovads/posts/pfbid0QdMnZGnsSqEQUffAKbSnmefw6VmXwyt96WcXA3ttYLcWvgr9V4NjTKoixi7ovJnBl
https://www.valmierasnovads.lv/valmieras-novada-izglitibas-parvalde-pieredzes-apmaina-somija/
https://www.facebook.com/Valmiera.Valmierasnovads/posts/pfbid02ocZrMQweE31PnPUqTNDH5bVR6YTTYchgRDJakNgQnxA57E6BcG3xza4GxA5YmRKl

Also an extra publicity was for Swedish partners visit to Valmiera on March 5-5, 2024.
https://www.valmierasnovads.lv/valmieras-novada-viesojas-sadraudzibas-pilsetas-solnas-izglitibas-darbinieki/?fbclid=IwAR1xSVw5_K4vRmwbgfYvOwK20l6DQUP7Sr-4iBk4V7BkimE_KkCq48dgF8I

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

Practical information about organizing different tasks related to education management, school systems, finances, management etc.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

It was more than we expected. We felt welcome, people were open and shared their experience truly from heart. It was very useful for out future work.

Contact: Liene Dembovska, project manager of the project "Strengthening partnership and the capacity building in the field of education"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

Professional knowledge received are being already used and will be used in the future for development of mental health services within mental health reform in Lithuania, preparing legal acts and implementing the planned projects funded from the EU and national funds during 2023-2029 on establishment of the national smoking cessation Quitline, early identification of mental health and substance use system development, case management at primary mental healthcare centres, youth mental health literacy improvement, development of community-based peer-support services, and expansion of talking therapies at primary and public health services. Experience exchange and cooperation will continue according to the need after the project ends, by maintaining professional relations and communication among project partners.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

The Project contributed to promotion of Baltic-Nordic ministerial cooperation (representatives from the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonia Ministries of Health and Social Affairs have made contacts with representatives of the Danish, Finish and Norwegian respective Ministries), building sustainable professional contacts, sharing information about Baltic-Nordic best practices at international, national and municipal levels.

References in the media

https://sam.lrv.lt/lt/veiklos-sritys/programos-ir-projektai/nordic-baltic-mobility-programme-for-public-administration, in private FB accounts

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

The Project contributed to promotion of Baltic-Nordic ministerial cooperation, building sustainable professional contacts, sharing information about Baltic-Nordic best practices at international, national and municipal levels.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

Yes, fully met, it is excellent for exchange of knowledge and practice among Baltic and Nordic countries.

Contact: Ministry Lithuania, project manager of the project "Study visits to Nordic countries to exchange professional knowledge and experience in the fields of mental health and substance use"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

Finnish meetings helped formulate these conclusions for Lithuanian Ministry of Culture:
- Explore the possibilities and perspectives for involving art museums and cooperating with municipalities in public art projects;
- Encourage municipalities to prioritise art projects in schools and kindergartens as an important part of cultural education, and artworks do not have to be complex, e.g. drawings on walls;
- Discuss the organisation of art competitions in the format of the Working Group on the implementation of the Agreement, introducing portfolio competitions, where a selection is made from the work of previous artists and only a few selected artists prepare specific sketches for the project. Such a competition would require less human resources and the artists could be nominated or invited by the social partners.
Norwegian meetings helped formulate these solutions for Lithuanian Ministry of Culture:
- Taking into account KORO's model of operation, experience and competences, it is recommend that the Contemporary Art Centre, a subordinate body of the Ministry of Culture, should provide expert services and curate public art projects, as the Law on Architecture, which will come into force on 1 May 2024, obliges the acquisition of artworks in certain categories of buildings.
- To structure and communicate the information to the municipalities in the format of the Agreement on Art and Design in Public Spaces Working Group, emphasising the need for the participation of art curators and experts in the selection and implementation process.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

All in all, the experience helped to network with more experienced Nordic countries, learn from their structures and visit relevant institutions. The result of this grant not only will be good examples and encouragement to municipalities to buy artwork, but also a plan for the Contemporary Art Centre to get involved, curate and finance public art projects following the 1 per cent for art rule.

References in the media

https://www.facebook.com/kulturosministerija/posts/pfbid0cXEZwwR5ii8qz9Scjnk5St5R7o2mgM5ZrGttzJzYkw4GrJAEMg8xEe8UdmH88rs6l

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7155235896781418496#overlay_share-modal

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7067802035915517952

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

It helped to create a strategic plan with the help of Nordic countries.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

All in all, the experience helped to network with more experienced Nordic countries, learn from their structures and visit relevant institutions. The result of this grant not only will be good examples and encouragement to municipalities to buy artwork, but also a plan for the Contemporary Art Centre to get involved, curate and finance public art projects following the 1 per cent for art rule.

Contact: Reda Aleliunaite, project manager of the project "A study of successful Percent for Art cases"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

Thanks to the project we have started to create dialogue police training system. We agreed basic needs for dialogue police involvement inside the organisation. We have described basic need to develop our unit.
Whit the project we got the confirmation, that we are doing the right thing with developing dialogue police unit. Furthermore - meanwhile the project we have increasde the number of police officers who belong to the unit.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

Firstly we got good contacts with our designated country dialogue police officers with whom we have been in contact with after the study visit. Also we have been able to talk about our experience with other Nordic-Baltic cooperation parties.

References in the media

as a result of the first study visit to Denmark, the organization was more interested in the study visit, based on which an article was prepared for the internal website of the Police and Border Guard Board. The results were also presented to the leadership of the northern prefecture, the summary of which was transmitted to the entire prefecture.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

New practices - the involvement of the dialogue police as well as cooperation with other units at crowded events.

Training program - we received confirmation and new ideas of how and what the dialogue police training program could be in order to ensure the knowledge and skills of the officers.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

We had two study visit, but also lot of contacts with other units all over the Europe. I can say that we have created small community of dialogue police who can change practices.

During the study visits, we got to know two different concepts - one was a community-based approach and the other was aimed at the masses. Meanwhile Estonia is small country, so we had to create dialogue police new focus - aim masses through community.

Contact: Kelly Miido, project manager of the project "Development and Design of the Dialogue Police in Estonia"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

1. Changes will be initiated in the monitoring of chronic patients with mental health problems, creating motivational tools for primary health professionals to engage in their care.
2. Continue the work started on attracting support persons to provide mental health services (status of psychologists/psychotherapy specialists in the health care system). Based on the experience of Norwegian and Lithuanian colleagues who, after appropriate assessment, have recognized clinical and health psychologists and psychotherapy specialists as health care support specialists.
3. Promote inter-institutional cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare - a large part of the services concerning well-being, life crises, family and professional difficulties can be solved in community-based/low intensity interventions without going to treatment. A working group would be needed to identify competences and resources for such services in the Latvian context, involving colleagues from the Ministry of Welfare.
4. Experts from the Ministry of Health and experts from the field of mental health had the opportunity to gain insight into the integration of substance abuse prevention into the provision of community-based services for people with mental health and behavioral disorders. At the same time, relevant and actionable information for the implementation of a smoking cessation program in Latvia has been obtained from one of the municipal institutions in Copenhagen that provides psycho-emotional support to people who have decided to quit smoking.
5. Currently under evaluation providing independent psycho-emotional support (within available funding) for people undergoing addiction treatment is currently being evaluated, as this service is currently only available for patients with mental issue.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

Given that the Baltic countries are relatively small geographically with very similar health care structures and financing models, the challenges we face in our daily work of strategically planning new services and improving the quality of existing services are very similar. Also, in a context of limited resources, it is important to create opportunities to learn from other countries that have already introduced new services or created alternative solutions, such as relieving the burden on psychiatrists by shifting patient supervision to the primary care level. For the Latvian experts it was important to learn from the experience of Nordic colleagues in implementing low-intensity services in cooperation with municipalities in the field of mental health and primary and secondary prevention of addictions. It should be noted that even after the end of the project activities, we continue to cooperate with each other and it is a great pleasure that the NB-8 program was a good start in the implementation of such cooperation. In January of this year, we organized a remote seminar regarding the new implementation of the early intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorders, which allowed colleagues from Estonia and Lithuania to learn more about our experience in implementing this service. The next seminar is planned this year in April.

References in the media

Given that the Ministry of Health has limited human resources dealing specifically with mental health issues, it was particularly important to transfer the knowledge gained to experts in the field, so meetings were organized with professional associations of GPs, psychiatrists and National Health center to inform about the experience gained from the project. At the same time, the management of the Ministry of Health was informed about the results and benefits of the project.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

Given that major mental health reforms have only been implemented in Latvia in the last five years, it was very valuable to see the Nordic country experience in implementing various low-intensity mental health interventions, especially at primary health care level. In particular, the opportunity provided by this project to learn from the Nordic experience in developing national mental health strategies that focus on prevention and the development of community-based services. One of these models, stepped care, is currently being considered in Latvia. Another important benefit is the demonstration of the need to invest more in human resources for the organisation and management of mental health, as currently there is only one full-time person in the Ministry of Health dealing with these issues. The Nordic country experience has shown once again that there is a need to invest in this area. Our Estonian and Lithuanian colleagues have already taken a step in this direction by establishing mental health departments in the Ministries of Health.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

We are grateful for this opportunity to learn from our colleagues in Denmark, Norway and Finland. We have already started discussions with the professional associations of general practitioners to improve the monitoring of chronic patients at primary care level. Which was one of the most important objectives of this project, because at the moment our secondary care professionals are overloaded with monitoring patients, which could be provided on primary care level.

Another important benefit is of course even better cooperation with our Estonian and Lithuanian colleagues in the Ministries of Health. Already now, after the end of the project, we are in contact in cases of acute need to solve problems together.

Contact: Rimma Beļikova, project manager of the project "Study visits to Nordic countries to exchange professional knowledge and experience in the fields of mental health and substance use"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

1) The Danish anti-stigma network "En av os" or "One of us" left a great impression on us and inspired follow-up contacts and activities. Estonia is taking the first steps to establish an anti-stigma network of it's own.
2) Norway's systematic approach to children's mental health reenforced our commitment to evidence-based policy-making and helped us to map the gaps in our mental health system.
3) Our main interest was to learn about the organization and provision of low-intensity psychological interventions and models of stepped care in participating countries. Very valuable and practical inputs on the organization of stepped care model was received during the visit to Finland which was taken into account in the preparation of the Stepped Care Action Plan (Adopted Nov 2023).

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

(1) Main challenges in mental health in the Baltic-Nordic region are relatively similar, hence there was lot to learn from each others experiences and best practices. Baltic states have quite recently started building up their comprehensive Mental Health policies when Nordic countries have long history and therefore valuable experiences to share. Also mistakes to be avoided / learned from.
(2) Improved cooperation between Baltic /Nordic states and specifically between Baltic states.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

New information about Nordic experiences, policies and practices.
Shared knowledge between 3 Baltic countries about their developments and future plans.
Better cooperation between Nordic and Baltic states.
Getting to know each other also in my own team.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

Application process was smooth and clear. All necessary information was available. I would definately recommend my colleaegues to use this opportunity.

Contact: Anniki Lai, project manager of the project "Baltic countries joint study visit on Mental Health "

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

First of all, we met our main objectives to learn from Norway and Sweden. This means that we gathered the best practices that they have had and what we can implement in Estonia. Secondly, thanks to these meetings we managed to introduce the work that we have done in Estonia. This was well received by both countries and they would like to see us in the Scandinavian Law Enforcement agencies logistics working group. This is the biggest benefit as with cooperation with Finland we have known about this working group, but thanks to the meetings not only Finland, but also Norway and Sweden would like us to be a part in the group. This opens up a lot of possibilities, for example joint procurements. We could procure together for new vehicles, weapons, ammunition, uniforms etc. It not only helps to bring down the costs, but also helps to improve the cooperation between us and Scandinavian countries. This is because having same equipment means that everyone is gathering information, which could be shared. Also same equipment makes it easier to make joint operations and to help each other out in time of crises.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

This project has strengthened the cooperation between Nordic-Baltic. First of all, both sides had experts in the meetings, experts in the logistics fields. This meant that we had a good connection about different challenges and problems that we are facing. This helped to establish personal contacts what we have already used after the meetings to exchange information. Secondly, as mentioned before, Scandinavian Law Enforcement agencies working group has been only about Nordic countries, but they are willing to take us in also. This will benefit the cooperation the most as it opens up a new possibility for cooperation as meetings there are regular.

References in the media

We reported about our trip to Norway on our Facebook page, which received a good feedback: https://www.facebook.com/PPAlogistika/posts/pfbid02XzL9G5hLY88QAaHS1wcVFowZ6rPFgPbXyAL4iZJkye4QJdnCrn93QNiB7sBHAhxwl

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

We gained a lot of best practices, which we could use in Estonia. For example using smarter cameras - Swedish police has a lot of help from them; Adding informative stickers to our land vehicles - this would help to maintain our vehicles better and it is not very costly; Standardization - this is something I did not mention before, but both Norway and Sweden are using it a lot. We should also have more standards, which would help inside organization to know better about something, but also outside from the organization to do better cooperation with our partners. Personally for me it was great experience to lead a project.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

It met my expectations and more! Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Public Administration is a great way to get best practices elsewhere, share the experience that you have and to make contacts for cooperation in Nordic-Baltic region. Nordic countries are our closest allies here in the region and cooperation with them is a must. I believe that cooperation works only when both sides have something to offer and thanks to these visits we managed to show in Norway and in Sweden that we are not only obtaining best practices, but we have best practices and knowledge to share with them as well.

Me and my colleagues are very thankful for the opportunity!

Contact: Tago Trei, project manager of the project "FOLLOW - Future of Logistics"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

The project brought several significant benefits to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, Ministry of Justice of Lithuania, and Lithuanian Probation Service:
1. Insights gained from meetings with organisations and institutions focused on abusive behaviour change programs offered innovative methods that can be adapted and implemented within existing initiatives in Lithuania – it is planned to organise a meeting with Danish organisation Dialog Mod Vold to see further possibilities in cooperation implementing their work methods on individual and family counselling of perpetrators.
2. The project facilitated connections with international experts and organisations, fostering potential partnerships that could strengthen the Lithuania’s efforts in combating gender-based violence. In cooperation with Lithuanian National Center for Information about Sexual Violence (NGO which is funded by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania) the implementation of good practices of visited Nordic countries in providing support services for survivors of sexual violence has started.
3. The project contributed to the formation of a broader approach and strengthening of competences of its participants regarding the implementation of the measures combating gender-based violence and policymaking addressing gender-based violence.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

The project brought several significant benefits to the Nordic-Baltic cooperation:
1. Participants from Nordic and Baltic countries shared experiences and learned from each other during the study visits, understanding the diverse approaches and challenges faced in addressing gender-based violence within the region.
2. The project facilitated networking opportunities among professionals, organisations, and government representatives from Nordic and Baltic countries, fostering potential and established collaborations in combating gender-based violence.
3. Knowledge transfer and exchange of methodologies could lead to shared resources and expertise, benefiting all participating countries in their efforts to address gender-based violence – participants exchanged and shared available methodologies and information between each other.

References in the media

Our project attracted media attention as participating organisations shared information about the implemented project and new knowledge gained in the field of combating gender-based violence.
Links:
https://socmin.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/tarptautine-patirtis-pravers-stabdant-smurta-artimoje-aplinkoje
https://socmin.lrv.lt/lt/veiklos-sritys/projektai/vykdomi-projektai
https://probacija.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/vizitas-i-danija
https://mobile.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0KNht3M3jFSw5f7Z6VXm3ohjRegzhHQe5UnaibSA1K7DSg8h5KPdj2dL2DSU5EPukl&id=100987562604216&_rdc=1&_rdr&refsrc=deprecated

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

The mobility project not only benefits the individuals involved but also fosters cooperation and mutual understanding between different governmental organisations, potentially leading to more effective policymaking and implementation of it. Moreover, those kind of projects not only fosters collaboration between representatives from Nordic-Baltic countries, but also among participants of the project themselves - identified strong points of cooperation between different state institutions in various activities.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

The program met our expectations, we are pleased to be able to participate in such program, where we could not only establish new cooperations with colleagues - experts from Nordic countries, but also gain new perspectives in combating gender-based violence in Lithuania.

Contact: Sandra Čergelytė, project manager of the project "Gender-based violence: study visits to Iceland and Denmark increasing competencies in the process of changing an abuser's violent behaviour"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

We have gained valuable insights into how to maintain different models of urban development with a strong accent on public involvement.
First of all, had a chance to notice the lacking part of planning in Vilnius, which we were compensating in the later stages of urban development.
We also were convinced to reform the department in a manner, where the scientists, administrative workers, planners, society members and investors are collaborating in a close connection with each other. Nevertheless, learned smart new methods of presenting our ideas to society, the importance of smooth communication and consecutive methods. It was important to see the results of ongoing processes on-site, hear what is working and what is not, learn ways to attract people to participate in events related to urban planning, encourage society members to use places in their development stages and collect feedback effectively.
The processes we saw had many similarities to what we built in Vilnius, so insights gained in our partner cities can be placed directly into our ongoing projects. One of them – the activation of old Soviet-block neighborhoods by creating new community centers and public spaces.
The project also gave our newly formed planning department team a chance to discuss how we make our administrative work less detached from society and what needs to be done to build a solid ground for a continuous planning process in Vilnius, including communication partners in our team, create more urban studies of the city, clear guidelines for the involvement of stakeholders.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

The project created new bonds between administration workers of urban planning or territorial planning departments in Vilnius, Reykjavik and Aalborg. Both sides had chances to learn from each other, share their working methods and get a chance to compare the similarities and differences of societies, urban development and architecture of the cities.
We met with most of the members from each department and encouraged the Reykjavik team to visit Vilnius and investigate the city on-site. Both parties learned new insights and ideas, learned about new working practices, and pooled their ideas on the topics of public involvement. It was also a chance to build trust and learn from each other, get to know our common challenges and diversity points.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

We learned that stability and clarity bring the most visible and most reliable results for the public, thus making the municipal administration the authority that people trust.
Moreover, attentiveness to less active society groups, such as children, young parents, adolescents, women and people with disabilities, because their needs are overlooked by those who talk louder or participate more often.
Nevertheless, „soft” communication via bureaucracy methods: lawful language and plain representation designs, communication only via official notes and lack of eye-to-eye meetings and presentations for the public bring the trust for authorities down and the processes less effective.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

Participation in the Nordic-Baltic Mobility programme for public administration exceeded our expectations, as we gained valuable experiences and were introduced to different working models of our colleagues in Iceland and Denmark. As we represented Vilnius planning and were able to envision that the methods, we are creating here, are equally interesting and useful to our colleagues abroad. The focus of the project was to exchange knowledge about public involvement in the planning process and to share how it affects the quality the of city development, but we learned much more than this, getting to know the differences and influences of political change, lawful regulation and challenges of different natural environments.

Contact: Agne Motiejauskaite, project manager of the project "Exchange of knowledge and practice about urban planning quality assurance enabled through community involvement within the planning process "

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

The experience exchange project between Latvia's Court Administration and its Icelandic and Finnish counterparts has crucially advanced the modernization of Latvia's judicial system. Gaining insights into digital court systems and e-service platforms from these countries, Latvia is now better equipped to enhance its digital capabilities, leading to more efficient case management, improved public access, and streamlined processes. The project also underscored the benefits of centralizing administrative functions, particularly in justice system accounting and IT, suggesting paths towards improved operational efficiency and service quality.
Additionally, the project offered a comparative perspective on judge selection processes, providing ideas to improve Latvia's selection criteria to continue ensuring competent judiciary. Learning from the challenges and successes of Iceland and Finland prepares Latvia to effectively manage similar situations, fostering a more resilient Court Administration.
The initiative has opened avenues for ongoing international collaboration and knowledge exchange, essential for keeping up with global judicial trends and innovations. These interactions, combined with the gained insights, are vital for shaping Latvia's judicial policies and strategic planning, aiming to enhance the system's effectiveness and responsiveness.
Participation in this project has also positively impacted team morale and professional development, fostering innovative thinking and contributing to the team’s growth. Overall, this project has provided Latvia's Court Administration with invaluable strategies and knowledge, paving the way for a more efficient, transparent, and modern judicial system, integrating operational improvements with strategic planning and policy development.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

The project between Latvia's Court Administration and its Nordic-Baltic counterparts in Iceland and Finland significantly benefited Nordic-Baltic cooperation. It enhanced regional collaboration by demonstrating the effectiveness of shared judicial initiatives. Through high-level exchanges and discussions, the project showcased a strong commitment to intergovernmental cooperation, setting a precedent for future collaborative efforts in the region. The exchange of best practices, particularly in digitalization, judicial processes, and administrative functions, provided valuable insights and strategies. These interactions not only enriched the participating nations but also set a model for how cross-border collaboration can lead to the advancement of public administration standards. The project's focus on harmonizing operational standards and procedures across the Nordic-Baltic region has been instrumental in creating more consistent and efficient judicial systems. Additionally, the initiative fostered cross-sectoral cooperation, bringing together a diverse group of experts and stakeholders. This multidisciplinary approach ensured a comprehensive understanding of various judicial practices, thereby enhancing the overall impact of the project. Overall, the initiative strengthened Nordic-Baltic ties, contributing significantly to the region's collaborative efforts and the continuous improvement of its judicial systems.

References in the media

With in the project Court Administration published a press release on Administrations of the official website of Court Administration of Republic of Latvia that details collaborative project between Latvia and its Nordic-Baltic counterparts, in Iceland and Finland. This article highlighted the project's achievements and its alignment with the key success indicators, showcasing the strength and benefits of regional cooperation in the judicial domain.
https://www.ta.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/tiesu-administracijas-ekspertu-pieredzes-apmainas-vizite-islande-un-somija

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

The mobility project involving the Court Administration of Latvia with counterparts in Iceland and Finland offered crucial insights, particularly in the area of digitalization of judicial systems. The Latvian delegation gained practical knowledge by observing the advanced digital court systems in both countries. In Iceland, the focus was on how their judicial system efficiently integrates technology, enhancing case processing and information accessibility. Meanwhile, in Finland, the delegation explored e-services platforms that enable online legal processes, thereby improving public access to justice.
The project highlighted the efficiency and consistency benefits of centralizing IT services, a strategy successfully implemented in both Iceland and Finland. This approach enhances operational efficiency and ensures uniform quality in service delivery. The experience emphasized the importance of transparency, efficiency, and accessibility in judicial systems and the critical role of technology in supporting these values. Moreover, it underlined the significance of international collaboration and knowledge sharing.
In essence, the learnings from Iceland and Finland in digitalizing their judicial systems provide a valuable roadmap for the future development of Latvia's judicial administration, showcasing effective practices in integrating technology in the justice sector.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Public Administration fully met our expectations. It facilitated valuable knowledge exchange and fostered significant regional cooperation. The insights gained from the visits to Iceland and Finland's judicial systems were particularly enlightening, offering practical models for digitalization and judicial process improvement. The program also encouraged cross-border collaboration and understanding, enhancing our administrative capabilities. It was an exemplary platform for learning, sharing experiences, and adapting best practices, significantly contributing to the development of our public administration. Overall, the program's impact was profound, exceeding our initial expectations in both scope and depth of learning.

Contact: Ralfs Rusins , project manager of the project " Centralization of judicial administration procedures in the Nordic countries"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

Our organisation received practical information from Reykjavik and Copenhagen relating to communication, different infrastructure solutions, and confirmation that similar problems have similar solutions in general. Even though Tallinn has not invested into sustainable mobility that much before, we also were happy to know that our ideas for new solutions are mainly the same as other participant organisations. Our delegation got to try out different modes of transport on different infrastructure and so they are more knowledgeable of different possible solutions in our local projects. Lessons in communication has given our organisation understanding that the process is longer and needs more thought throughout to overcome misunderstandings and confrontation.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

The participant organisations have created new connection between each other. Also, we looked for an additional organisation to have a meeting with (Copenhagen municipality). During the project we have agreed that we can contact other participants when we have additional questions, or we need an additional look at the project. Therefore, we are able to implement international point of view onto our infrastructure.
Furthermore, we are going to share the e-scooter pilot project results. We are more than happy to help Reykjavik with implementing similar projects of e-scooter’s parking area regulations and process.

References in the media

Movia representatives posted information regarding our meeting in LinkedIn and gained some attention among local colleagues. (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jens-toudal-0635457_in-tallinn-fare-free-public-transport-changed-activity-7122953544327909376-vdXl?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop )

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

1) Experience on proper bicycle paths and junctions
2) Contacts for consulting in the future
3) Additional public transport planning principles
4) Communication value and importance in different processes
5) Implementing experiences in Tallinn

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

Programme enables to make study trips that are not always possible in your own organisation due to financial capabilities. Nordic mobility and traffic safety solutions have been an example for Baltic region a long time and it is a good measure to organise the study trips and inspect the solutions there.

Contact: Erki-Henri Meerbach, project manager of the project "Experience exchange on best practices in traffic management, transport development and adopting intelligent transport systems to support public transport"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

Increased knowledge transfer for mutual benefit on all administrative levels and increased network cooperation in politically prioritized areas should be mentioned. Our experts were able to gain important skills and experience that can be applied in the future. Also, it should be noted that international cooperation allows our organization to grow. Apart from that, our experts shared Lithuanian experience with the colleagues in Norway and Sweden, thus also boosting the international cooperation between the institutions allowing to share the good practices and thus to discuss them and probably to apply some developments in the future. One also have to consider that particularly UAVs regulations is still a new topic with the developing agenda, consequently, the visit enables share of experience and good practices for both sides.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

With this cooperation, participating institutions expanded involvement in the Nord-Baltic cooperation and also provided a platform for further cooperation between experts and initiatives for spin-off projects and mutual bilateral work. It gained a practical dimension: for example, following our experts' visit to Sweden, together with Swedish colleagues, it was decided to cooperate in the future as well as Swedish colleagues currently are interested in a visit to Lithuania.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

It was useful for both my personal skills and the home organization. Concerning my personal skills, since I am quite new at the organization, it was a great opportunity to boost the project, to coordinate the study agenda and to represent my own institution. Also, learning how the administration runs in the institutions in Norway and Sweden allows me to consider what developments could be applied to our institutions as well. Concerning the home organization, it was valuable to learn and share the experience from the colleagues in Nordic countries, to boost cooperation with the representatives of Norway and Sweden, also to consider them in our future initiatives as very likely partners.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

Overall, it is a great platform to make contacts with the colleagues from Nordic countries, to learn their good practices and also share our experience with them. The combination of these factors result in fruitful cooperation allowing to improve the knowledge and to consider the application of good practices into our system and improve the standards of administrative level and apply some practical developments as well.

Contact: Šarūnas Rinkevičius, project manager of the project "Strengthening skills and knowledge in the field of civil aviation: implementation of European legislation in the context of UAVs, market surveillance, ensuring safety in aviation and protection of passengers' rights"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

Our institution is a regulatory body responsible for ensuring patient safety and quality of healthcare services through regulatory mechanisms. The project made it possible to visit the National supervisory institutions of the three Nordic countries and learn about their functions, mandates, and methods they use to ensure patient safety and the quality of healthcare services provided. The functions of the three institutions are rather similar though slightly differs because of differences in the healthcare systems we were shortly introduced into too.
Especially useful was the possibility of learning about the preventive supervisory work experience of these institutions and the development of new methods of supervision improving their effectiveness and efficiency. Preventive supervisory work in our country is rather slight and we will introduce their best practice to proactively supervise healthcare providers to assure safe and quality healthcare services.
As the healthcare supervisory institutions of the Nordic countries gather various and detailed data related to care quality and safety the analysis of the previously gathered data serves as a base of their planned supervisory activities. This analytic work is new to us and we intend to introduce it as one of our institution's functions.
During the visits, we have the possibility to share our experience with the host institutions on the issues that are important for all countries - ensuring the safety and quality of healthcare and discussing how to further develop the framework for quality improvement and patient safety.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

We have made new contacts in the countries visited and agreed to share our problems and achievments when needed in the future. The further collaboration of healthcare supervisory institutions of the Nordic countries might be through EPSO: European Partnership for Supervisory Organisations in Health Services and Social Care which members are some of our host institutions.

References in the media

The project was shortly presented on the website of the State Accreditation Authority for Health Care
Naujienos - Valstybinė akreditavimo sveikatos priežiūros veiklai tarnyba prie Sveikatos apsaugos ministerijos (lrv.lt)

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

Especially valuable was the experience of the countries in analysis of data gathered enabling to foresee the planned supervision as a preventive supervisory work and their continuous efforts to improve effectiveness and efficiency of supervision methods. We intend to use their best practice in our institution.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

It was easy to submit the project due to very clear and understandable guidelines. All questions were answered by the programme manager without delay. The programme met all our expectations. The host institutions kindly suggested to discuss the planned agenda of the visit and thus the most important issues for us were included into agenda and were discussed during the visit. The knowledge acquired during the project will help us to improve activities of our institution.

Contact: Palmira Morkuniene, project manager of the project "Study visit to exchange experiences on surveillance of quality and safety of health care."

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

Project increased knowledge of participants about good management principles and good practices in the field of tourism and project management.
It improved the development of the tourism industry and the generation of new ideas in connection
with the cultural-historical and industrial heritage, as well as management of such projects as improving the energy efficiency of cultural and historical buildings, development of tourism infrastructure, development of natural and sustainable tourism. Excange included good and bad experiences, problem situations and possible solvings what created great place for common ideas for solving them.
As a result of the project, successful experience was gained for improving the organization's work with tourism entrepreneurs. In both countries of mobility, tourism organizations shared their experience on the co-payments of tourism entrepreneurs for the development of the industry in general in the given region. This example has development potential in Gulbene district and Latvian municipalities in general.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

Cooperation with Denmark and Norway municipality employees will be continued in other EU projects about common topics - industrial and cultural heritage, green railways, help and developement of small local tourism business, for examples the necessity of creating tourism clusters, as well as sharing real experience about the administration of the system of co-payments by tourism entrepreneurs, positive activities and problems at the stage of system implementation.

References in the media

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Z8AbNrSM3J3ku4A7JmqzGiCR54aaJoq5j7uVqfQyjUJ6XB2njjSDARyVQEaBts4cl&id=100063776071092

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02yi1jGtFsqKbPiGjpG6Q9WLepVVZeyp74WgmmJxghM9j6QNLjLb9xHCg9rtDBtRBAl&id=100063776071092

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0FP5cgLUCSyfcwcmhWp7sCTHCTRdXnLPdUVvXLBdzUbkEDyEXsfgashbi3GyVP8kAl&id=100063776071092

https://www.visitgulbene.lv/lv/jaunumi/dalas-pieredze-un-zinasanas-ar-ziemelvalstu-kolegiem

https://www.gulbene.lv/lv/jaunums/dalas-pieredze-un-zinasanas-ar-ziemelvalstu-kolegiem

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

The mobility project provided professional experience in the development of the tourism industry, examples of cooperation with tourism entrepreneurs and project management related to cultural-historical, industrial heritage, energy efficiency, tourism infrastructure and sustainable tourism. The experience gained in the development of rural areas can be transferred to the promotion of the overall economic development of the Gulbene region, since the chosen project partners had a similar geographical location compared to the distance from the capital. One of the most important values ​​gained during mobility is the established new contacts with industry specialists, which allows to plan new joint projects in the future, both in the exchange of experience and in the development of the industry.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

The mobility program fully met the planned results. Specialists of the municipality of Gulbene region from the fields of tourism and project management took part in the mobilities. Each participant gained useful professional experience and valuable personal impressions.

Contact: Egita Podniece, project manager of the project "Cooperation and knowledge transfer for good cultural, industrial heritage and project management development"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

The project benefited the Estonian Prosecutor's Office in the form of an opportunity to learn about organizations in the Nordic countries that deal with intimate partner violence, crimes against minors and victim assistance and procedures.
Participation in conferences made it possible to learn about modern practice and research directions, which have been carried out mainly in the Nordic countries, but also in Great Britain and other countries.
The project was definitely useful, as it was possible to get a so-called two-in-one package. Meetings of institutions and sharing of experiences in a small circle enabled direct communication and getting to know the topics and questions that interested the participants. But also the conference, where you could listen to a lot of different presentations and see the work and research of other countries. In a short time, it is not possible to get so much up to date information about special countries in a compact way.
Cooperation with other institutions and a point of comparison, how we can learn from other countries' experiences and mistakes, are definitely beneficial factors. Estonia is still in its infancy in many areas, which is why the experience of other countries is useful and the opportunity to move even faster if you know where not to go wrong or what to observe in order to avoid mistakes. Once again, Estonia has the privilege of being a small country, which is why we can transfer the experience among our own countries that much faster.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

The project improved the connections between the Nordic countries and Estonia and created direct contacts between specialists who deal with priority areas such as sexual crime against minors, victim protection and intimate partner violence.
During the project, we also raised awareness of the Baltic countries by sharing the Estonian experience at meetings. At the meetings, we exchanged information in the investigation of criminal proceedings against children and intimate partner violence and shared the best practices that the representatives of the countries that participated in the meeting had to offer.
The cooperation of the North Baltic countries can always benefit if the countries share experiences, are more efficient together and think of better opportunities together. It is important that countries cooperate with each other, share knowledge, experience and ideas. Gaining common experiences and getting to know each other increases the sense of unity and awareness of progress, and thus the development of the entire region. It also means that there are so-called contact persons through whom cooperation can be continued and development can be done together, if necessary.

References in the media

There are no knowledge of media attention.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

The project made possible to establish new contacts with institutions that deal with important activities for the prosecutor's office, such as supporting victims, collecting evidence for criminal proceedings. The up-to-date information and experience gained from the conferences and everything that can bring new practice and way of thinking to your work was very valuable.
Each participant definitely gained personal valuable experience from the activities that took place during the program, but also as a whole, the opportunity to meet organizations from other countries and hear their experiences and work organization brought new thoughts.
The value that was experienced and to take away from the meeting is the attitude towards children and their care. It is realized that dealing with problems early on with less invasive methods helps to prevent bigger problems in the future. This is definitely a value worth adopting, strong prevention will prevent irreversible problems later.
In cases of intimate partner violence, in addition to punishing the perpetrator, it is also necessary to ensure that he is able to cope without using violence in the future. We need to be aware of the wider impact of intimate partner violence, not only on the victim and other relatives, but also on the wider circle, find ways to provide support and provide knowledge so that they can ask for and seek help if necessary.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

The program met expectations, as it allowed eight employees of the organization to gain experience in a foreign country and get acquainted with new knowledge in the field. The goals of the project, which were to promote the exchange of experience on best practices, crosssectoral cooperation and capacity building and also exchange of specialist contacts, were achieved. Direct meetings and discussions provide a better foundation for future cooperation. The conference programs were very comprehensive and exciting. There were many topics and everyone was able to choose interesting topics to listen to. Without such a program, the development of cooperation in this way would certainly be difficult.

Contact: Kristine Tamm, project manager of the project "Study visit to Norway and Iceland in the field of domestic violence, sexual abuse, crimes by and against minors"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

This project was very much needed, as it provided us inspiration and new ideas how to advance equality in Estonia. It will have direct impact on Commissioner's office 2024 work plan. For example, we have taken inspiration from Finland on their work to advance equality in schools and from Iceland on their work with social media campaign.

After the study visits, we have invited the representative from Iceland to Commissioner's annual conference on gender equality, equal treatment and green transition, which they accepted.

Additionally, we invited the Finnish representatives from ombudspersons, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Social Affairs to Estonia for a study visit. All of the above-mentioned organisations took the idea on board.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

As mentioned above, there have been direct impacts, such as:
1. Invitation of Jafnrettisstofa representative to Commissioner's conference on 24 October 2023 to present the project "Gender Equality in the Arctic Region";
2. Sharing of contacts and good practices on AI and equality (one of the key topics for Estonia for coming years);
3. Finland's representatives have agreed to come for study visit to Estonia in 2024;
4. University of Iceland equality officer is now in direct contact with Tallinn University equality ombudsperson (a contact that we facilitated in order to enhance cooperation between universities);
5. We will use much of the information from Helsinki City meeting at our Gender Equality, Equal Treatment in Green Deal conference to encourage City of Tallinn to adopt equality plans

References in the media

We posted about the study visit to Iceland on our Facebook site.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for my home organisation

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

We discussed extensively on the issue of women's rights vs trans rights. I believe this solidified our approach to the topic.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

It did. It really helped us to build networks and cooperation.

Contact: Christian Veske, project manager of the project "Enhancing cooperation between Nordic and Baltic public sector on gender equality and equal treatment“"

Please describe how the project benefited your organisation

From the meetings with Swedish and Finnish colleagues, Lithuanian researchers brought home a wide spectrum of experiences about the methods and models of parliamentary research. Both research units of Riksdag and Eduskunta proved to have very strong pillars of legal and economic analysis, the practices of which were discussed in a very detailed manner with Lithuanian researchers. These discussions clearly revealed spheres where the Research Unit of the Lithuanian Seimas could improve. For example, both Swedish and Finnish colleagues have very important contributions in the sphere of economic analysis, including the functions of the Parliamentary Budget Office, shadow budget modeling, and taxation simulations. To improve its economic analysis capabilities, parliamentary research in Lithuania should create a strategy for attracting more highly qualified professionals in economics. Another sphere with a space for improvement is communication with a client. We learned that Lithuanian parliamentary research should move from a more request-answer-oriented culture to more client-researcher-oriented communication, with an emphasis on improved dialogue with an MP or other person requesting an analytical product. Lithuanian researchers also learned of the importance of more focused analyses, which emphasize specific issues rather than general matters. Finally, we brought home a strong understanding that we live in a constantly evolving world in which parliamentary research has to constantly adapt to new technologies, such as AI, which creates both new challenges and opportunities.

Please describe how the project benefited the Nordic-Baltic cooperation

During the project implementation, Lithuanian parliamentary researchers visited their counterparts at the Swedish and Finnish parliaments and, as a result, exchanged contacts and verbally agreed to continue communication on any relevant professional questions. Thus, informal Lithuanian-Swedish and Lithuanian-Finnish parliamentary communication channels were created. These channels could be used in the future to exchange experiences and improve parliamentary research services in the Lithuanian, Swedish, and Finnish parliaments.

Do you consider your mobility project valuable in terms of sharing experience?

Yes, for personal skills

Please give an example of experiences/values gained through the mobility project

Mobility program allowed us to improve communication skills, organizational skills, analytical skills, networking.

Please describe briefly whether the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for %s met your expectations

Yes it has. We brought home a wide spectrum of useful experiences, which we shared with our colleagues .

Contact: Selija Levin , project manager of the project "Knowledge transfer and experience exchange between national parliamentary research services "