The Society Integration Foundation (SIF) has concluded the training cycle “How to Create Social Innovations in the Field of Social Services?” in Zemgale, providing participants with knowledge and practical skills for developing and improving innovative social services.
The five-seminar cycle, held from March to early April, was attended by 113 participants, including social service professionals, NGO representatives, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders in the social services field.
Similar to other regions, Zemgale participants rated the training 9 out of 10 points, highlighting as the main benefits new knowledge, collaboration opportunities, inspiration, creativity, and the ability to think more broadly.
“As someone working in the healthcare sector and not very close to social services, this course was extremely useful. I now understand the mindset and approach needed to think about social services, what counts as innovation, and how to assess organizational efficiency. I especially appreciated the diversity of participants from different fields, which helped me learn and connect more closely with the sector. Overall, the seminars were a great opportunity for growth – many thanks to the organizers!”
shared Ieva Plūme, Chair of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
The training sessions were led by experienced experts from various fields:
Liesma Ose, communication and social work expert, lecturer at the University of Latvia;
Vita Brakovska, lecturer at Riga Technical University, head of the association Knowledge and Innovation Society, business coach;
Liene Kupča, innovation mentor and service design strategist;
Juris Osis, social service planning expert with long-standing experience in Riga City Municipality;
Una Lapskalna-Alksne, head of Ventspils Social Service.
To deepen participants’ understanding of social innovations and the specifics of the social services sector, the training cycle included three experience stories:
Baiba Blomniece-Jurāne, head of the social enterprise Barboleta, presented an innovative balance platform method for learning and productivity – a science-based approach to improving focus, motivation, memory, and energy both at work and in education.
Edvarts Pāvulēns, head of the Social Service of Aizkraukle Municipality, shared insights into common challenges in the sector and how the service addresses them.
Eva Viļķina, head of the association Cerību spārni, spoke about implementing and scaling innovative social services.
“Liesma Ose’s session helped me clearly structure the concept of what social innovation and social service actually mean. She also provided tools and methods I can apply in my daily work. As my team plans to submit a project proposal in the SIF selection, this was an excellent starting point for understanding whether our idea fits the requirements,”
said Egita Matulēna, head of the social enterprise Sajūtu Māja, after the first seminar “What Are Social Innovations?”
“I really liked that the lecturer encouraged us to think outside the box. We all work in a challenging field, but many issues can be solved by applying known methods in new ways. These approaches help broaden our perspective and make problem-solving less daunting. The seminars also gave us the chance to network with colleagues from NGOs and social enterprises,”
noted Baiba Lucaua-Makalistere, head of the Dobele Municipality Social Service, after the second seminar “How to Identify the Right Problem?”
“You’ve selected fantastic and charismatic lecturers who truly inspire action. For me, inspiration is key — these sessions help me clarify my goals and give me valuable knowledge. From Liene Kupča’s lecture, I especially take away the method for structuring ideas over time to avoid burnout and the mindset to ‘cut it out’ — letting go of what no longer works. Huge thanks to the lecturers and organizers!”
shared Ilona Vaivade, architect, after the third seminar “How to Design Solutions Using the Social Innovation Approach.”
“This session was a ‘bomb’! It helped me understand my purpose for attending and clarified my thoughts on writing a project proposal,”
said Aija Vārava, after the fourth seminar “Practical Steps in Developing Social Innovations.”
“Today I’m taking away new knowledge, examples, contacts, and networking opportunities. I really liked the interactive format and the chosen topics,”
said Elīna Juraka, head of the Wellbeing Centre GAISMAS, after the fifth seminar “Sustainability in Social Innovation and Cross-Sector Cooperation.”
The training cycle consisted of five thematically connected seminars:
1️⃣ Introduction to Social Innovations – understanding key concepts and community-based services;
2️⃣ & 3️⃣ Identifying and Defining Problems – distinguishing causes from effects and designing appropriate solutions;
4️⃣ Practical Development Steps – focusing on Latvia’s system and legal framework;
5️⃣ Sustainability and Cooperation – covering social impact, scalability, and cross-sector collaboration.
SIF is organizing these training cycles across all Latvian regions. The cycle has concluded in Kurzeme, Riga, Vidzeme, and Zemgale, while Latgale is completing the final sessions.
More information is available [HERE].
SIF sincerely thanks all participants for their active involvement, time, and dedication to developing social innovations in Latvia. The knowledge and skills gained will help strengthen the sector, and we look forward to new innovations in social services soon!
The training cycle “How to Create Social Innovations in the Field of Social Services?” is part of the ESF+ project “Support for New Approaches in the Provision of Community-Based Social Services”, implemented by the Society Integration Foundation, with the goal of promoting social innovation and developing modern, needs-based, community-oriented services.
This information was prepared by the Society Integration Foundation within the ESF+ co-financed project No. 4.4.1.1./1/24/I/001 “Support for New Approaches in the Provision of Community-Based Social Services.”
The Society Integration Foundation is responsible for the content of this information.
