Country:Latvia
Field:Public administration reform
Institution:Prime-Minister’s Office
Gunta Veismane has worked for Public Administration Reform more than 20 years. She was among the founders of the School of Public Administration in Latvia. The work included not only creating the training institution but also drafting new civil service legislation and embracing on a complex process of implementing it. It can be mentioned that Latvia was the first country in Central and Eastern Europe adopting modern civil service law, and Gunta was among those driving this process.
Since 2000, Ms Veismane served for over 10 years as Director of State Chancellery of Latvia. Throughout that period, many external organizations, including EU, WB and IMF, have prized Latvia for its success of public administration reforms. The State Chancellery of Latvia set the basis of a united and motivated corps of State Secretaries, i.e., senior civil servants leading policy making and administration of line ministries. This experience was used as example in several states of Western Balkans and CIS countries including Moldova.
Gunta’s main task is provide policy advice to the Prime Minister`s office and PAR Committee on Public Administration Reform. At the same time, she gives recommendations for Prime-Minister and his advisers in cross-cutting priority issues: anti-corruption issues, territorial reform issues, proposals for improving institution of State secretaries, clear career perspectives and motivation for civil servants.