Researchers from the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences (FESS) of the University of Latvia (UL), in a study on strengthening public engagement and trust, recommend improving communication with residents about accomplished work and enhancing coordination among public administration institutions. To promote social cohesion, they emphasize the importance of increasing civic competence, while for successful cooperation they suggest developing digital tools to ensure traceability of initiative implementation and engaging specific target groups within society.
The research team of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences (FESS) of the University of Latvia (UL) has concluded a national research programme project entitled “Innovative and Inclusive Governance for Strengthening Public Engagement, Trust, and Communication.”
The overarching aim of this multi-study research cycle was to identify ways to improve societal resilience and public trust in state governance. The research results include data and analysis on political culture, civic competencies, the quality of public administration communication, security, and governance capacity.
The project was implemented by leading researchers from UL FESS: Assoc. Prof. Visvaldis Valtenbergs, Prof. Jānis Ikstens, Prof. Iveta Reinholde, Assist. Prof. Jurijs Ņikišins, Assist. Prof. Klinta Ločmele, Assist. Prof. Renārs Felcis, as well as experts Lect. Inga Latkovska, Lecturer Velta Skolmeistere, Lecturer Mārtiņš Pričins, Lecturer Anastasija Tetarenko-Supe, Assoc. Prof. Juris Pupčenoks (Marist College, USA), Prof. Daiga Kamerāde (University of Salford, UK), and Alina Östling (RISE Research Institutes of Sweden).
Based on the insights gained, the research team formulated five strategic recommendations in the following areas:
quality of democracy and institutional trust; civic education and social cohesion; strategic communication and digital participation; security, resilience, and integration; and governance capacity and sustainable policy-making.
Quality of Democracy and Institutional Trust
FESS researchers note that “public trust in parliament and political parties in Latvia remains lower than the OECD average. Trust is strengthened by institutions’ ability to respond quickly to public needs and to clearly explain their decisions.”
In this area, researchers recommend introducing policy feedback mechanisms, such as public reporting on results, and improving coordination among institutions.
Civic Education and Social Cohesion
Experts view civic education as essential for strengthening social cohesion and democratic culture. However, in Latvia it remains fragmented and overly focused on theoretical knowledge rather than practical skills. The study recommends improving the acquisition of civic competencies at all levels of education.
Strategic Communication and Digital Participation
Citizens clearly expect clear, reliable, and timely information from the state. Research on disinformation on social media shows that misleading narratives exploit gaps in trust. Researchers emphasize that “state communication must be professional, coordinated, and targeted, providing content in multiple languages.”
They also recommend improving digital participation platforms by introducing transparent feedback mechanisms so that citizens can see the link between their ideas and adopted decisions.
Security, Resilience, and Integration
In today’s world, security encompasses not only military defence but also social cohesion and trust. Project findings indicate that overly exclusionary or restrictive security policies may deepen trust gaps between different social groups. FESS researchers recommend an inclusive security approach, which includes “segmenting crisis communication, engaging minority groups in dialogue, and providing content in multiple languages to strengthen a sense of belonging and reduce social distance.”
Governance Capacity and Sustainable Policy
“Addressing complex, cross-sectoral challenges—such as climate change, demographic trends, and digital transformation—requires governance based on collaboration and a culture of learning,” researchers stress.
They recommend strengthening policy coordination, developing data-driven governance tools, and establishing innovation labs to test and implement new approaches.
More information about the publications, datasets, and recommendations developed by UL researchers is available on the project website.
“Innovative and Inclusive Governance for Strengthening Public Engagement, Trust, and Communication” is a project funded by the national research programme “Letonica for the Development of a Latvian and European Society” (registration No. VPP-LETONIKA-2021/3-0004).
The project was implemented from 2021 to December 2025.
