Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? Question 12: Please specify the most important trends identified in that are guiding current policy discussions in Estonia about local and regional development (demographic, productivity, labour market, connectivity, etc.) Question 13: Are there policies for addressing public sector job losses in rural areas following the closure of public sector facilities such as schools and hospitals? Question 14: Has Estonia or any of its municipalities implemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. Question 16: Which policies have been implemented to enhance rural amenities (natural and historical)? Please specify the institutions involved, their goals, budgets and the types of actions they do. Please provide an evaluation of their effect on the rural economy. 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses/valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid. 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 14: Has Estonia or any of its municipalities implemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 33: What are the current education funding formulas used to allocate resources to schools? Have the principles behind such formulas been reconsidered recently, or are they under consideration (e.g. moving to funding on a per-student basis)? Question 35: Do funding formulas for service facilities (schools, hospitals) include specific provisions for small units (or if it has ever been considered) (e.g. additional funding on top of existing formula if the unit is below a size threshold)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 53: Please describe the resource allocation to different levels of government (central, municipal). What are the most important revenue resources of each level (tax revenue, grants, tariffs and user fees, etc.)? Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). Question 55: Please summarise the latest data available on sources of municipal revenues in the following table: Total Municipalities Year: Amounts , million EUR % of GDP % of total Tax revenue Shared tax Own-source tax Grants Earmarked (conditional) Grants General (unconditional) grants Operating (alternative classification) Investment (alternative classification) Tariffs and User fees Property income (e.g. rents, dividends, royalties, etc.) Social contributions Other Total 100% Source: Question 56: Please also discuss and present data to describe the differences between municipalities in revenues. 2.6 Municipal tax revenues Question 5 7 : Please indicate in the table below the main taxes collected by municipalities, be it either shared tax revenues (national taxes shared between the central government and subnational governments, and redistributed to the latter as tax revenues and not as grants) or own-source tax revenues (on which municipalities have a certain leeway over tax base or tax rates). Please indicate the legal basis of municipal taxation. Shared taxes Tax name Tax base Sharing arrangements Leeway over tax rates or tax base? Specify Weight in municipal tax revenues (%) Weight in municipal total revenues (%) E.g. Personal income tax Personal income Municipalities: 60% of the receipt No leeway. % 60% 40% NB: this table should be consistent with the summary table above. Own-source municipal taxes Tax name Tax base Scope to set tax rates (total, restricted, no leeway)? Scope to set or modify tax base (exemptions, deductions) Weight in municipal tax revenues (%) Weight in municipal total revenues (%) E.g. Property tax Land and buildings Total freedom. Partial freedom 20% NB: this table should be consistent with the summary table above. Question 5 8 : Do municipalities have the power to create new local taxes? FORMCHECKBOX No FORMCHECKBOX Yes – If yes, in what specific areas? Question 5 9 : Do you think that municipal own-sources taxes should be developed? How? What are the obstacles to the development of municipal own-source tax revenues? Question 60 : Could you please provide data on disparities between municipalities in terms of tax revenues (according to population size groups or other categories of municipalities) ? Please also provide description on the reasons for these disparities (e.g. human, technical and financial capacity to levy and collect taxes, other?)? Question 61 : Please describe how municipal taxation is administered: which administration is responsible for registries management, assessing tax bases and collecting receipts? Question 62 : Please describe the exemption’ system. Are there plans to change the system? 2.7 Revenues from inter-governmental transfers and subsidies Question 6 3 : Please describe the grant system in general terms. How has this grant system evolved in the last 10-15 years? Question 6 4 : Using the table below, please list the main financial transfers allocated to local governments by the central government, and their main characteristics: Grants and subsidies dedicated to operating or investment expenditures, or others (e.g. special funds, equalization, etc.); General (unconditional and non-earmarked transfers) or earmarked (assigned conditional transfers – please indicate the sector/policy field/purpose); Other characteristics if relevant (e.g. other rules associated with their use such as co-financing, projects evaluation procedures, competitive grants such as the regional development fund)? Allocation mechanisms between local governments (distribution formulas/ calculation or distribution at the discretion of the central government); Level of predictability of those transfers (high, medium or low). Name and source of the transfers Operating / Investment/ Other General / Earmarked (indicate the purpose and/or policy field) Other major characteristics Calculation mechanisms / criteria Predictability (high / medium / low) Weight in municipal total revenues (%) E.g. Education endowment Operating Earmarked (payment of teachers‘ salaries) Demographic, geographic, socio-economic and tax criteria High 10% NB: this table should be consistent with the summary table above. Question 6 5 : How does the national government assess the existing grant/subsidy system? Are grants sufficient to cover the tasks assigned to municipalities and adapted to the different needs of municipalities? What are the main criticisms concerning the distribution mechanisms of grants/subsidies among municipalities? 2.8 Other types of revenues Question 6 6 : Tariffs and user fees Please describe the revenues coming from the use and pricing of municipal public services (t ariffs and fees). Are municipalities free to determine the level of pricing/user fees or are they governed by a regulation? Is it intended to develop this type of revenue? Question 67 : Property income Please describe the different types of revenues resulting from municipal physical and financial assets ( ad hoc income resulting from assets sales and recurring income such as rental fees, dividends form municipal industrial and commercial companies, revenues from concessions, royalties). Do you have data on the value of these different assets? Question 6 8 : Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and concessions Is there an explicit national policy framework for PPPs for infrastructure or public services in Estonia? Can municipalities participate directly as a contracting authority to a PPP? Can you provide data about municipal PPPs (number and list of municipal PPP projects, sectors, number of municipalities concerned, the share of PPP investments/expenditure at the national and municipal level, etc.)? Can you cite best practices examples as well as bad practices examples? Question 6 9 : Do you think that municipal PPP will grow in the near future? Aside from public-private partnerships, are there other form of involvement of private actors in municipal financing? If yes, under which forms? Are they encouraged by the central government and municipalities? 2.9 Expenditure data Question 70 : Please provide data on: The division of expenditure between the different levels of government (central, local) for each of the 10 main policy fields i . e . COFOG (education, health, infrastructure…) , with separating the operating and capital spending The division of expenditure between the different levels of government (national, local), in absolute and relative amounts and percentages (in proportion to revenues, GDP and total public expenditure). A focus on municipal expenditure, with regionalised data if available. Question 71 : Please provide estimates, if available, of the need for municipal replacement investments on local infrastructure (by municipalities or by central government) for the next 5-10 years (with links to data if available). Is there a “repair investment deficit” problem in Estonia? What is the size of the problem (e.g. percent of infrastructure, millions euros). 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details) : Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1. General overview 1.1 Territorial definitions and infrastructure needs Question 1: Is there a standard definition of “urban areas’’ or “rural areas’’ in Estonia? If so, please specify and provide the parameters these definitions are based on (e.g., population density, sector specialization, local accessibility, etc.), and explain why such parameters have been adopted. Have those definitions evolved in recent years? Question 2 : Please provide maps (or links to websites containing these maps) depicting the transportation and infrastructure network in terms of main roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines, electricity grid, and telecommunications. Question 5 : What percentage of population has access to internet and broadband in cities and outside cities (i.e. in smaller cities and rural areas)? Are there territories in the regions that have important gaps, for instance in terms of internet speed? Question 6: Please provide additional bibliography and annexes (maps, charts, links to excel documents, links to websites, etc.) you consider relevant to this section. 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 7: Which institutional actors in Estonia address rural development issues? How is co-ordination ensured at the national and at the municipal level; and across levels of government? Question 8: What are the key present and future trends in demographic growth and change in Estonia? Please indicate geographical areas of growth and decline according to population projections. Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections) ? Question 10: Where are the elderly disproportionally located in the country (in cities, remote rural etc.)? What are the main recent patters in international and inter-regional immigration and emigration in Estonia by age groups? Question 12: Please specify the most important trends identified in that are guiding current policy discussions in Estonia about local and regional development (demographic, productivity, labour market, connectivity, etc. ) Question 17: Give a brief overview of nature conservation policies (goal, measures, role of regional and local governments, public agency or agencies that carries these policies, policy effects, obstacles, and solutions). What is the contribution of these policies to enhance economic growth in rural areas and smaller cities ? Question 18 : Is the development of a tourism sector a priority in rural areas? Please present the main policy tools (access to financing, promotion…) and recent trends in terms of types of visitors to the region and to its rural areas (leisure, business, domestic, international). Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students) ? 2. Multi-level governance and institutional frameworks 2.1 General overview of the institutional context and decentralisation in Estonia Question 38 : Please provide a summary and updated description of the governance and institutional framework of Estonia concerning : the general multi-level governance setting (executive and legislative powers, the judiciary, regulatory agencies, central and subnational governments, other public institutions, etc.) the different government levels (what are the hierarchal links between them ? ) 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify) . 3.1 General overview of spatial plans at the national and sub-national levels in Estonia This section requests information about all plans with an explicit geographical component. This could include plans related to land-use, environment, rural development, transport, economic development, or any other type of plan with a spatial dimension. Please also include (if any) plans that address demographic change , specifically ageing and population decline in Estonian regions. Please fill in a copy of the following section (questions 88 to 97 ) for every type of spatial plan that exists . If the same type of plan exists in several or all regions of the country, please complete only one copy of this section for all of them. In this context, “type” means any group of plans that have approximately the same function and operate in a comparable way. ------------------------- ¯ Section below to be completed once for every existing pla n ¯ ------------------------ Question 88 : Name of the plan Local name English translation Number ( please number every plan for further reference) Question 89 : Geographical scope To which geographical area does this type of plan typically apply? Geographical areas can include national, regional, county, municipality, etc. Which level of government (or other institutions such as independent agencies, special purpose bodies, inter-municipal bodies) approves the plan? Question 90 : Character of the plan Please indicate the main function of the plan F unction Policy guidelines Strategic planning (spatial framework) Zoning/boundary plan Other (please specify): Question 91 : Types of land use addressed by the plan Please indicate to which types of land use the plan primarily refers (multiple selections possible) Agricultural Housing Commerce Industry Environment/recreation Transport Other (please specify): Question 92 : Specificity of the plan Please indicate the level of detail of the regulations provided by the plan. Specifies general outlines of land-use only Specifies primarily general outlines of land-use, but provides more details Specifies general outlines, but also some details of permitted use Specifies most details of permitted use, but leaves some aspects open to other regulation Provides the most detailed description of the permitted use Other (please specify): Question 93 : Legal character Please indicate to what degree the plan is legally binding Legally binding, no exemptions possible Legally binding, exemptions are possible but rare Legally binding, but frequent exemptions are granted Not legally binding, but incentives (e.g. financial) are provided to stick to the plan Not legally binding, no material incentives to stick to the plan If the plan is only legally binding for some of the actors it addresses, please specify for whom it is legally binding. Question 94 : Plan details Please answer in detail the general content of the plan, its function within the policy making process, what the plan covers from the perspective of land use and spatial planning, what it aims to achieve, what specific types of issues are addressed (for example housing, transportation, rural development, etc ) and how, and any other information that may be relevant in the context of ageing and population decline in Estonian regions. Question 95 : Population targets and projections Does the plan include any population related targets, such as projections or population density forecasts? If so, please provide an overview of how the plan incorporates these targets into the overall planning framework. Question 9 6 : Declining areas Is there any reference in the plan to address the population decline of certain areas, particularly in rural or low-density regions of Estonia? If so, please elaborate how the plan aims to address this issue from a land use and spatial planning perspective. Question 97 : Other remarks If any, please provide us with any other important issues with this plan that may be of interest. ------------------------- Section above to be completed once for every existing plan ------------------------ 3.2 Land use and spatial planning governance Question 98 : Planning hierarchies Please describe the hierarchical relation of the existing plans mentioned above and indicate in particular if a plan takes precedence over another. If possible, provide a schematic diagram showing how the plans are related to each other. Question 99 : Government hierarchies Please provide a short description of the role of the national and sub-national governments in land-use and spatial planning and the tools available to each government level. In particular, explain in detail the role (if any) of each level of government in solving the problem of ageing and population decline in Estonia from the perspective of land use and/or spatial planning. Question 100 : Special purpose bodies Please list any key special purpose bodies/sectoral authorities and/or other independent public organisations that are involved in land-use regulation or spatial planning and operate independently of a regular level of government. Please include the name, field of work (for example environment, transportation, economic development, etc ), their geographic scope, and a brief description of their roles in the planning system. Question 101 : Existing laws/regulations Please list the main laws and regulations (excluding the plans discussed previously) that directly influence land-use and spatial planning, and provide a brief description of their function(s). If possible, please provide a description of how they influence or have the potential to influence policymaking with respect to demographic changes such as ageing and population decline. Question 102 : Land use policies in rural and remote areas This question refers specifically to rural or remote areas, and also to urban municipalities with a population of less than 10,000. When answering these questions, please consider all forms of relevant laws, regulations and plans that affect land-use and spatial planning. Please answer all questions on a scale of 1 (no importance/no existing authority at this level) to 5 (very high importance) . How important are land use decisions made at the inter-municipality level (covering multiple municipalities)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions made at the municipal level? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions made at the sub-municipal level (neighbourhood, ward, district etc.)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are residential land use decisions made at the inter-municipality level (covering multiple municipalities)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are residential land use decisions made at the municipal level? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are residential land use decisions made at the sub-municipal level (neighbourhood, district etc.)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions regarding infrastructure provision made at the inter-municipality level (covering multiple municipalities)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions regarding infrastructure provision made at the municipal level? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions regarding infrastructure provision made at the sub-municipal level (neighbourhood, ward, district etc.)? 1 2 3 4 5 Question 103 : Enforcement of plans Please discuss if laws and regulation related to land use are strictly enforced or not , and describe any potential problems regarding enforcement. Question 1 04 : Coordination across governments Explain (if any) the formal mechanisms that exist to coordinate land-use policies across different levels of government. Are there any examples of such coordination across governments in rural or remote areas? Question 1 05 : Coordination across policy sectors Explain (if any) the formal mechanisms that exist to coordinate land-use policies across different policy sectors (such as transportation, environment, economic development, etc ). Are there any examples of such coordination across sectors in rural or remote areas? Question 1 06 : Non-governmental stakeholders How do non-governmental stakeholders (such as land owners, neighbourhood organisations, citizen groups) contribute to land use decision making? How much influence do these stakeholders have? 3.3 Land use , infrastructure provision , and the built environment Question 107 : Land expropriation mechanisms Please describe the mechanisms for expropriations of private land for public use, such as legal frame works, regulations, and common practices. Are these mechanisms different for urban versus rural areas? Are mechanisms different for certain types of infrastructure or public service? Question 112: Land value capture tools Land-value capture tools recover the costs of public infrastructure investments from private owners of land that have benefited from infrastructure construction through an increase in the value of their land. Please indicate which land-value capture tools exist (multiple selections possible), and whether they are commonly used in rural or remote areas. Tool Used in Estonia? Used in rural/remote areas? Land-value tax/split-rate property tax Betterment contributions Developer exactions/impact fees Development rights sale Joint development Land pooling/land readjustment Other (please specify) Question 113 : Land value capture in practice How often do local governments in Estonia make use of land value capture tools in providing for infrastructure financing? Are there certain types of infrastructure for which land value capture is common? How do rural or remote areas implement land value capture differently compared to urban areas? Question 114 : Valuing land to capture land increments The amount of tax (or fee) due in a land value capture setting is a function of the value of the taxable base and the applicable tax (or fee) rate. Internationally, simple calculations based on area or physical attributes, or more sophisticated approaches that use statistical models to predict future land values are commonly used. In general, how is this taxable base determined in Estonia? Question 115 : Setting tax or fee rates for land value capture Setting the tax or fee rate is a delicate balancing act constrained by local governments’ revenue needs on the one hand and legal limitations and public acceptance on the other. Usually, the amount of total revenue from land value capture is set to equal the cost of infrastructure investment less revenue from other sources, and then subsequently divided among impacted land owners. In general, how are tax or fee rates calculated in Estonia? Question 116 : Determining the impact area for land value capture In the context of land value capture, an infrastructure project’s impact area can be considered to be the area of influence in which citizens are benefitted, or more specifically the area corresponding to the geographic space in which the project causes changes in land value. How are such areas calculated in the Estonian context? Question 117 : Fiscal benefits of infrastructure development Overall, do new infrastructure developments generate a net fiscal benefit or a net cost for local municipal governments? How does it differ based on the type of infrastructure? Does it differ for rural versus urban areas? Question 118: Penalties for under-development Do private land owners face any penalties from local or national governments when land is under-developed or un-developed? If so, what are these penalties and how are they enforced? Question 119 : Influence of national/sub-national funding Are there any fiscal transfer programmes from one level of government to another that affect land use decisions in providing for infrastructure? If so, please describe these programmes. Question 120 : Examples This question refers specifically to rural or remote areas, and also to urban municipalities with a population of less than 10,000. Please describe the typical process local governments go through to define an infrastructure need and carry out an infrastructure development project. Please also provide a rough estimate of the timeframes involved. Please make all necessary assumptions required for a realistic scenario and state them if they are important. Question 121: Policy objectives on empty or underused dwellings Please describe the policy instruments that are used both at the national and local level to address empty or underused dwellings. What are the main challenges deriving from empty or underused dwellings in Estonia? What are the main government objectives related to empty or underused dwellings? 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important. Question 1 26 : Cadastre data How precise is cadastre data in Estonia? What information does this data contain? How often is it updated? Who (levels of government, independent bodies, ministries, etc ) controls the development and maintenance of cadastre data? Question 127 : Other a vailable data Please list other sources containing systematic information on the following topics. In particular, please list all data sets and similarly structured sources of information (freely and commercially available). On land-use governance (i.e. the organisation of land-use planning) On land-use policies (i.e. the content of land-use planning regulation) On land value capture On real estate prices Question 12 8 : General comments and remarks Please use this section to tell us about any other issues that are important to understand land use governance that have not been captured thus far. Please also mention any problems with the questionnaire in this section.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1.1 Territorial definitions and infrastructure needs Question 2: Please provide maps (or links to websites containing these maps) depicting the transportation and infrastructure network in terms of main roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines, electricity grid, and telecommunications. Question 3: Could you please roughly describe the different types of roads present in Estonia and how much they account for the total road network composition? Question 4: In your view, what are the main infrastructure requirements in areas outside cities, including smaller cities and rural areas? Question 6: Please provide additional bibliography and annexes (maps, charts, links to excel documents, links to websites, etc.) you consider relevant to this section. 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 37: Is there any public support for transportation of service users (e.g. students, the elderly) such as public buses or transport vouchers? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). Question 5 9 : Do you think that municipal own-sources taxes should be developed? How? What are the obstacles to the development of municipal own-source tax revenues? Question 108: Building expropriation Is the procedure for expropriation of buildings different from that of land? Under what circumstances can inhabited or uninhabited buildings be expropriated? When expropriating residential buildings, what decision criteria are used to determine which properties are expropriated and which ones are left as-is? Question 109: Ease of expropriation How easy is it in general to expropriate private land or buildings for public use? Is it easier to expropriate buildings (either inhabited or uninhabited) compared to land? How long does the expropriation process usually take? Is it easier for certain types of infrastructure and public services compared to others? Is it easier in urban or rural areas? Question 110: Procedures regarding resettlement When expropriation of buildings and/or land takes place, in many cases plans are devised to determine the process of resettlement for residents and property owners. Do such procedures exist in Estonia? If so, please outline the specific procedures typically undertaken in Estonia to resettle these residents and property owners to other areas. In particular, please highlight the legal requirements and the parties involved in the decision making process. Question 111: Examples of resettlement In the face of depopulation, have there been any cases where local or national governments have devised plans to resettle residents of areas/neighbourhoods with declining population and high shares of abandoned buildings to areas/neighbourhoods of greater density, for the purpose of providing better built environments and a more sustainable service/infrastructure network? If yes, please outline the plan and the administrative process of implementing it. If no, please outline the governmental procedures needed to be undertaken for such resettlement plans to be devised, and also any legal or administrative hurdles that may impede this planning process. 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 12: Please specify the most important trends identified in that are guiding current policy discussions in Estonia about local and regional development (demographic, productivity, labour market, connectivity, etc.) Question 13: Are there policies for addressing public sector job losses in rural areas following the closure of public sector facilities such as schools and hospitals? Question 14: Has Estonia or any of its municipalities implemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. Question 17: Give a brief overview of nature conservation policies (goal, measures, role of regional and local governments, public agency or agencies that carries these policies, policy effects, obstacles, and solutions). What is the contribution of these policies to enhance economic growth in rural areas and smaller cities ? Question 18: Is the development of a tourism sector a priority in rural areas? Please present the main policy tools (access to financing, promotion…) and recent trends in terms of types of visitors to the region and to its rural areas (leisure, business, domestic, international). 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 37: Is there any public support for transportation of service users (e.g. students, the elderly) such as public buses or transport vouchers? 2.1 General overview of the institutional context and decentralisation in Estonia Question 40: Recent trends What are the main objectives and the major features of the current reforms and how they deal with decentralisation and functional relationship between levels of government? Question 41: How has the recent municipal reform positioned in this framework? What are the main effects of the reform, and are there plans for further changes (small or large)? What kind of changes, if any, are currently planned for the future (for example, transfer of powers, competences and means from the central government to subnational governments, or vice versa)? What are the objectives of such potential changes/reforms? Mainly financial? More effective service delivery? Please try to order and prioritise the different objectives. Question 44: Are there plans to reform the central government organisation and role/functions in the multilevel governance framework? Question 48: Has there been a discussion on further changes in the territorial organisation in Estonia? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). Question 5 9 : Do you think that municipal own-sources taxes should be developed? How? What are the obstacles to the development of municipal own-source tax revenues? 2.14 The role of municipal association s Question 86 : Please list the existing associations of municipalities in Estonia and the ir links with the central government (are they mandatory consultative bodies)? Question 8 7 : Synthesis table on vertical and horizontal relations Using the table below, please identify the tools Estonia uses to manage the national/sub-national relationship. Note that horizontal tools can also be used to build coordination capacity at the central level for sub-national policies. Please rank in terms of order of importance for managing horizontal and vertical relations. Tools for promoting better coordination among levels of government Mechanism Please indicate the use (x) in Estonia Notes/comments Horizontal Vertical Laws, legislation, and standard setting Multi-annual budgeting Contracts Grants, co-funding agreements Co-operative and other agreements Strategic planning requirements Co-ordinating bodies Inter-municipal coordination Inter-municipal cooperation Inter-sector (cross sector) collaboration Agencies Performance measurement and transparent evaluation Performance management Experimental policies Ad hoc and informal meetings Citizen participation Private sector participation Institutional capacity indicators 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses/valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid. 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections) ? Question 13: Are there policies for addressing public sector job losses in rural areas following the closure of public sector facilities such as schools and hospitals? Question 14: Has Estonia or any of its municipalities implemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). Question 124: Neighbourhood heritage and the built environment In the face of population decline, are there any policy measures being implemented by national and/or local governments to preserve neighbourhood heritage and the sustainability and attractiveness of the built environment? Please describe in detail what these measures are, and how and by whom they are being implemented. 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? Question 14: Has Estonia or any of its municipalities implemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2. Multi-level governance and institutional frameworks 2.1 General overview of the institutional context and decentralisation in Estonia Question 39: Historical overview Please provide a short historical overview of the decentralisation process in Estonia (areas of competence transferred, new fiscal or financial powers), including possible “recentralisation” phases, over the last 20 years? What have been the main steps? Could you please present any assessment of decentralisation reforms over the last 10 years. Question 40: Recent trends What are the main objectives and the major features of the current reforms and how they deal with decentralisation and functional relationship between levels of government? Question 41: How has the recent municipal reform positioned in this framework? What are the main effects of the reform, and are there plans for further changes (small or large)? What kind of changes, if any, are currently planned for the future (for example, transfer of powers, competences and means from the central government to subnational governments, or vice versa)? What are the objectives of such potential changes/reforms? Mainly financial? More effective service delivery? Please try to order and prioritise the different objectives. 2.2 Central government organisation and role towards municipalities Question 42: Please describe the central government organisation at the territorial level? Is there duplication of governments or government agencies on regional or sub-regional level? Does this lead to a duplication of work or to parallel institutions? Question 43: Does the central government representative at the territorial level have a supervisory role of the municipalities of the territory? If yes, what type of supervision (administrative / legal control? Budgetary and financial supervision? Other?)? Please describe and provide an example for each. Question 44: Are there plans to reform the central government organisation and role/functions in the multilevel governance framework? 2.3 Regulatory policy concerning the municipal sector Question 45: Please provide a list of all important legal norms regulating the municipal system (Constitutional articles, laws, decrees, etc.) in all areas (political organisation, competences, financial, human resources, administrative organisation, etc.)? Question 46: Have there been efforts to simplify the regulatory framework for sub-national governments over the past 10 years (through the reduction of the stock of regulation, harmonisation of regulation, use of regulatory impact assessment, etc.)? 2.4 The municipal landscape and political organisation Question 47: Please provide a description of the municipal sector: number of municipalities over time, size of municipalities (demographic, area), distributional pattern between regions and characteristics of municipalities according to the different regions, etc. (You can also give us an access to databases with municipal data.) Question 48: Has there been a discussion on further changes in the territorial organisation in Estonia? Question 49: Do some municipalities have a special status (the capital city? Other large municipalities? Municipalities located in remote or specific areas)? If yes, please specify. Question 50: Does Estonia have several legal categories of municipalities? If yes, what are the criteria of differentiation (demography, location, economic importance, other?) and what are the consequences (in terms of competences, financial means, electoral modes, etc.). Question 51: Please describe in short the key municipal political bodies (the municipal council, the executive body including the mayor, other councils if relevant): modes of election, organisation, role and tasks, duration, number of terms of office, recognised “status” of the mayors, number of local politicians, etc. and provide an assessment of this political organisation in the context of the current decentralisation process. Are there plans for reforms concerning these? Question 52: Please give a short description of the main characteristics of the municipal administration and provide, when possible, data on disparities across municipalities on the different following topics: general organization, human resources: number and statute of municipal employers (contractual & statutory, grades), modes of recruitment, level of salaries in the municipal sector (compared to national and private sectors), levels of qualification, training system (initial and continuing training), etc. Municipal assets (financial and non- financial : buildings, lands). Level of equipment, including IT and use of ICD technologies. Information on diff erences between municipalities. 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). Question 5 9 : Do you think that municipal own-sources taxes should be developed? How? What are the obstacles to the development of municipal own-source tax revenues? 2.10 Territorial allocation of responsibilities Question 72 : Which tasks and responsibilities belong to which level of government (see chart below)? What are the main rationales behind this breakdown of competence across the levels of government? Are some competences being decentralised or recentralised and why? In general terms, please indicate any planned policy changes concerning local expenses or having an impact on them. Question 73 : Can you provide an assessment of the current breakdown of competences (clear framework? Overlapping? Is it difficult for the municipalities to carry out their mandatory responsibilities)? Is there an impression that municipal autonomy is restricted by joint tasks, or vice versa, that is relieved from a high burden? How is the administrative burden in executing joint tasks to be considered? Question 7 4 : Do you think that creating different categories or tiers of municipalities , in order to better align resource capacity with competence allocation , would be relevant? If yes, what type of classifications would be pertinent? Question 75 : Allocation of responsibilities across levels of government in Estonia Please validate the following table, updating, adding or deleting where necessary (indicate in the table when municipal competences are optional or mandatory): tc \f t \l 2 " Table 3.A.2. Allocation of urban related responsibilities across levels of government in Chile " Main function Area Sub-area Institutions with competences in the area Central level Regional government (deconcentrated) Municipality Private sector Wealth and employment Transportation Public transportation Motorways Trunk roads Local roads Traffic control Airports Ports Industrial land Logistical areas Industrial parks Enterprise zones Energy Electricity Gas Petrol Communications Post Telephones Internet services Public utilities Water Sewage Regulation of economic activities Patents Consumer protection Economic promotion Development of economic clusters Agencies of productive co ordination and innovation services Promotion and financing economic services Employment Regulation Promotion and financing emergency plans Formal training Social equity Education Nursery, Preschool, primary, secondary, education for special and adult groups Tertiary Culture Public libraries Health Primary Hospitals (secondary and tertiary levels) Public health Cemeteries Abattoirs Markets Street vendors Housing Social housing Access to new houses Neighbourhood development Welfare services Income equalisation Unemployment protection Child protection Social assistance Support for disabled persons Justice Jails/prisons Protection services for children Rehabilitation services Environment/sustainability Urban development planning Regional territorial planning Metropolitan planning Local planning Development control Parks Regional Metropolitan Local Protection areas Forestation Drainage Construction Operation and maintenance Domestic solid waste Collection Final disposal Industrial and hazardous wastes Collection Final disposal Domestic and industrial liquid waste Collection and final disposal Public spaces Construction and maintenance of public squares Recreation and sport facilities Public lighting Signage Urban nomenclature Fire protection Prevention Hazard control Emergency services Managing disasters Prevention strategies Supervision New buildings Quality of services at buildings Noxious smells Urban security Prevention Police x 2.11 Local public service management Question 7 6 : Please describe the different ways of providing municipal services in Estonia: direct municipal management ( which legal forms)? Indirect management ( which forms, public, mixed or private through outsourcing and privatisations? PPPs (see below)? Question 7 7 : Are municipalities allowed to provide local public services through local public enterprises (LPEs)? If yes, please provide details (number of LPEs, status, sectors, etc.) and assess this form of public service delivery. Are there plans for reform in this field? 2.12 Horizontal cooperation (between municipalities) Question 7 8 : What types of horizontal collaboration forms exist between municipalities, and what policy fields do they cover? What is their objective; what is their scope? Question 7 9 : What are the institutional/legal or financial framework/organisational mechanisms allowing or facilitating collaboration: inter-municipal cooperation structures? Tax or expenditure sharing? Contractual agreements such as partnerships, contracts, etc.? Outsourcing to private bodies active at an inter-municipal scale, etc.? Please describe the different forms. Question 80 : Concerning more specifically inter-municipal cooperation: Please give details on inter-municipal cooperation structures in Estonia: number of entities, legal forms, competences? How are they financed? Is this inter-municipal cooperation is encouraged, and with which incentives? Does the government want to foster that form of cooperation in the future? What kind of instruments could be used? Question 81 : R ural and remote areas P lease describe the horizontal collaboration in rural and declining areas? Question 82 : Please provide an assessment of the current framework for horizontal cooperation. How is efficiency and democratic accountability in these forms of inter-municipal cooperation secured? Question 83 : Do horizontal cooperation instruments also include the private sector? Is participation of civil society part of these processes and how is it encouraged? Please describe how private sector and/or civil society are associated. 2.13 Vertical coordination (between central government and the municipalities) Question 84 : What are the main tools implemented for vertical cooperation / coordination across levels of government and which involve municipalities ( e.g. specific coordination committees, territorial pacts and partnerships, contracts signed between central government/regions/municipalities or only regions/municipalities, other types of partnerships, etc.)? Why have they been introduced, and what is their purpose? Please describe these tools and indicate why they have been introduced, when, for what purpose and if they have evolved over time and why? Question 85 : Is there a reform planned in this field (e.g. creation of new tools, reforming an existing tool, etc.)? 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): 1. General overview 1.1 Territorial d efinition s and infrastructure needs Question 1: I s there a standard definition of “ urban areas’’ or “ rural areas’’ in Estonia? If so, please specify and provide the parameters these definitions are based on (e.g., population density, sector specialization, local accessibility, etc.), and explain why such parameters have been adopted. Have those definitions evolved in recent years? Question 2: Please provide maps (or links to websites containing these maps) depicting the transportation and infrastructure network in terms of main roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines, electricity grid , and telecommunications. Question 3: Could you please roughly describe the different types of roads present in Estonia and how much they account for the total road network composition? Question 4: In your view, w hat are the main infrastructure requirements in areas outside cities, including smaller cities and rural areas? Question 5: What percentage of population has access to internet and broadband in cities and outside cities (i.e. in smaller cities and rural areas) ? Are there territories in the regions that have important gaps , for instance in terms of internet speed ? Question 6: Please provide additional b ibliography and a nnexes (maps, charts, links to excel documents, links to websites, etc.) you consider relevant to this section . 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 7 : Which institutional actors in Estonia address rural development issues? How is co-ordination ensured at the national and at the municipal level; and across levels of government? Question 8 : What are the key present and future trends in demographic growth and change in Estonia? Please indicate geographical areas of growth and decline according to population projections . Question 9 : Do you rely on population projection s by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections) ? Question 10 : Where are the elderly disproportionally located in the country (in cities, remote rural etc.)? What are the main recent patters in international and inter-regional immigration and emigration in Estonia by age groups ? Question 11 : Are there any specific policies targeted towards the youth? Are there any specific policies targeted towards the elderly population? How are those policies connected to other economic development policies? Question 1 2: Please specify the most important trends identified in that are guiding current policy discussions in Estonia about local and regional development (demographic, productivity, labour market, connectivity, etc.) Question 13 : Are there policies for addressing public sector job losses in rural areas following the closure of public sector facilities such as schools and hospitals? Question 14 : Has Estonia or any of its municipalities implemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. Question 15 : In your view, how will digital transformation (e.g. digital services) affect the demand for skill ed professionals in education , social care and healthcare? H as there been any analysis done on future skills requirements for Estonia ? P lease provide any available statistics and links. Question 16 : Which policies have been implemented to enhance rural amenities (natural and historical)? Please specify the institutions involved, their goals, budgets and the types of actions they do. Please provide an evaluation of their effect on the rural economy. Question 17 : Give a brief overview of nature conservation policies (goal, measures, role of regional and local governments, public agency or agencies that carries these policies, policy effects, obstacles, and solutions). What is the contribution of these policies to enhance economic growth in rural areas and smaller cities? Question 18 : Is the development of a tourism sector a priority in rural areas? Please present the main policy tools (access to financing, promotion…) and recent trends in terms of types of visitors to the region and to its rural areas (leisure, business, domestic, international). 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19 : Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps , explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 2 0 : Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 2 1 : Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 2 4 : Is there quantitative evidence of cost savings brought about by the implementation of tele health? What are the main challenges to realise the full potential of telehealth for reducing service provision costs (especially in rural areas)? Question 2 5 : Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 2 6 : What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 2 7 : What are the main areas of foreseen changes in the new Estonian Education and Research Strategy for 2020–2035 compared to the Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020? What relevance does the new strategy give to population decline in rural areas? Question 2 8 : Please describe the policies affecting the school network such as school closures, restructuring and centralisation to adapt to a declining number of students implemented in the past 10 years, and those currently under consideration as part of the Estonian Education and Research Strategy for 2020–2035. Question 2 9 : Please describe the evolution of total school spending per pupil over the past 10 years (or before if data is available) by educational level . Question 30 : Please describe the evolution of pupil-to-teacher ratios over time and educational level. Please provide any geographical disaggregation available of the indicator (e.g. by rural/urban areas) . Question 31 : Have rural areas faced teaching staff shortages in the past years? Are there any policies to increase the attractiveness of rural schools for teachers (e.g. financial compensation)? Question 3 2 : Are there estimates of the present and future cost of reskilling teachers to prepare them for an increase in e-education? Are there policies specifically aimed at bridging digital skill gaps for teachers? Question 3 3 : What are the current education funding formulas used to allocate resources to schools? Have the principles behind such formulas been reconsidered recently, or are they under consideration (e.g. moving to funding on a per-student basis)? Question 3 4 : Are there any policies or policy plans specifically targeting small schools , such as support for small school networks in rural areas ? Question 3 5 : Do funding formulas for service facilities (schools, hospitals) include specific provisions for small units (or if it has ever been considered) (e.g. additional funding on top of existing formula if the unit is below a size threshold)? Question 3 6 : Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? Question 3 7 : Is there any public support for transport ation of service users (e.g. students, the elderly) such as public buses or transport vouchers? 2. Multi-level governance and institutional frameworks 2 .1 General overview of the institutional context and decentralisation in Estonia Question 3 8 : Please provide a summary and updated description of the governance and institutional framework of Estonia concerning : the general multi-level governance setting (executive and legislative powers, the judiciary, regulatory agencies, central and subnational governments, other public institutions, etc.) the different government levels (what are the hierarchal links between them ?) Question 3 9 : Historical overview P lease provide a short historical overview of the decentralisation process in Estonia (areas of competence transferred, new fiscal or financial powers), including possible “recentralisation” phases, over the last 20 years? What have been the main steps? Could you please present any assessment of decentralisation reforms over the last 10 years. Question 40 : Recent trends W hat are the main objectives and the major features of the current reforms and how they deal with decentralisation and functional relationship between levels of government? Question 41 : How has the recent municipal reform positioned in this framework? What are the main effects of the reform, and are there plans for further changes (small or large)? What kind of changes , if any, are currently planned for the future (for example, transfer of powers, competences and means from the central government to subnational governments, or vice versa)? What are the objectives of such potential changes/reforms? Mainly financial? More effective service delivery? Please try to order and prioritise the different objectives. 2 .2 Central government organisation and role towards municipalities Question 42 : Please describe the central government organisation at the territorial level? Is there duplication of governments or government agencies on regional or sub-regional level? Does this lead to a duplication of work or to parallel institutions? Question 4 3 : Does the central government representative at the territorial level have a supervisory role of the municipalities of the territory? If yes, what type of supervision (administrative / legal control? Budgetary and financial supervision? Other?)? Please describe and provide an example for each. Question 4 4 : Are there plans to reform the central government organisation and role/functions in the multilevel governance framework? 2 .3 Regulatory policy concerning the municipal sector Question 4 5 : Please provide a list of all important legal norms regulating the municipal system (Constitutional articles, laws, decrees, etc.) in all areas (political organisation, competences, financial, human resources, administrative organisation, etc.)? Question 4 6 : Have there been efforts to simplify the regulatory framework for sub-national governments over the past 10 years (through the reduction of the stock of regulation, harmonisation of regulation, use of regulatory impact assessment, etc.)? 2 .4 The municipal landscape and political organisation Question 4 7 : Please provide a description of the municipal sector: number of municipalities over time, size of municipalities (demographic, area), distributional pattern between regions and characteristics of municipalities according to the different regions, etc. (You can also give us an access to databases with municipal data.) Question 4 8 : Has there been a discussion on further chang es in the territorial organisation in Estonia? Question 4 9 : Do some municipalities have a special status (the capital city? Other large municipalities? Municipalities located in remote or specific areas)? If yes, please specify. Question 50 : Does Estonia have several legal categories of municipalities? If yes, what are the criteria of differentiation (demography, location, economic importance, other?) and what are the consequences (in terms of competences, financial means, electoral modes, etc.). Question 51 : Please describe in short the key municipal political bodies (the municipal council, the executive body including the mayor, other councils if relevant): modes of election, organisation, role and tasks, duration, number of terms of office, recognised “status” of the mayors, number of local politicians, etc. and provide an assessment of this political organisation in the context of the current decentralisation process. Are there plans for reforms concerning these? Question 52 : Please give a short description of the main characteristics of the municipal administration and provide, when possible, data on disparities across municipalities on the different following topics: general organization, human resources: number and statute of municipal employers (contractual & statutory, grades), modes of recruitment, level of salaries in the municipal sector (compared to national and private sectors), levels of qualification, training system (initial and continuing training), etc. Municipal assets (financial and non-financial : buildings, lands). Level of equipment, including IT and use of ICD technologies. Information on differences between municipalities. 2. 5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 5 3 : Please describe the resource allocation to different levels of government (central, municipal). What are the most important revenue resources of each level (tax revenue, grants, tariffs and user fees, etc.)? Question 5 4 : Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level ? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify ). Question 5 5 : Please summarise the latest data available on sources of municipal revenues in the following table: Total Municipalities Year: Amounts , million EUR % of GDP % of total Tax revenue Shared tax Own-source tax Grants Earmarked (conditional) Grants General (unconditional) grants Operating (alternative classification) Investment (alternative classification) Tariffs and User fees Property income (e.g. rents, dividends, royalties, etc.) Social contributions Other Total 100% Source: Question 5 6 : Please also discuss and present data to describe the differences between municipalities in revenues. 2. 6 Municipal tax revenues Question 5 7 : Please indicate in the table below the main taxes collected by municipalities, be it either shared tax revenues (national taxes shared between the central government and subnational governments, and redistributed to the latter as tax revenues and not as grants) or own-source tax revenues (on which municipalities have a certain leeway over tax base or tax rates). Please indicate the legal basis of municipal taxation. Shared taxes Tax name Tax base Sharing arrangements Leeway over tax rates or tax base? Specify Weight in municipal tax revenues (%) Weight in municipal total revenues (%) E.g. Personal income tax Personal income Municipalities: 60% of the receipt No leeway. % 60% 40% NB: this table should be consistent with the summary table above. Own-source municipal taxes Tax name Tax base Scope to set tax rates (total, restricted, no leeway)? Scope to set or modify tax base (exemptions, deductions) Weight in municipal tax revenues (%) Weight in municipal total revenues (%) E.g. Property tax Land and buildings Total freedom. Partial freedom 20% NB: this table should be consistent with the summary table above. Question 5 8 : Do municipalities have the power to create new local taxes? FORMCHECKBOX No FORMCHECKBOX Yes – If yes, in what specific areas? Question 5 9 : Do you think that municipal own-sources taxes should be developed? How? What are the obstacles to the development of municipal own-source tax revenues? Question 60 : Could you please provide data on disparities between municipalities in terms of tax revenues (according to population size groups or other categories of municipalities) ? Please also provide description on the reasons for these disparities (e.g. human, technical and financial capacity to levy and collect taxes, other?)? Question 61 : Please describe how municipal taxation is administered: which administration is responsible for registries management, assessing tax bases and collecting receipts? Question 62 : Please describe the exemption’ system. Are there plans to change the system? 2. 7 Revenues from inter-governmental transfers and subsidies Question 6 3 : Please describe the grant system in general terms. How has this grant system evolved in the last 10-15 years? Question 6 4 : Using the table below, please list the main financial transfers allocated to local governments by the central government, and their main characteristics: Grants and subsidies dedicated to operating or investment expenditures, or others (e.g. special funds, equalization, etc.); General (unconditional and non-earmarked transfers) or earmarked (assigned conditional transfers – please indicate the sector/policy field/purpose); Other characteristics if relevant (e.g. other rules associated with their use such as co-financing, projects evaluation procedures, competitive grants such as the regional development fund)? Allocation mechanisms between local governments (distribution formulas/ calculation or distribution at the discretion of the central government); Level of predictability of those transfers (high, medium or low). Name and source of the transfers Operating / Investment/ Other General / Earmarked (indicate the purpose and/or policy field) Other major characteristics Calculation mechanisms / criteria Predictability (high / medium / low) Weight in municipal total revenues (%) E.g. Education endowment Operating Earmarked (payment of teachers‘ salaries) Demographic, geographic, socio-economic and tax criteria High 10% NB: this table should be consistent with the summary table above. Question 6 5 : How does the national government assess the existing grant/subsidy system? Are grants sufficient to cover the tasks assigned to municipalities and adapted to the different needs of municipalities? What are the main criticisms concerning the distribution mechanisms of grants/subsidies among municipalities? 2. 8 Other types of revenues Question 6 6 : Tariffs and user fees Please describe the revenues coming from the use and pricing of municipal public services (t ariffs and fees). Are municipalities free to determine the level of pricing/user fees or are they governed by a regulation? Is it intended to develop this type of revenue? Question 6 7 : Property income Please describe the different types of revenues resulting from municipal physical and financial assets ( ad hoc income resulting from assets sales and recurring income such as rental fees, dividends form municipal industrial and commercial companies, revenues from concessions, royalties). Do you have data on the value of these different assets? Question 6 8 : Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and concessions Is there an explicit national policy framework for PPPs for infrastructure or public services in Estonia? Can municipalities participate directly as a contracting authority to a PPP? Can you provide data about municipal PPPs (number and list of municipal PPP projects, sectors, number of municipalities concerned, the share of PPP investments/expenditure at the national and municipal level, etc.)? Can you cite best practices examples as well as bad practices examples? Question 6 9 : Do you think that municipal PPP will grow in the near future? Aside from public-private partnerships, are there other form of involvement of private actors in municipal financing? If yes, under which forms? Are they encouraged by the central government and municipalities? 2 . 9 Expenditure data Question 70 : Please provide data on: The division of expenditure between the different levels of government (central, local) for each of the 10 main policy fields i . e . COFOG (education, health, infrastructure…) , with separating the operating and capital spending The division of expenditure between the different levels of government (national, local), in absolute and relative amounts and percentages (in proportion to revenues, GDP and total public expenditure). A focus on municipal expenditure, with regionalised data if available. Question 71 : Please provide estimates, if available, of the need for municipal replacement investments on local infrastructure (by municipalities or by central government) for the next 5-10 years (with links to data if available) . Is there a “repair investment deficit” problem in Estonia? What is the size of the problem ( e.g. percent of infrastructure, million s euros ). 2 . 10 Territorial allocation of responsibilities Question 7 2 : Which tasks and responsibilities belong to which level of government (see chart below)? What are the main rationales behind this breakdown of competence across the levels of government? Are some competences being decentralised or recentralised and why? In general terms, please indicate any planned policy changes concerning local expenses or having an impact on them. Question 7 3 : Can you provide an assessment of the current breakdown of competences (clear framework? Overlapping? Is it difficult for the municipalities to carry out their mandatory responsibilities)? Is there an impression that municipal autonomy is restricted by joint tasks, or vice versa, that is relieved from a high burden? How is the administrative burden in executing joint tasks to be considered? Question 7 4 : Do you think that creating different categories or tiers of municipalities , in order to better align resource capacity with competence allocation , would be relevant? If yes, what type of classifications would be pertinent? Question 7 5 : Allocation of responsibilities across levels of government in Estonia Please validate the following table, updating, adding or deleting where necessary (indicate in the table when municipal competences are optional or mandatory): tc \f t \l 2 " Table 3.A.2. Allocation of urban related responsibilities across levels of government in Chile " Main function Area Sub-area Institutions with competences in the area Central level Regional government (deconcentrated) Municipality Private sector Wealth and employment Transportation Public transportation Motorways Trunk roads Local roads Traffic control Airports Ports Industrial land Logistical areas Industrial parks Enterprise zones Energy Electricity Gas Petrol Communications Post Telephones Internet services Public utilities Water Sewage Regulation of economic activities Patents Consumer protection Economic promotion Development of economic clusters Agencies of productive co ordination and innovation services Promotion and financing economic services Employment Regulation Promotion and financing emergency plans Formal training Social equity Education Nursery, Preschool, primary, secondary, education for special and adult groups Tertiary Culture Public libraries Health Primary Hospitals (secondary and tertiary levels) Public health Cemeteries Abattoirs Markets Street vendors Housing Social housing Access to new houses Neighbourhood development Welfare services Income equalisation Unemployment protection Child protection Social assistance Support for disabled persons Justice Jails/prisons Protection services for children Rehabilitation services Environment/sustainability Urban development planning Regional territorial planning Metropolitan planning Local planning Development control Parks Regional Metropolitan Local Protection areas Forestation Drainage Construction Operation and maintenance Domestic solid waste Collection Final disposal Industrial and hazardous wastes Collection Final disposal Domestic and industrial liquid waste Collection and final disposal Public spaces Construction and maintenance of public squares Recreation and sport facilities Public lighting Signage Urban nomenclature Fire protection Prevention Hazard control Emergency services Managing disasters Prevention strategies Supervision New buildings Quality of services at buildings Noxious smells Urban security Prevention Police x 2.11 Local public service management Question 7 6 : Please describe the different ways of providing municipal services in Estonia: direct municipal management (which legal forms)? Indirect management (which forms, public, mixed or private through outsourcing and privatisations? PPPs (see below)? Question 7 7 : Are municipalities allowed to provide local public services through local public enterprises (LPEs)? If yes, please provide details (number of LPEs, status, sectors, etc.) and assess this form of public service delivery. Are there plans for reform in this field? 2.12 Horizontal cooperation (between municipalities) Question 7 8 : What types of horizontal collaboration forms exist between municipalities, and what policy fields do they cover? What is their objective; what is their scope? Question 7 9 : What are the institutional/legal or financial framework/organisational mechanisms allowing or facilitating collaboration: inter-municipal cooperation structures? Tax or expenditure sharing? Contractual agreements such as partnerships, contracts, etc.? Outsourcing to private bodies active at an inter-municipal scale, etc.? Please describe the different forms. Question 80 : Concerning more specifically inter-municipal cooperation: Please give details on inter-municipal cooperation structures in Estonia: number of entities, legal forms, competences? How are they financed? Is this inter-municipal cooperation is encouraged, and with which incentives? Does the government want to foster that form of cooperation in the future? What kind of instruments could be used? Question 8 1 : R ural and remote areas P lease describe the horizontal collaboration in rural and declining areas? Question 8 2 : Please provide an assessment of the current framework for horizontal cooperation. How is efficiency and democratic accountability in these forms of inter-municipal cooperation secured? Question 8 3 : Do horizontal cooperation instruments also include the private sector? Is participation of civil society part of these processes and how is it encouraged? Please describe how private sector and/or civil society are associated. 2.13 Vertical coordination (between central government and the municipalities) Question 8 4 : What are the main tools implemented for vertical cooperation / coordination across levels of government and which involve municipalities ( e.g. specific coordination committees, territorial pacts and partnerships, contracts signed between central government/regions/municipalities or only regions/municipalities, other types of partnerships, etc.)? Why have they been introduced, and what is their purpose? Please describe these tools and indicate why they have been introduced, when, for what purpose and if they have evolved over time and why? Question 8 5 : Is there a reform planned in this field (e.g. creation of new tools, reforming an existing tool, etc.)? 2.14 The role of municipal associations Question 8 6 : Please list the existing associations of municipalities in Estonia and the ir links with the central government (are they mandatory consultative bodies)? Question 8 7 : Synthesis table on vertical and horizontal relations Using the table below, please identify the tools Estonia uses to manage the national/sub-national relationship. Note that horizontal tools can also be used to build coordination capacity at the central level for sub-national policies. Please rank in terms of order of importance for managing horizontal and vertical relations. Tools for promoting better coordination among levels of government Mechanism Please indicate the use (x) in Estonia Notes/comments Horizontal Vertical Laws, legislation, and standard setting Multi-annual budgeting Contracts Grants, co-funding agreements Co-operative and other agreements Strategic planning requirements Co-ordinating bodies Inter-municipal coordination Inter-municipal cooperation Inter-sector (cross sector) collaboration Agencies Performance measurement and transparent evaluation Performance management Experimental policies Ad hoc and informal meetings Citizen participation Private sector participation Institutional capacity indicators 3 . Land use and spatial planning in Estonia 3.1 General overview of spatial plans at the national and sub-national levels in Estonia This section requests information about all plans with an explicit geographical component . This could include plans related to land-use, environment, rural development, transport, economic development , or any other type of plan with a spatial dimension . Please also include (if any) plans that address demographic change , specifically ageing and population decline in Estonian regions. Please fill in a copy of the following section ( questions 8 8 to 9 7 ) for every type of spatial plan that exists . If the same type of plan exists in several or all regions of the country, please complete only one copy of this section for all of them. In this context, “type” means any group of plans that have approximately the same function and operate in a comparable way. ------------------------- ¯ Section below to be completed once for every existing plan ¯ ------------------------ Question 8 8 : Name of the plan Local name English translation Number ( please number every plan for further reference) Question 8 9 : Geographical scope To which geographical area does this type of plan typically apply? Geographical area s can include national, regional, county, municipality, etc . Which level of government (or other institutions such as independent agenc ies , special purpose bod ies , inter-municipal bodies ) approves the plan? Question 90 : Character of the plan Please indicate the main function of the plan F unction Policy guidelines Strategic planning (spatial framework) Zoning/boundary plan Other (please specify): Question 9 1 : Types of land use addressed by the plan Please indicate to which types of land use the plan primarily refers (multiple selections possible) Agricultural Housing Commerce Industry Environment/recreation Transport Other (please specify): Question 9 2 : Specificity of the plan Please indicate the level of detail of the regulations provided by the plan. Specifies general outlines of land-use only Specifies primarily general outlines of land-use, but provides more details Specifies general outlines, but also some details of permitted use Specifies most details of permitted use, but leaves some aspects open to other regulation Provides the most detailed description of the permitted use Other (please specify): Question 9 3 : Legal character Please indicate to what degree the plan is legally binding Legally binding, no exemptions possible Legally binding, exemptions are possible but rare Legally binding, but frequent exemptions are granted Not legally binding, but incentives (e.g. financial) are provided to stick to the plan Not legally binding, no material incentives to stick to the plan If the plan is only legally binding for some of the actors it addresses, please specify for whom it is legally binding. Question 9 4 : P lan details Please answer in detail the general content of the plan, its function within the policy making process, what the plan covers from the perspective of land use and spatial planning, what it aims to achieve, what specific types of issues are addressed (for example housing, transportation, rural development, etc) and how , and any other information that may be relevant in the context of ageing and population decline in Estonian regions . Question 9 5 : Population targets and projections Does the plan include any population related targets , such as projections or population density forecasts ? If so, please provide an overview of how the plan incorporates these targets into the overall planning framework. Question 9 6 : Declining areas Is there any reference in the plan to address the population declin e of certain areas, particularly in rural or low-density regions of Estonia? If so , please elaborate how the plan aims to address this issue from a land use and spatial planning perspective. Question 9 7 : Other remarks If any, p lease provide us with any other important issues with this plan that may be of interest . ------------------------- Section above to be completed once for every existing plan ------------------------ 3.2 Land use and spatial planning governance Question 9 8 : Planning hierarchies Please describe the hierarchical relation of the existing plans mentioned above and indicate in particular if a plan takes precedence over another. If possible, provide a schematic diagram showing how the plans are related to each other. Q uestion 9 9 : Government hierarchies Please provide a short description of the role of the national and sub-national governments in land-use and spatial planning and the tools available to each government level. In particular , explain in detail the role (if any) of each level of government in solving the problem of ageing and population decline in Estonia from the perspective of land use and/or spatial planning . Question 100 : Special purpose bodies Please list any key special purpose bodies/sectoral authorities and/or other independent public organisations that are involved in land-use regulation or spatial planning and operate independently of a regular level of government. Please include the name, field of work (for example environment, transportation, economic development, etc), their geographic scope, and a brief description of their roles in the planning system. Question 10 1 : Existing laws/regulations Please list the main laws and regulations (excluding the plans discussed previously ) that directly influence land-use and spatial planning, and provide a brief description of their function(s). If possible , please provide a description of how they influence or have the potential to influence policymaking with respect to demographic changes such as ageing and population decline. Question 10 2 : Land use policies in rural and remote areas This question refers specifically to rural or remote areas, and also to urban municipalities with a population of less than 10,000. When answering th ese question s , please consider all forms of relevant laws, regulations and plans that affect land-use and spatial planning . Please answer all questions on a scale of 1 (no importance/no existing authority at this level) to 5 (very high importance) . How important are land use decisions made at the inter-m u n i cipality level (covering multiple municipalities) ? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions made at the municipal level? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions made at the sub-municipal level (neighbourhood, ward, district etc.)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are residential land use decisions made at the inter-municipality level (covering multiple municipalities)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are residential land use decisions made at the municipal level? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are residential land use decisions made at the sub-municipal level (neighbourhood, district etc.)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions regarding infrastructure provision made at the inter-municipality level (covering multiple municipalities)? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions regarding infrastructure provision made at the municipal level? 1 2 3 4 5 How important are land use decisions regarding infrastructure provision made at the sub-municipal level (neighbourhood, ward, district etc.)? 1 2 3 4 5 Question 10 3 : Enforcement of plans Please discuss if laws and regulation related to land use are strictly enforced or not , and describe any potential problems regarding enforcement. Question 1 0 4 : Coordination across governments Explain (if any) the formal mechanisms that exist to coordinate land-use policies across different levels of government . Are there any examples of such coordination across governments in rural or remote areas? Question 1 0 5 : Coordination across policy sectors Explain (if any) the formal mechanisms that exist to coordinate land-use policies across different policy sectors (such as transportation, environment, economic development , etc ) . Are there any examples of such coordination across sectors in rural or remote areas? Question 1 0 6 : Non-governmental stakeholders How do non-governmental stakeholders (such as land owners, neighbourhood organisations, citizen groups) contribute to land use decision making? How much influence do these stakeholders have? 3.3 Land use , infrastructure provision , and the built environment Question 10 7 : Land expropriation mechanisms Please describe the mechanisms for expropriations of private land for public use , such as legal frame works, regulations, and common practices . Are these mechanisms different for urban versus rural areas? Are mechanisms different for certain types of infrastructure or public service? Question 108: Building expropriation Is the procedure for expropriation of buildings different from that of land? Under what circumstances can inhabited or uninhabited buildings be expropriated? When expropriating residential buildings, what decision criteria are used to determine which properties are expropriated and which ones are left as-is? Question 10 9 : Ease of expropriation How easy is it in general to expropriate private land or buildings for public use? Is it easier to expropriate buildings (either inhabited or uninhabited) compared to land? How long does the expropriati on process usually take? Is it easier for certain types of infrastructure and public services compared to others? I s it easier in urban or rural areas? Question 1 10 : Procedures regarding resettlement When expropriation of buildings and/or land takes place, in many cases plans are devised to determine the process of resettlement for residents and property owners . Do such procedures exist in Estonia? If so, p lease outline the specific procedures typically undertaken in Estonia to resettle these residents and property owners to other areas. In particular, please highlight the legal requirements and the parties involved in the decision making process. Question 11 1 : Examples of resettlement In the face of depopulation, have there been any cases where local or national governments have devised plans to resettle residents of areas /neighbourhoods with declining population and high shares of abandoned buildings to areas /neighbourhoods of greater density, for the purpose of providing better built environments and a more sustainable service /infrastructure network? If yes, please outline the plan and the administrative process of implementing it . If no, please outline the governmental procedures needed to be undertaken for such resettlement plans to be devised , and also any legal or administrative hurdles that may impede th is planning process . Question 1 12 : Land value capture tools Land-value capture tools recover the costs of public infrastructure investments from private owners of land that have benefited from infrastructure construction through an increase in the value of their land. Please indicate which land-value capture tools exist (multiple selections possible) , and whether they are commonly used in rural or remote areas. Tool Used in Estonia? Used in rural/remote areas? Land-value tax/split-rate property tax Betterment contributions Developer exactions/impact fees Development rights sale Joint development Land pooling/land readjustment Other (please specify) Question 1 1 3 : Land value capture in practice How often d o local governments in Estonia make use of land value capture tools in providing for infrastructure financing? Are there certain types of infrastructure for which land value capture is common? How do rural or remote areas implement land value capture differently compared to urban areas? Question 1 1 4 : Valuing land to capture land increments The amount of tax (or fee) due in a land value capture setting is a function of the value of the taxable base and the applicable tax (or fee) rate. Internationally, simple calculations based on area or physical attributes, or more sophisticated approaches that use statistical models to predict future land values are commonly used. In general, how is this taxable base determined in Estonia ? Question 1 1 5 : Setting tax or fee rates for land value capture Setting the tax or fee rate is a delicate balancing act constrained by local governments’ revenue needs on the one hand and legal limitations and public acceptance on the other. Usually , the amount of total revenue from land value capture is set to equal the cost of infrastructure investment less revenue from other sources , and then subsequently divided among impacted land owners . In general, how are tax or fee rates calculated in Estonia? Question 1 1 6 : Determining the impact area for land value capture In the context of land value capture, an infrastructure project’s impact area can be considered to be the area of influence in which citizens are benefitted , or more specifically the area corresponding to the geographic space in which the project causes changes in land value. How are such areas calculated in the Estonian context? Question 11 7 : Fiscal benefits of infrastructure development Overall, do new infrastructure developments generate a net fiscal benefit or a net cost for local municipal governments? How does it differ based on the type of infrastructure? Does it differ for rural versus urban areas? Question 11 8 : Penalties for under-development Do private land owners face any penalties from local or national governments when land is under-developed or un-developed? If so, what are these penalties and how are they enforced? Question 11 9 : Influence of national/sub-national funding Are there any fiscal transfer programmes from one level of government to another that affect land use decisions in providing for infrastructure ? If so, please describe these programmes. Question 1 20 : Examples This question refers specifically to rural or remote areas, and also to urban municipalities with a population of less than 10,000. Please describe the typical process local governments go through to define an infrastructure need and carry out an infrastructure development project. Please also provide a rough estimate of the timeframes involved. Please make all necessary assumptions required for a realistic scenario and state them if they are important. Q uestion 121 : Policy objectives on empty or underused dwellings Please describe the policy instruments that are used both at the national and local level to address empty or underused dwellings. What are the main challenges deriving from empty or underused dwellings in Estonia? What are the main government objectives related to empty or underused dwellings ? Question 1 2 2 : Data on e mpty or underused dwellings What is the share of empty or underused dwellings in Estonia ? Over the years, how has the share of empty or underused dwelling changed? Is the share of empty or underused dwellings the same for listed buildings? If available, p lease provide sources of regional data on empty or underused dwellings . Question 1 2 3 : Data collection on empty dwellings How is data gathered on empty dwellings? Who is responsible for gathering and storing data ? H ow often is data updated? Question 12 4 : Neighbourhood heritage and the built environment In the face of population decline, are there any policy measures being implemented by national and/or local governments to preserve neighbourhood heritage and the sustainability and attractiveness of the built environment ? Please describe in detail what these measures are, and how and by whom they are being implemented. 3.4 Other issues Question 1 2 5 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas . Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important. Question 1 2 6 : Cadastre data How precise is cadastre data in Estonia? What information does this data contain? How often is it updated? Who (levels of government, independent bodies, ministries, etc) controls the development and maintenance of cadastre data? Question 1 2 7 : Other a vailable data Please list other sources containing systematic information on the following topics. In particular, please list all data sets and similarly structured sources of information (freely and commercially available). On land-use governance (i.e. the organisation of land-use planning) On land-use policies (i.e. the content of land-use planning regulation) On land value capture On real estate prices Question 1 2 8 : General comments and remarks Please use this section to tell us about any other issues that are important to understand land use governance that have not been captured thus far. Please also mention any problems with the questionnaire in this section.
Eesti Linnade ja Valdade Liit
[email protected] Meie 30.09.2020 nr 15-1/6680-1
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arvestavad põhjendatud ettepanekud, on OECD ette valmistanud küsimustiku, eesmärgiga
Eesti tänaste oludega tutvuda ja teadolevad probleemid kaardistada. Kogu küsimustik (128
küsimust) on kättesaadav kirja lisades. Küsimustik hõlmab vähemalt järgmisi valdkondi, mille
esindajad on ka projektiga seotud senistes aruteludes osalenud:
- KOV haldus (Eesti Linnade ja Valdade Liit, Valga näidisomavalitsusena),
- Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium (haridusasutuste võrgustik),
- Siseministeerium (teenuspunktide võrgustik),
- Sotsiaalministeerium (sotsiaalteenused, elanikkonna vananemine),
- Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium (elamuehitus-ja elamumajandus,
transport, muu taristu),
- Maaeluministeerium (maapiirkonnad),
- Kultuuriministeerium (ehitatud pärand, kvaliteetne ruum),
- Rahandusministeerium (ruumiline planeerimine, KOV haldus, regionaalareng,
regionaalhaldus, riigihaldus, KOV rahastamine, tühjenevad korterid, riigimajad).
Palume liidu koostööd küsimustikule vastamisel. Vastamise hõlbustamiseks oleme
küsimustiku jaotanud osadeks. Loomulikult olete teretulnud tutvuma ka kogu küsimustikuga
ning jagama enda arvamusi kõigi küsimuste osas. Palume siiski, et keskendute teie valdkonda
puudutavatele küsimustele, mis on leitavad käesoleva kirja lisadeks olevates valdkonna nime
kandvates dokumentides.
Palun tuginege vastuste andmisel teile teadaolevale infole. Juhul kui info on kättesaadav
mõnes muus allikas, ärge infot dubleerige, vaid lisage viide. Palume võimalusel anda vastused
inglise keeles, et vältida täiendavat tõlkimise vajadust ning võimalikke sellest tulenevaid
mitmeti mõistmisi. Rahandusministeeriumi planeeringute osakond koondab erinevate
Suur-Ameerika 1 / 10122 Tallinn / 611 3558 /
[email protected] / www.rahandusministeerium.ee
registrikood 70000272
osapoolte vastused. Palun saatke oma vastused e-kirjaga aadressile
[email protected]
hiljemalt 20. oktoobril. Juhul, kui mõnele küsimusele ei ole võimalik vastust anda, saatke ka
vastav info palun samal aadressil.
Täname, et panustate riigi ees seisvate väljakutsete kaardistamisel lahenduste leidmisse, sh
kahaneva asustusega kohandumise teemadel. Küsimustikule vastates saame OECD-le anda
vajaliku teabe just Eesti vajadustest lähtuvalt murekohtade analüüsimiseks ning seeläbi
suunata projekti fookust.
Lugupidamisega
(allkirjastatud digitaalselt)
Kaia Sarnet
regionaalvaldkonna asekantsler
Lisaadressaadid:
Siseministeerium
Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium
Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium
Kultuuriministeerium
Valga Vallavalitsus
Maaeluministeerium
Sotsiaalministeerium
Tiit Oidjärv 611 3151
[email protected]
2
detailed PROJECT DESCRIPTION Adapting to shrinkage and ageing through spatial interventions REFORM /OECD FRAMEWORK DELEGATION AGREEMENT [ REFORM/IM2020/004 ] Table of contents TOC \o "1-2" \t "Summary Heading,1,Preface Heading,1,Conclusion Heading,1,Bibliography Heading,1,Appendix Heading,1,Annex Heading,1,Glossary Heading,1,Index Heading,1,Executive Summary Heading,1,Foreword Heading,1,Annexes Heading,1,Part Heading,1,Introduction Heading,1" \h 1. context and objectives of the PROJECT PAGEREF _Toc38546850 \h 4 1.1 Context PAGEREF _Toc38546851 \h 4 1.2 Objectives of the Project PAGEREF _Toc38546852 \h 5 1.3 Relevance of the Project PAGEREF _Toc38546853 \h 6 1.4 Beneficiary EU Member State institution(s), target groups and other Stakeholders PAGEREF _Toc38546854 \h 8 2. Description and IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT PAGEREF _Toc38546855 \h 8 2.1 Impact, Outcomes, Outputs and Activities PAGEREF _Toc38546856 \h 8 3. LOCATION AND DURATION PAGEREF _Toc38546857 \h 12 3.1 Location PAGEREF _Toc38546858 \h 12 3.2 Indicative timeline for the activities PAGEREF _Toc38546859 \h 12 3.3 Language PAGEREF _Toc38546860 \h 14 4. ORGANISATIONAL SET-UP PAGEREF _Toc38546861 \h 14 4.1 Organisation of the Project PAGEREF _Toc38546862 \h 14 4.2 Coordination with DG REFORM PAGEREF _Toc38546863 \h 15 5. RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION PAGEREF _Toc38546864 \h 15 6. modalities of DISSEMINATION PAGEREF _Toc38546865 \h 17 ANNEX 1. INDICATIVE LOGical FRAMEwork MATRIX PAGEREF _Toc38546866 \h 18 ANNEX 2. DETAILED budget PAGEREF _Toc38546867 \h 19 1. context and objectives of the PROJECT 1.1 Context Depopulation is a ge neral challenge for rural areas in OECD countries . Metropolitan areas and cities enjoy the benefits of economies of agglomeration. Firms tend to locate close to other firms and to densely populated areas due to lower transportation costs, proximity to markets and wider availability of labour supply. People in turn are also attracted to densely populated areas for the wider availability of job opportunities, amenities, goods and services. Across the OECD the share of national populati on living in metro politan regions – those with a functional urban area of at least 50 000 inhabitants - increased from 2001-201 8 in all OECD countries except one (Greece ), against the share of rural regions. The long-term effects of population decline for rural areas are lower resources (tax-base), a higher share of elderly people (given that elderly are typically less mobile) and a greater per head cost in the provision of basic public services (health , education , child and elderly care, among others) . In the EU, there were 296.3 million people living in the EU’s metropolitan regions in 2016, and metropolitan regions accounted for almost three out of every five inhabitants. The fastest growth rate, 2.1 % per annum during the period 2006-2016, was recorded in Luxembourg, while Cyprus, Ireland, Sweden and Malta all saw their metropolitan populations increase by 1.1-1.3% per annum. By contrast, the total number of people living in the metropolitan regions of Romania, Greece, Lithuania and Latvia declined during the period 2006-2016. A shrinking population has considerable effects also on the provision of local infrastructure . This is especially the case for services such as water supply, sewage system, local roads and streetlights that need to be provided and maintained while local population numbers decline. Eroding tax bases will make it harder to maintain the existing local infrastructure and to find resources for new investments. Moreover, lack of expertise at the municipal level to plan and implement infrastructure projects and lack of coordination with neighbouring municipalities can be pose additional problems to the adequate provision of local infrastructure. Estonia's total popula tion, which amounted to 1. 32 million in 2019, shrank by 15% since 1991 . This decline has not happened evenly across E stonia. Population g rowth occurred only in bigger functional urban areas (FUAs) (Tallinn and Tartu), while rural and remote urban areas have been shrinking. Between the years 2007 and 2017, E stonia’s total population decreased by about 2.1%. During the same period, 5 out of 15 counties went through a significantly speedier population decline, losing more than 10% of their population. Ever since Estonia re-gained its independence in 1991, population has declined by more than a quarter in more than half of Estonia’s counties , and some counties such as Ida-Virumaa in the North-Eastern part have lost more than a third of population . Population p rojections estimate that only Estonian cities and its two FUAs ( Tallinn and Tartu ) will grow in the upcoming decades , while in the rest of the territory population will decline further . Given these trends, the focus of this project will be on Estonia’s smaller cities and rural areas. The current COVID-19 crisis affecting national and subnational governments around the world needs consider ation in the context of this project . Governments are implementing measures to cope with the public health emergency and its economic impact. The OECD estimates that for each month of strict containment measures, on average there will be a loss of 2 percentage points in annual GDP. In Estonia, the OECD estimates the potential initial impact on activity of partial or complete shutdowns on activity to be a 25% fall in GDP (at constant prices). The impact of COVID-19 crisis also varies within countries, with some regions and municipalities being harder hit than others. Touristic regions and metropolitan regions seem at higher risk of negative economic shock than other regions. Subnational government finances will be strongly hit, with strong pressure on expenditure and reduced revenues. The current crisis will strongly affect the public service provision and investments at all layers of government. The crisis underlines the need for combination of national and subnational measures and the ability to implement coordinated actions, to provide an effective response to this crisis. This context requires p olicy responses in a number of areas to adapt to the changes in settlement structure . Tackling current gaps in service provision and adaptation for future for future demographic change requires mobilising many layers and levels of government. In Estonia, relevant sectoral and horizontal policies have already been planned or put in place to adapt to demographic change, including measures to ensure adequate access to education and healthcare services . However, these actions have been designed in a planning framework where policy actions remain the responsibility of specific sectors, with little emphasis on cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration. In this context, more and deeper vertical and horizontal coordination within multilevel governance framework and more cross-sectoral coordination at the central government level can improve the efficiency and impact of policy actions. While the objective of this project remains the design of design of spatial policy interventions and the development of a set of actionable spatial and a-spatial policy measures, the project includes the study of current governance models and eventual proposals on alternative models as they can mediate the success of the proposed policies . The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a unique forum where the governments of 36 democracies with market economies work together to promote economic growth, prosperity and sustainable development. The OECD provides a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies. The EU takes part in the work of the OECD. The OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE), which will conduct the Project, helps countries design and implement policies that promote job creation, economic growth and social cohesion. It serves as the OECD hub on local and regional development and cities, and works to make SME, entrepreneurship and tourism development policies more effective at the national, regional and local levels. The mission of the Directorate General for Structural Reform Support ( DG REFORM ) of the European Commission is to provide support for the preparation and implementation of growth-enhancing administrative and structural reforms by mobilising EU funds and technical expertise. Estonia has requested support from the European Commission under Regulation (EU) 2017/825 on the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme ("SRSP Regulation"). The request has been analysed by the Commission in accordance with the criteria and principles referred to in Article 7(2) of the SRSP Regulation, following which the European Commission has agreed to provide support to the government of Estonia , together with the OECD in the design of spatial policy interventions to deal with population decline in low density regions , with the goal of developing a set of actionable recommendations, including spatial and a - spatial policy measures, as well as an action plan and roadmap to guide the implementation of the recommendations , under the conditions set in the Framework Delegation Agreement [ REFORM/IM2020/004 ] (hereinafter “the Agreement”) . 1.2 Objectives of the P roject The general objective of this P roject is to contribute to institutional, administrative and growth-sustaining structur al reforms in Estonia that, DG REFORM states , is in line with Article 4 of the SRSP Regulation. The specific objective s of this P roject are : to support the initiatives of national authorities to design their reforms according to their priorities, taking into account initial conditions and expected socioeconomic impacts to support the national authorities in enhancing their capacity to formulate, develop and implement reform policies and strategies and in pursuing an integrated approach ensuring consistency between goals and means across sectors to support the efforts of national authorities to define and implement appropriate processes and methodologies by taking into account good practices of and lessons learned by other countries in addressing similar situations DG REFORM states that the above is in line with Article 5 of the SRSP Regulation. The achievement of the objectives are not solely the responsibility of the OECD and will depend partly but not only on the government of Estonia’s action. 1.3 Relevance of the P roject Many l ower density areas in the OECD face mounting demographic pressures and population ageing. This trend can be a challenge (e.g. a shrinking potential workforce) but also an opportunity (growth in demand for new leisure, health and social care services). According to population projections for Europe at the regional level, by 2050 h alf of European countries will have to manage population decline in remote regions and one third will need to manage population decline in regions with access to a small/medium city . Pressures of ageing in rural economies are much stronger. The elderly dependency ratio ( i.e. population over 65 over population in working age ) is higher in rural regions compared to metro politan regions and this gap has widened over time across many region s . Rural regions also have higher youth dependency ratios (population under 15 years of age). This means they have a small potential workforce and fiscal pressures as regions become increasingly dependent on external transfers to finance local infrastructure and services The Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions on “The EU response to the demographic challenge” (2017 / C 017/08) shows that demographic change is one of the biggest challenges facing the European Union. It also specifies that remote rural areas experience demographic challenges throughout the continent. Finally, it draws attention to the enormous economic, social, budgetary and ecological impact of this problem at national , regional and local levels, which affects the sustainability of pension and health systems, among others. Policy responses should take into account a long-term perspective and make the most of new technological solutions and flexible arrangements. The key is to make the most of potential economic opportunities brought by demographic pressures. An ageing population indicates that people are living healthier for longer. Today, elderly people are better educated and wealthier, and will consume and invest in their local communities. As rural areas are at the forefront of the ageing phenomenon, they are areas where policy solutions can be piloted or tested for testing flexible work arrangements, new housing designs, community infrastructure, and innovations in leisure, health and social care services. Regions with good access to cities and those with high amenities can attract elderly people who are looking for a better lifestyle. This will generate opportunities for new businesses and investment in rural communities , as well as in small and medium urban settlements . Demographic changes and urbanization call for continued efforts in reorganizing the school network and improving access to inclusive and quality education. The number of students subject to compulsory school attendance will drop by 4% within the next 10 years (increasing trend only in Tallinn, Harju County, and part of Tartu County, in other counties 5% - 25% drop with the greatest decline occurring in Ida-Viru and Valga County). In a long-term perspective, the decline will most likely become even more significant in most counties and in combination with aging education workforce pose a challenge to sustainable provision of quality and inclusive education in regions with decreasing and aging population. Cooperation of different types of education (formal, non - formal, informal) and cross-usage of resources and the service infrastructure are not optimal. Cohesion of the learning environment as a combination of physical space, study opportunities outside of the formal studies system, and virtual learning environments is insufficient – investments made in technologies, digital space and in accessibility of youth work, incl uding hobby education, might remain unrealized to its fullest . Service provision , and in particular the availability of high-quality public services , plays a key role in improving the attractiveness of rural areas facing demographic pressure. Investments in public services can require economies of scale that are difficult to achieve in low-density areas, so communities must identify other arrangements to ensure adequate service provision. With growing pressures on public spending due to an aging population, regions are beginning to adopt new approaches to continue providing for rural dwellers. This includes investment s in broadband and mobile networks to improve the connectivity in rural and remote areas and facilitate digital solutions for services such as telemedicine and remote education. For facility-based services such as education and healthcare, i ntegrated service delivery is one approach frequently implemented to improve access to services by providing improved cost, quality, and access to rural areas. Different forms of integration include colocation, collaboration, cooperation, and coproduction. For network-based local public goods, such as water supply, sewage systems, and local roads, other cost-saving strategies are relevant, such as network re-design and forward planning for different population scenarios. Finding innovative ways for providing social services, and need for innovation in public transport provision have been addressed as challenges in the 2018 and 2019 Commission recommendations on national reform programme of Estonia and the relevant Country Specific Recommendations . The project is expected to identify novel spatial approaches in service provision and connectivity, contributing to solving the described national challenges. In p arallel to the current project, the national transport development strategy is being updated to propose and design sectoral interventions, so the transport sector will not be the focus of this project. A lternative measures to traditional public transport in the context of access to services will be addressed (e.g. e- mobility services , on-demand transport, etc. ). Recently, Estonia has undergone a process of municipal mergers and has promot ed inter-municipal cooperation to enhance local administration capacities and reduce costs in the context of a shrinking population . In 2016 , with the Administrative Reform Act, the Estonian government implemented a territorial reform and municipal merger programme, aiming to strengthen the administrative and developmental capacity of local governments. Following the reform law, the legislation set a minimum threshold of 5 000 inhabitants for municipalities (with some exceptions, such as for small islands). Following this reform, the number of municipalities decreased from 213 to 79, and the median population of local governments increased from 1 887 to 7 739. As of 2018, 70% of municipalities have between 5 000 and 20 000 inhabitants, and 21% have fewer than 5 000 inhabitants. S till , only 20% of municipalities have self-financing capacities. The vast majority depends on central government transfers to finance the provision of local services and i nfrastructures . Inter-municipal cooperation is also encouraged through the 1993 Local Government Organisation Act, which defined a framework for voluntary inter-municipal bodies performing non-mandatory tasks on behalf of local authorities. Some municipalities have established formal cooperation in public transport, waste management, water and sewage for example . The last local government reform also aimed at improving horizontal coordination at regional and local levels . M unicipalities are receiv ing some new tasks for joint implementation: county development activities; organising public transportation at the county level (via regional transport centres formed by municipalities and the Road Office); and coordination of regional health care; security councils; and cultural cooperation . The “State houses” or “State one-stop-shops”, an initiative relevant for strategies of service integration, started i n 2018, in Estonia . The goals of the initiative are for instance making all public services available and easily accessible in all county centres, promoting inter-institutional cooperation between public servants, creating attractive public space by renovating public buildings, and more efficient public service delivery. The programme is being rolled out year by year, accounting for financial capabilities. The draft strategy “Estonia 2035” lists finding adaption strategies in shrinking regions as one of the key actions needed to form a high quality space and infrastructure that corresponds to the overall needs of the society. The initiative is related to the EU initiative on the European pillar of social rights, among other goals aimed at providing equal access to services . In several countries, the peripheral areas that often feel left out of the benefits of policies driving further EU integration are seen as the key to regions requiring interventions. This enables narrowing the development gaps both on national levels, and on the EU level; and contributing to further integration on the EU level. 1.4 Beneficiary EU Member State institution(s), target groups and other Stakeholders The beneficiary of the Project is the Estonian Ministry of Finance. T he spatial planning department of the ministry leads the project and will designate a local team to support project activities as described in this document . In Estonia, the M inistry of F inance, in addition to budgeting and financial issues, is responsible for public administration, regional development and local governance policy. The National target groups for the project include: Mid-level to senior civil servants in ministries responsible for designing sectoral and horizontal (e.g. regional development support) policies and support measures. Local municipalities as local-level decision-makers in need of actionable policy advise within their framework of competence . While t he national local municipalities’ union is a core stakeholder of the project, individual local municipalities will be addressed during the project as needed. Local representatives are expected to participate in selected seminars in order to feedback policy proposals and create local knowledge on the subject. National and local level political leaders. Due to the political sensitivity of the issue (accepting shrinkage), political leaders are considered as a target group of its own for specific project activities . These target groups make part of the wider stakeholder group who will be informed of project activities to ensure project outputs are actionable and account for sectoral priorities. 2. Description and IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT 2.1 Impact, Outcomes, Outputs and Activities 2.1.1 Impact and Outcomes It is expected that Estonia, having been closely involved in implementation of the Project and consulted at all major stages of the activities to be implemented, adopts the outputs through its internal mechanisms and implements the work contained in the final outputs. The P roject will contribute to the development of improved ways to manage population decline through spatial interventions in Estonia. The expected outcomes of the P roject can be : Application of project insights in the design phase that favour cross-governmental cooperation and coordination towards the design of cross-sectoral action plan s ; Design of new sectoral and/or horizontal plans involving multiple sectors to actively respond to population shrinkage; Agreement on the new cross-sectoral action plans on streamlined and sustainable settlement structure to increase the efficiency and quality of service provision; Provision of inputs to the reform plan envisaged by the “Estonia 2035” strategy. The expected long-term impact of the successful project will be an improved well-being for men and women in regions and municipalities with declining population trends , due to factors such as streamlined settlement patterns, improved efficiency and quality of facility-based service delivery and access to public utilities . In addition, more financial sustainab ility in built physical and digital infrastructure is expected. These outcomes are expected to contribute to achieving the following Sustainable Development Goals: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages (SDG 3 ) , by improving a ccess to health services ; Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (SDG 4 ) , by improving a ccess to education ; Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all (SDG 6 ) , by improving i nfrastructure adaptation. Th e project will also indirectly contribute to Goals 7 -11 , and 15 - 16. Achievement of the outcomes, and contributing to a longer-term impact of this P roject , depends largely on the degree of adoption and implementation of the output by Estonia and subsequent enforcement, as well as wider policy conditions, which remain outside the responsibility of the European Commission and the OECD . Such implementation remains the exclusive responsibility of the government of Estonia . 2.1.2 Outputs and Activities In order to achieve outcome 1 : Application of project insights in the design phase that favour cross- and multi-level governmental cooperation and coordination towards the design of cross-sectoral action plans, the OECD will produce the following outputs by implementing the activities listed below: Output 1: Two study missions OECD will conduct two study missions with OECD analysts working on the project and at least one peer reviewer/expert in order to gather data and exchange experiences of best practices in policy - making for demographic change and spatial planning . Depending on the travel restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 at the time of the missions, especially the first mission , the meetings can also be arranged remotely with videoconferencing tools. One of the missions will include an in-depth study of selected municipalities. During the missions, OECD staff will interview policy makers from national and local level s as well as private sector and civil society representatives. As preparation b efore the missions, the OECD will prepare a comprehensive questionnaire to learn about the local and historical context, the policies in place and those in the making, and the institutional setting of the country, its municipalities and regions . The local team constituted by Estonia will comment the questionnaire and ensure its appropriate diffusion and response ahead of each mission. The local team will also be responsible that the answers to the questionnaire are provided in English. The preparation of the questionnaire and response usually takes 2-3 months, depending on the number of stakeholders involved and their responsiveness. Based on the filled questionnaire returned in English by the local team to the OECD team , the OECD team will prepare ahead of the missions a set of questions and hypothesis that will be contrasted during the missions. During the missions, at least two OECD team members will join , together with at least one expert selected by the OECD team . If the first mission will be arranged using videoconferencing, the experts may also participate the second mission only , if it is difficult for them to participate mission arranged through videoconferencing . DG REFORM and other European Commission DG s with interest in the area of the project will be invited to join each mission as well. Each mission is expected to last 2-3 days , not including travel time . The first mission will take place in the capital region, will focus on cross-governmental cooperation, and will involve relevant stakeholders from ministries and national agencies. The second mission will focus on multi-level governmental cooperation and subnational actions, and will involve municipalities, including a study visit to one or two selected municipalities located in non-metropolitan areas. Activities: Preparation of mission questionnaires by the OECD, diffusion and response coordination and eventual translation to English by the local team Two study missions of the OECD team to Estonia to identify policy challenges and discuss questions and hypothesis with Estonian policy makers. In order to achieve outcome 2 : Design of new sectoral and/or horizontal plans involving multiple sectors to actively respond to population shrinkage, the OECD will produce the following outputs by implementing the activities listed below: Output 2 : Set of actionable policy recommendations including spatial and a-spatial policy measures to deal with population decline in low-density regions in Estonia . The actionable policy recommendations w ill identify challenges, trends and good practices , and propose actions/ policy recommendations and/or interventions linked to shrinkage and population ageing in Estonia. The policy recommendations will account for multi-level governance relationships including how the policies and fiscal frameworks of upper level governance shape service provision at the local level and the scope and role of rural communities in the provision of public services. Activities: Analysis of implications of likely demographic scenarios for declining regions including descriptive analysis using national data and estimations of the costs of service delivery for facility-based local services (including primary and secondary education and care units ) depending on the different scenarios based on Eurostat population projection data . This analysis will be done based on the cost-estimation methodology developed in the context of an ongoing OECD project on the present and future costs of service delivery. The cost estimates are based on the spatial modelling of facilities and users according to transport networks and population grids. While the spatial restructuring of the healthcare network will not be addressed directly in the project, it is one of the various services that need to adapt to the changing settlement patterns. Analysis of municipal expenditure on network-based local public services, including water supply, sewage system, local roads and streetlights , and other essential services provided through private enterprises including central heating . The financing system of local infrastructure in Estonia will be analysed in an international best practices context, and recommendations will be made based on the international comparative analysis findings. This analysis is a part of the spatial planning and demographic change analysis . It will not include detailed cost-benefit analysis for specific services. Analysis of multi-level governance and fiscal framework, including assignments of responsibilities and r evenues to local governments , including : the potential offered by asymmetric /differentiated decentralisation (it means that governments at the same subnational government level have different political, administrative or fiscal powers , assessment of municipal service provision and management (quality, minimum standards, etc. ) ; fiscal instruments and equ a lisation mechanisms aimed at correcting imbalances between local governments and thus fostering equity between territories ; and v ertical and horizontal coordination and cooperation mechanisms across and within levels of government. The governance analysis will be made in reference to the spatial planning recommendations and their eventual implementation, and does not constitute a n end of the project in itself. Mapping of the current policy and spatial planning framework in Estonia and identification of relevant good practices from across the OECD, including innovative solutions for service provision and spatial adaptation. The OECD will review Estonia’s current policy instruments that are used both on the state level and by the local municipalities to adapt to population decline and consequent changes in settlement structure. Suggestions will be made by the OECD for applying further policy instruments to achieve spatial adaption of and high quality living environment in the shrinking areas. The OECD will suggest criteria for defining areas that require targeted interventions due to shrinking population. In order to achieve outcome 3 : Agreement on the new cross-sectoral action plans on streamlined and sustainable settlement structure to increase the efficiency and quality of service provision, the OECD will produce the following outputs by implementing the activities listed below: Output 3 : A seminar to test and refine the policy recommendations The seminar is part of the project’s knowledge-sharing activities to exchange experiences of best practices involving peer reviewers, community leaders, at least two international experts on the topic of the project and Estonian policy makers. The aim of the seminar is to present quantitative and qualitative findings of the project, and discuss draft cross-sectoral action plans , that also involve horizontal coordination , on streamlined and sustainable settlement structure to increase the efficiency and quality of service provision , and an attractive living environment . The expected outcome of the seminar will be the identification and agreement on pathways for the implementation of actionable policies. The OECD will engage in activities leading to the seminar with support of the local team . These activities are expected to take 2 months. The OECD team will prepare a summary record of the seminar and share it with the local team for its appropriate diffusion among the wider group of stakeholders. Activities: Organisation of a seminar to test and refine the policy recommendations , including designing the agenda, liaising with speakers, coordinating event logistics, compiling an appropriate participant list, coordinating and providing support to speakers and participants in site, and preparing a summary record of the meeting . Output 4 : Action plan and roadmap to guide the implementation of the policy recommendations The Action plan and roadmap will take into account the current institutional and governance setting, identifying potential bottlenecks to the implementation of reforms. It will clearly outline feasible areas for policy action on forward looking planning for demographic change, and identify key areas of collaboration across levels of government and government agencies and ministries. Activities: Development of actionable policy recommendations (a toolbox of policy instruments) to address population decline , taking into consideration the current institutional and policy frameworks in Estonia. Policy recommendations will however include recommendations on the governance structure and functioning at local level and ways to improve multi-level governance , including vertical and horizontal coordination, and financing me chanisms . In order to achieve outcome 4 . Provision of inputs to the reform plan envisaged by the “Estonia 2035” strategy, the OECD will produce the following outputs by implementing the activities listed below: Output 5 : Analytical report underpinning the policy recommendations The analytical report will provide a diagnosis of key challenges and emerging trends related to public service provision and the need to streamlin e the settlement structure in Estonia, including structural conditions (e.g., population aging and rural-to-urban migration) , multi-level governance and financing ; provide analysis and final policy assessment and recommendations across relevant policy areas. The report will account for the feasibility, viability and benefits of other types of service provision models that make use of digital technologies and social innovation in provision. The analytical report will draw on both the project’s study missions and events and on results from an ongoing project on disentangling present and future service delivery costs by type of human settlement. Activities: Consolidation of the a nalysis of implications of likely demographic scenarios for declining regions. Finalising the d iagnosis of the multi-level governance framework focused on the delivery of quality services and measures to adapt key local infrastru ctu re (water and sewage, roads, streetlights) at local level , and implementing vertical and horizontal coordination and cooperation actions (for instance, further developing the “state houses” initiative) . Final proposal of actionable policy recommendations to address population decline taking int o consideration the current institutional and policy frameworks in Estonia. Output 6 : A launch event with associated workshop The launch event aims at assembling senior policy makers from Estonia at national and local levels in order to obtain high-level backing for policy recommendations produced by the project and ensure their wide dissemination. The associated workshop aims at bringing together policy makers from Estonia, at least three international experts and policy makers from other countries and OECD analysts . It will aim at presenting pathways for the implementation of policy actions . The OECD will engage in activities leading to the seminar with support of the local team . These activities are expected to take 2 months . The OECD team will prepare a summary record of the event and share it with the local team for its appropriate diffusion among the wider group of stakeholders. Activities: Organisation of a launch event and an associated workshop involving senior policy makers from Estonia , including designing the agenda, liaising with speakers, coordinating event logistics, compiling an appropriate participant list, coordinating and providing support to speakers and participants o n site, and preparing a summary record of the event. 3. LOCATION AND DURATION 3.1 Location The project shall be carried out in Estonia and France. The OECD is based in Paris, France. Any physical meeting, presentation and/or conference with the national authorities will take place in Estonia. 3.2 Indicative timeline for the activities The operational implementation period of this Project is expected to last 18 months. The operational implementation period is measured from the date that the detailed project description is approved by the Steering Committee. The schedule of the activities and outputs is set out as indicated in the following table (indicative timeline) assuming continued support and commitment by the government of Estonia . The timetable also assumes no delays in establishing meetings with stakeholders, in getting access to relevant policy, legal and regulatory documentation and in the organisation of relevant workshops and in availability of participants for the workshops. L aunching activities to be carried out at the OECD headquarters in Paris include sourcing and hiring the necessary staff, conducting literature review and data collection activities, designing the project analytical framework, and internal coordination activities of the OECD team . The OECD will also engage in communication with the local team regarding the preparation of the activities of the project and collecting relevant local information. Table 1: Indicative Timeline (by month from the start of the Project) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 0. L aunching activities * * 1. Output 1 ( Two study missions ) * * * * * * 2. Output 2 ( Set of actionable policy recommendations including spatial and a-spatial policy measures to deal with population decline in low-density regions in Estonia ) * * * * * * * * * * 3. Output 3 ( A seminar to test and refine the policy recommendations ) * * 4. Output 4 ( Action plan and roadmap to guide the implementation of the policy recommendations ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * 5. Output 5 ( Analytical report underpinning the policy recommendations ) * * * * * * * * * 6 Output 6 ( A launch event with associated workshop ) * * 3.3 Language Reports and meetings will be conducted in English. The presentations and workshops will be provided in English. The government of Estonia will provide the documents necessary for the performance of the project , as much as possible in English language. In case the documents are only available in Estonian, openly available translation tools will be used by the OECD . The government of Estonia will take care of the translation of the final report including the policy highlights in Estonian in case it deems it necessary, subject to a separate agreement between the OECD and government of Estonia on the modalities, according to OECD standard terms. The OECD will fund interpretation during the second study visit, as needed. The government of Estonia will provide interpretation services during the seminar and launch event if required. 4. ORGANISATIONAL SET-UP 4.1 Organisation of the Project The Project is organised in the following way: 4.1.1 OECD The OECD team directly dedicated to the implementation of the project will work under the leadership of the Head of the OECD Economic Analysis, Statistics and Multi-level Governance Section . It will be composed of Senior Policy Analysts, an Economist, a project manager, Policy Analysts and Senior and Junior Policy Advisors. The Head of Division o r OECD senior officers will lead the expert meetings and consultations with policy makers, project beneficiaries and stakeholders, be in direct contact with Estonian and European Commission representatives and ensure the quality of the project activities and reports. The senior and junior advisors will review and comment on the substantive outputs. Their work will aim to ensure quality control and consistency across projects, that the project is on track of meeting pre-defined objectives and that key corporate priorities of the OECD are mainstreamed in its realisation. Both advisors will also be helping to prepare the substantive inputs for the launches of the reports or other outputs which may involve senior officials. The Deputy Director and Head of Division will comment on the draft reports at various stages and potentially participate in the missions or launching event of the report . The project team will include OECD project administrative staff members who will contribute to the project with a range of activities such as assist in the organisation of meetings and workshops, travel arrangements for team members within the Project , and staff supporting the communication and publication processes . 4.1.1 Resources to be outsourced While the OECD will lead all activities, selected parts of the work will be completed or supported by contractors (e.g. providing intellectual services for background papers and editing and formatting , or assisting in the organisation of workshops and field missions) , under the supervision of the OECD. Contractors will be selected in accordance with OECD rules on procurement. As necessary, the Estonian local team will provide support to the OECD in selecting potential contractors in Estonia. 4.1.2 Resources to be made available by the government of Estonia The government of Estonia will constitute a project team consisting of officials of the spatial planning department of the Ministry of Finance. The government of Estonia will appoint a project team leader who will act as national contact point for the activities and ensure coordination within the OECD and with other national stakeholders. The Estonian project team will engage primary national stakeholders ( representatives of ministries ) , which have been identified by the government of Estonia as relevant. The government of Estonia will provide all necessary experts and any documents, data and information necessary for the implementation of the Project. The government of Estonia will also provide full support of technical equipment to the OECD in Estonia , including available rooms for meetings in their premises, available rooms and related conference services for the seminar (output 3, expected at project month 16) , launch events and associated workshop (such as costs of hiring meeting rooms and eventual catering ; output 6, expected at project month 18 ) taking place in Estonia , internet access, teleconference facilities and organisation of the meetings with other stakeholders (output 1, expected at project months 5 and 13) , but excluding support for OECD’s own technical equip ment . 4.2 Coordination with DG REFORM Section 4.4 of Annex I to the Agreement will apply. The OECD will be in charge of the implementation of the activities and will maintain regular communication with DG REFORM as well as the Estonian authorities to take stock of the Project and future needs and to provide information on progress towards meeting the Project objectives and outputs. In this context, the OECD will communicate the draft outputs for review according to the indicative timeline. Progress will be reported through operational updates briefly reviewing the progress in the implementation of the Project and describing possible difficulties encountered and measures taken to overcome the problems, as well as providing for an updated timeline if relevant. The OECD will provide the updates to DG REFORM on a quarterly basis. The format of the updates will be a one-page description of past activities and next steps, combined with a status call between DG REFORM, OECD and the Estonian authorities. The OECD will inform DG REFORM in due time about upcoming missions and share relevant documents. Unless specific circumstances – and in prior consultation with DG REFORM - justify otherwise, representatives of the EC including the SRSS and core DG for the areas addressed in the Action will be invited to attend all missions and all pertinent events or activities. 5 . RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION There are a number of risks associated with the implementation of the Project, which the OECD will take steps to identify and mitigate. See Table 2 below for information regarding external risks. Table 2: External Risk Analysis and Mitigation Efforts Risk Mitigation Lack of effective co-operation by the government of Estonia or government bodies. The government of Estonia and other stakeholders might refuse meetings, provision of expertise or relevant information that is needed to advance in the analysis of policies and the production of recommendations. The project has been structured in response to request from the authorities and closely matching their needs and the Estonia’s priorities. The scope of work has been discussed and agreed with the authorities. These risks are mitigated by government-wide obligations with EU institutions and by close co-operation with the coordinating Ministry, DG REFORM and the OECD. Due to the COVID-19 crisis there may be travel restrictions in place, which can affect the organisation of missions. The missions, especially the first one, will be replaced by video conference , if physical travelling is not possible due to restrictions. Lack of cooperation from the government of Estonia and the other stakeholders in participating in the workshops. The government of Estonia will take the lead in proposing and selecting the participants in the workshops/trainings, for discussion with the project team at the OECD. Delays or otherwise low quality of OECD’s contractor(s)'s work. The OECD will undertake the selection of the contractors(s) and will also closely monitor the contractor(s)'s work, including by reviewing the outputs as needed. Delays in project events and/or missions due to unforeseen travel restrictions The OECD will use all the information available to plan missions and events accordingly. In the case of travel restrictions, the OECD will explore possibilities for virtual meetings. Negative perception of recommendations. The media, and some segments of the government or parliament, may be led to oppose recommendations, in part because of opposition from strong interest groups that feed potentially biased information. The OECD is committed to ensure understanding and acceptance of the recommendations to the greatest extent possible, while recognizing that there will always be interest groups that will oppose reforms. In addition to working closely with responsible government bodies, the OECD will work throughout the project to engage stakeholders in the public and private sectors, conducting workshops and seeking the views of businesses and civil society associations Final recommendations will be presented at a dissemination event. The OECD will communicate its recommendations in a clear and simple summary. Throughout the project, the OECD will work closely with DG REFORM and the government of Estonia to achieve consistency of the messages put out to the public via media. Difficulties during the project (seminars, study visits) or after the project (dissemination) related to language barriers. Agreements made prior to the start of the project on interpretation and translation, as described in 3.3. 6. modalities of DISSEMINATION The final report will become an official OECD publication and made available on OECD ilibrary -- refer to Communication and Visibility Plan of the Agreement. ANNEX 1. INDICATIVE LOGical FRAMEwork MATRIX SRSP: Managing population decline through spatial interventions Logic of intervention Indicator of achievement Baseline Target Source of information Assumptions (optional) Expected Impact Contribute to the development of improved ways to manage population decline through spatial interventions in Estonia Number of actionable policy recommendations for spatial interventions that involve multiple sectors and levels of government derived from the project/Number of mentions of actionable project recommendations for spatial interventions that involve multiple sectors and levels of government in policy documents No targeted and actionable policy recommendations for spatial interventions that involve multiple sectors and levels of government Several actionable policy recommendations for spatial interventions that involve multiple sectors and levels of government Final report and intermediate policy documents/National policy documents c ollected during and after the P roject Expected Outcome 1 Application of project insights in the design phase that favour cross- and multi-level governmental cooperation and coordination towards the design of cross-sectoral action plans Number of sectors (and/or sectoral representatives) actively engaged in the project during the design and implementation of cross-sectoral action plans No sectors (and/or sectoral representatives) actively engaged A considerable number of sectors (and/or sectoral representatives) actively engaged Participant lists for each mission or event/Summary records of meetings and events Collaboration of officials in the organisation of missions and provision of statistical data and other information Engagement from local policy makers and those at higher levels of government Expected Outputs Output 1: Two study missions Number of missions carried out No missions Two missions No unforeseen impediments to carry out missions No delay in the access to or lack of information and statistical data produced by Estonia Expected Outcome 2 Design of new sectoral and/or horizontal plans involving multiple sectors to actively respond to population shrinkage The cross-sectoral plans includes measures to adapt to population shrinkage No new sectoral and/or horizontal plans involving multiple sectors At least one new sectoral and/or horizontal plans involving multiple sectors Final report Collaboration of officials in case-study regions/municipalities in the organisation of missions and provision of statistical data and other information Lack of engagement from local policy makers and those at higher levels of government No unforeseen impediments to carry out events or missions Expected outputs Output 2: Set of actionable policy recommendations including spatial and a-spatial policy measures to deal with population decline in low-density regions in Estonia Status of actionable policy recommendations No actionable policy recommendations Several actionable policy recommendations are developed Expected Outcome 3 Agreement on the new cross-sectoral action plans on streamlined and sustainable settlement structure to increase the efficiency and quality of service provision Number of appropriate cross-sectoral interventions to increase the efficiency and quality of service provision and a sustainable settlement structure No appropriate cross-sectoral interventions Several appropriate cross-sectoral interventions Participant lists of seminar/Summary records Final report Expected Outputs Output 3: A seminar to test and refine the policy recommendations Number of seminars carried out/Number of participants in the seminar Number of thematic areas discussed during the seminar No seminars One seminar carried out Several thematic areas discussed Output 4: Action plan and roadmap to guide the implementation of the policy recommendations Status of the action plan and final roadmap No action plan One final action plan document and one final roadmap document are developed. Expected Outcome 4 Provision of inputs to the reform plan envisaged by the “Estonia 2035” strategy Number of references to project recommendations in the Estonia 2035 long term perspective No references to project recommendations Several references to project recommendations Estonia 2035 document Final report Participant lists of launch event/Summary records Expected Outputs Output 5: Analytical report underpinning the policy recommendations Status of the analytical report No analytical report One analytical report published Output 6: A launch event with associated workshop Number of launch events carried out/Number of participants in the launch event and the workshop Number of thematic areas discussed during the launch event and the workshop No launch event/No associated workshop One launch event and one associated workshop Several thematic areas discussed during the launch event and the workshop Impact: primary and secondary, long term effects produced by the Action. ' Indicator: the quantitative and/or qualitative factor or variable that provides a simple and reliable means to measure the achievement of the Results of an Action. Outcome: the likely or achieved short-term and medium-term effects of an Action's outputs; however, the ambition of the outcome goes beyond the outputs of the projects and the outcome is a result of a wider number of factors other than the proposed activity and not a responsibility of the technical support provider under the project. [ To be considered in line with other projects done with DG REFORM ]. Output: the products, capital goods and services, which result from an Action's activities. Baseline: the value of the indicator (prior to the intervention of the Action/ prior to the TS project) Target: the value of the indicator (after the intervention of the Action/ after the TS project) Source of information: source of information to verify the indicator Assumptions: the conditions needed to produce the outputs and reach the outcome and impact (e.g. Stakeholders are available to participate in consensus building activities. The involved Ministries and agencies cooperate and provide information and resources required.) ANNEX 2. DETAILED budg ET
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses/valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid. 1. General overview 1.1 Territorial definitions and infrastructure needs Question 4: In your view, what are the main infrastructure requirements in areas outside cities, including smaller cities and rural areas? Question 6: Please provide additional bibliography and annexes (maps, charts, links to excel documents, links to websites, etc.) you consider relevant to this section. 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). Question 121: Policy objectives on empty or underused dwellings Please describe the policy instruments that are used both at the national and local level to address empty or underused dwellings. What are the main challenges deriving from empty or underused dwellings in Estonia? What are the main government objectives related to empty or underused dwellings? Question 122: Data on empty or underused dwellings What is the share of empty or underused dwellings in Estonia? Over the years, how has the share of empty or underused dwelling changed? Is the share of empty or underused dwellings the same for listed buildings? If available, please provide sources of regional data on empty or underused dwellings. Question 123: Data collection on empty dwellings How is data gathered on empty dwellings? Who is responsible for gathering and storing data? How often is data updated? 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? Question 13: Are there policies for addressing public sector job losses in rural areas following the closure of public sector facilities such as schools and hospitals? Question 14: Has Estonia or any of its municipalities i mplemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. Question 15: In your view, how will digital transformation (e.g. digital services) affect the demand for skilled professionals in education, social care and healthcare? Has there been any analysis done on future skills requirements for Estonia? Please provide any available statistics and links. 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 27: What are the main areas of foreseen changes in the new Estonian Education and Research Strategy for 2020–2035 compared to the Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020? What relevance does the new strategy give to population decline in rural areas? Question 28: Please describe the policies affecting the school network such as school closures, restructuring and centralisation to adapt to a declining number of students implemented in the past 10 years, and those currently under consideration as part of the Estonian Education and Research Strategy for 2020–2035. Question 29: Please describe the evolution of total school spending per pupil over the past 10 years (or before if data is available) by educational level. Question 30: Please describe the evolution of pupil-to-teacher ratios over time and educational level. Please provide any geographical disaggregation available of the indicator (e.g. by rural/urban areas). Question 31: Have rural areas faced teaching staff shortages in the past years? Are there any policies to increase the attractiveness of rural schools for teachers (e.g. financial compensation)? Question 32: Are there estimates of the present and future cost of reskilling teachers to prepare them for an increase in e-education? Are there policies specifically aimed at bridging digital skill gaps for teachers? Question 33: What are the current education funding formulas used to allocate resources to schools? Have the principles behind such formulas been reconsidered recently, or are they under consideration (e.g. moving to funding on a per-student basis)? Question 34: Are there any policies or policy plans specifically targeting small schools, such as support for small school networks in rural areas? Question 35: Do funding formulas for service facilities (schools, hospitals) include specific provisions for small units (or if it has ever been considered) (e.g. additional funding on top of existing formula if the unit is below a size threshold)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 3. Land use and spatial planning in Estonia Question 108: Building expropriation Is the procedure for expropriation of buildings different from that of land? Under what circumstances can inhabited or uninhabited buildings be expropriated? When expropriating residential buildings, what decision criteria are used to determine which properties are expropriated and which ones are left as-is? Question 109: Ease of expropriation How easy is it in general to expropriate private land or buildings for public use? Is it easier to expropriate buildings (either inhabited or uninhabited) compared to land? How long does the expropriation process usually take? Is it easier for certain types of infrastructure and public services compared to others? Is it easier in urban or rural areas? Question 110: Procedures regarding resettlement When expropriation of buildings and/or land takes place, in many cases plans are devised to determine the process of resettlement for residents and property owners. Do such procedures exist in Estonia? If so, please outline the specific procedures typically undertaken in Estonia to resettle these residents and property owners to other areas. In particular, please highlight the legal requirements and the parties involved in the decision making process. Question 111: Examples of resettlement In the face of depopulation, have there been any cases where local or national governments have devised plans to resettle residents of areas/neighbourhoods with declining population and high shares of abandoned buildings to areas/neighbourhoods of greater density, for the purpose of providing better built environments and a more sustainable service/infrastructure network? If yes, please outline the plan and the administrative process of implementing it. If no, please outline the governmental procedures needed to be undertaken for such resettlement plans to be devised, and also any legal or administrative hurdles that may impede this planning process. Question 121: Policy objectives on empty or underused dwellings Please describe the policy instruments that are used both at the national and local level to address empty or underused dwellings. What are the main challenges deriving from empty or underused dwellings in Estonia? What are the main government objectives related to empty or underused dwellings? 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses/valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid. 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? Question 12: Please specify the most important trends identified in that are guiding current policy discussions in Estonia about local and regional development (demographic, productivity, labour market, connectivity, etc.) Question 13: Are there policies for addressing public sector job losses in rural areas following the closure of public sector facilities such as schools and hospitals? Question 16: Which policies have been implemented to enhance rural amenities (natural and historical)? Please specify the institutions involved, their goals, budgets and the types of actions they do. Please provide an evaluation of their effect on the rural economy. 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses/valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid. 1.1 Territorial d efinition s and infrastructure needs Question 3: Could you please roughly describe the different types of roads present in Estonia and how much they account for the total road network composition? Question 4: In your view, what are the main infrastructure requirements in areas outside cities, including smaller cities and rural areas? Question 6: Please provide additional bibliography and annexes (maps, charts, links to excel documents, links to websites, etc.) you consider relevant to this section. 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? Question 37: Is there any public support for transportation of service users (e.g. students, the elderly) such as public buses or transport vouchers? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? Question 13: Are there policies for addressing public sector job losses in rural areas following the closure of public sector facilities such as schools and hospitals? Question 14: Has Estonia or any of its municipalities implemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2. Multi-level governance and institutional frameworks 2.4 The municipal landscape and political organisation Question 48: Has there been a discussion on further changes in the territ orial organisation in Estonia? Question 52: Please give a short description of the main characteristics of the municipal administration and provide, when possible, data on disparities across municipalities on the different following topics: general organization, human resources: number and statute of municipal employers (contractual & statutory, grades), modes of recruitment, level of salaries in the municipal sector (compared to national and private sectors), levels of qualification, training system (initial and continuing training), etc. Municipal assets (financial and non- financial : buildings, lands). Level of equipment, including IT and use of ICD technologies. Information on differences between municipalities. 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). Question 5 9 : Do you think that municipal own-sources taxes should be developed? How? What are the obstacles to the development of municipal own-source tax revenues? 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.
Estonia SPADAPT project: Questionnaire In order to prepare for the missions carried out by the OECD in Estonia, the Secretariat has developed this questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will provide the experts the background information needed to prepar e for the missions and draft the report . The questionnaire is organised taking into account the different aspects of the project, notably spatial planning, governance , and costs of public service delivery in the framework of ageing and diminishing population in especially the rural and remote areas of Estonia. The questionnaire is divided into thr ee parts. The first part includes general questions regarding territorial definitions, policies addressing depopulation, and issues regarding service provision. The second part concerns questions related to multi-level governance and institutional frameworks. The third part concerns questions related to land use and spatial planning in the context of Estonia. Do not hesitate to indicate, for each section, sources of information and links where we can find additional information and data. Respondent(s) (names and contact details): Palun lisage teie asutuses / valdkonnas küsimustikule vastanud isiku nimi ja kontaktid . 1. General overview 1.2 Policies addressing depopulation in rural areas Question 9: Do you rely on population projections by age groups and geographies in Estonia for policy- making? If so, which projections do you use (e.g. Eurostat, own projections)? Question 11: Are there any specific policies targeted towards the youth? Are there any specific policies targeted towards the elderly population? How are those policies connected to other economic development policies? Question 13: Are there policies for addressing public sector job losses in rural areas following the closure of public sector facilities such as schools and hospitals? Question 14: Has Estonia or any of its municipalities implemented specific policies or programs to attract skilled service workers (e.g. doctors) to rural areas and/or smaller cities? If yes, please describe the measures undertaken as part of this policy. Question 15: In your view, how will digital transformation (e.g. digital services) affect the demand for skilled professionals in education, social care and healthcare? Has there been any analysis done on future skills requirements for Estonia? Please provide any available statistics and links. 1.3 Policies for reorganising services and equity in provision Question 19: Are there areas with important gaps in service delivery within Estonia? If yes, please describe the main geographic areas facing service delivery gaps, explaining if the gap is for a specific service (e.g. hospital care) or for a group of services. Please include any available map or illustration. Question 20: Have specific policies been implemented to develop, improve, or re-organise public service delivery in remote/rural areas? If so, present a brief overview of aims, method and financing and indicate the first results achieved. Question 21: Are policies to improve access and efficiency of service delivery part of a national strategy or are they designed on a case-by-case basis? Where do you currently see the biggest need for an overarching national strategy to improve the delivery of services? (e.g. regulating joint service centres/one-stop shops, use of e-technologies)? Question 22: Is there evidence of improvements in service provision of services such as social care, education or healthcare in small cities and rural areas thanks to the implementation of digital services? Question 23: Are there any ongoing or future plans to expand the coverage of education, elderly and social care, and/or healthcare services via digital means? What are the main challenges faced by these plans? Question 24: Is there quantitative evidence of cost savings brought about by the implementation of telehealth? What are the main challenges to realise the full potential of telehealth for reducing service provision costs (especially in rural areas)? Question 25: Do you consider some areas face a “surplus” of infrastructure, that is, the presence of many facilities operating below scale? In which types of services is surplus infrastructure more common (e.g. roads, primary schools, small hospitals)? Question 26: What are the main challenges when designing policies addressing infrastructure surplus, such as school closures (e.g. community resistance, political sensitivities, lack of agreement across government agencies/levels)? Question 36: Do national regulations establish provisions regulating the maximum travel times for users of public services (e.g. students)? 2.5 General overview of the municipal revenue system Question 54: Do the different government levels consider the division of the different fiscal resources “adequate”? Are there problems of unfunded or underfunded mandates at the municipal level? If such problems occur, do they typically concern specific types of municipalities (for example small, rural, or other – please specify). 3.4 Other issues Question 125 : Major challenges and opportunities This question aims to get an understanding of the major national and/or sub-national challenges related to land use in the context of ageing and population decline in sparsely populated areas. Please mention any challenges and opportunities for local governments that you consider particularly important.