Edvins Vanags

Professor Edvins Vanags University of Latvia Director Latvian Statistical Institute Kr.Barona iela 30 Riga, LV 1011 Latvia Phone: +371 728 6876; Fax:   +371 7286876 E-mail: lsi@latnet.lv

Born: July 12, 1938, Daugavpils, Latvia

Interests:

• Public Administration Reforms
• Comparative Public Administration
• Management of Local Government
• Territorial Statistics
• Development of Local Economy

Languages: Latvian, English, Russian

Education

• University of Latvia (Faculty of Economics), 1961
• Dr. oec., (Candidate of Science in former USSR), Institute of Economics, Moscow, 1973
• Dr. habil. oec. (Doctor of Science in former USSR), Institute of Economics, St.Petersburg, 1988

Experience

• Director of the Latvian Statistical Institute, 1991- 
• Professor, University of Latvia, 1992 -
• Head of Department of Public Administration, University of Latvia, 1994-2003
• Head of Department of Regional Information, Latvian Statistical Institute, 1970-1991
• Head of Department, Latvian Statistical Board, 1964-1970
• Senior Economist of the Latvian Statistical Board, 1963-1964
• Economist, Latvian Statistical Board, 1961-1962

Honours and Awards

• Corresponding Member, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1993
• Full Member, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1999

Professional Activities and Memberships

• Member, the Latvian Council of Science Expert Committee for Economics and Law Sciences , 1996 -
• Member, Council of Economics Science of the University of Latvia, 1992 - 
• Affiliated Member, International City Management Association, 1992 -
• Member, American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), 1993 - 
• Member, Committee of Independent Experts on Monitoring the Application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, 1997- 

Courses

University of Latvia:

• Organization of State Administration and Local Government
• Local Governments in Europe and Latvia
• Reforms of State Administration and Local Government

Recent/Representative Publications

• E.Vanags, O.Krastins, I.Vilka, V.Locane, P.Skinnis, A.Bauere. Diverse Latvia: Rural Municipalities, Areas, Towns, Districts, Regions. Evaluations, Perspectives, Visions. - Riga: Latvian Statistical Institute, State Agency of Regional Development, 2004. - 539 pp.
• I.Vilka, E.Vanags, O.Krastins, V.Locane. Identification of Territories Deserving of Special Support in Latvia Using Statistical Indicators and Methods. -In: Research in Statistics - Basis of Social Sciences and Education. - Riga; University of Latvia, 2004. - pp.170-176.
• E.Vanags, O.Krastins, V.Locane. Development of Regions. - In: Message on Development of Economy of Latvia . - Riga: Ministry of Economy, 2003. -pp.72-76.
• E.Vanags, O.Krastins etc. The Improvement of Statistics and Social-Economical Development of Territories in the Context of the EU. - In: Main Research Directions of Economies and Low Science in 2003. - Riga: Experts Commission of Economies and Law Science of Latvian Council of Science, 2004. - pp.163-173.
• E.Vanags, I.Vilka. Identification of Territories in Latvia Eligible for Special Support in the Context of the EU Enlargement. - In: Readiness of the Candidate Countries for the EU Regional Policy/ Conference Almanac, Bratislava, Slovak Republik, 3-5 pp. November,2003. - Bratislava: Slovak Foreign Policy Association, 2003. - pp.177-184.
• E.Vanags, I.Vilka. Local Democracy in the Baltic Countries: a New Beginning. - In: Local Democracy in Post - Communist Europe. Germany: Leske+Budrich, Opladen, 2003. - pp.123-156.
• E.Vanags, I.Vilka. Local Government Reform in the Baltic Countries. - In: Reforming Local Government in Europe: Closing the gap between Democracy and Efficiency. - Leske+Budrich, Opladen, 2002 - P.309-322.
• Indicators of local Democracy in Latvia/ Inga Vilka, Maris Pukis, Edvins Vanags// The State of Local Democracy in Central Europe., 2002, Budapest: Local Government Public Service Reform Initiative, Open Society Institute, pp. 107-179.
• E.Vanags, I.Vilka. Local Government in Latvia. - In: Decentralization: Experiments and Reforms / Edited by Tamas M.Horvath / Local Governments in Central and Eastern Europe, volume 1 - Budapest: Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative, 2000, pp. 115-164
• E.Vanags, I.Vilka.Territorial Statistics and Regional Development in Latvia.- Humanities and Social Sciences. Latvia: Latvian Economy at the Turn of Centuries, 2000, N 1, pp.17-34
• E.Vanags. Public Administration Education: Latvia. - In: Building Higher Education Programmes in Public Administration in CEE Countries /Edited by Tony Verheijen and Juraj Nemec. - Bratislava, Slovakia: NISPAcee, 2000, pp. 148-161.
• Edvins Vanags, Howard R.Balanoff. Latvia: a Civil Service System in Development. -In: Civil Service Systems in Central and Eastern Europe, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, Northampton, MA, USA, 1999, pp. 267-298.
• Edvins Vanags, Inga Vilka. Organization of State Administration and Local Government. - Riga, 1999, 192 pp. (in Latvian).
• Edvins Vanags, Howard R.Balanoff, John J. Lauletta. After the Fall of the Soviet Union: the Changing Status of Local Governments in the Republic of Latvia. - International Journal of Public Administration, 1999, vol. 22, N 1,  pp. 165-169. 
• Edvins Vanags. Regional economic development in Latvia. - Paper presented at the  International Conference "The Role of Social Science in the Development of Education, Business and Government Entering the 21st Century", Kaunas, Lithuania, 1998, 12 pp.
• Edvins Vanags. Public Administration Reforms. - Riga, 1998, 110 pp. (in Latvian).
• Edvins Vanags. Public Administration Reforms in Foreign Countries. - Riga, 1998, 36 pp. (in Latvian).
• Edvins Vanags. Organization and Economy of Local Government. - Riga, 1997, 160 pp. (in Latvian).
• Edvins Vanags, Inga Vilka. The Role of State and Local Governments in the Development of Enterpreneurship. - Paper presented at the IPSA XVII World Congress, Seoul, 1997, 27 pp.
• Edvins Vanags. Organization and Economy of Local Governments. - Riga: University of Latvia, 1997, 160 pp. (in Latvian).
• Inese Vaidere, Edvins Vanags. The Promotion of Regional  Economic Development. - In: Humanities and Social Sciences. Latvia: State and Local Government as Promoters of Economy, 1997, N 2(15), pp. 47-72.
• per Kristen Mydske, Anton Steen, Edvins Vanags. Public Administration Reforms in Latvia. - In: Hallinnon Tutkimus, 1996, N 4, pp. 275-281.
• Edvins Vanags, Ilmars Vanags, Vilnis Straumens. The Development of Territorial Statistics in Latvia.- In: Proceedings of the Seminar on Regional Statistics, Baden, 1996, pp. 155-158.
• Edvins Vanags. The Problems of Central Government Reforms in Latvia. - Paper presented at the Workshop ‘’Administrative Reforms and Governance in Eastern Europe‘’, Oslo, 1996, 23 pp.
• Edvins Vanags. State Administration Reforms in Latvia, 1995, Riga, 148 pp. (in Latvian).
• Edvins Vanags. Organization of Local Government, 1995, Riga, 123 pp. (in Latvian).
• Edvins Vanags. The History and Development of Local Governments in Latvia, 1995, Riga, 62 pp. (in Latvian).
• Edvins Vanags, Inga Vilka. State, Local Governments, and Business, 1994, Riga, 68 pp. (in Latvian).
• Edvins Vanags. Local Government Reforms in Latvia and Other Baltic States. Public Finance and Comparative Public Administration Curricula Development and Teaching Methodology.- In: Proceedings from the Second Summer Workshop, 1995, Stara Lesna, pp. 124-147.
• Howard R.Balanoff, Edvins Vanags. After the Fall of the Soviet Union: The Changing Status of Local Governments in the Republic of Latvia. - Paper presented at the 55th Annual Conference of the ASPA, 1994, Kansas City, 21pp.
• Howard R.Balanoff, Edvins Vanags. Government Reform in Latvia: Developing a New System for the Professional Development and Training of the Latvian Civil Service. - Paper presented at the 56th Annual Conference of ASPA, San Antonio, 1995, Texas, 20 pp.

Research Projects

• Edvins Vanags (Head of Project). The Development of Statistical Information According to International Standards. Latvian Council of Science, 1991- 2000.
• Edvins Vanags (Head of Project). The Development of the Territorial Statistical Information System. The Economic Development Institute of the World Bank and Danish Ministry of Interior (1997-1998).
• Edvins Vanags (Head of Project). The Investigation of Regional Economy Develpoment in the European Union Countries and Possibility of Use this Experience in Latvia. Ministry of Economy (1998).
• Edvins Vanags (Head of Project).  The Development of the Functions and Relationships of central Government, Local Government, NGO, and Private Sector in the Conditions of Democratization and Decentralization. Public Administration Reform Bureau (1999).
• Edvins Vanags (Head of Project). The Improvement of Statistics and Social-Economical Development of Territories in the Context of the EU. Latvian Council of Science (2001 - 2004).
• Edvins Vanags (Head of Project). Specific Problems of latvia's Statistics within the Framework of EU Statistics. Latvian Council of Science (2005 - ).

Last update 05.01.2005