Regional Formation and Development Studies

In this review-type article, the authors present project management in public sector institutions, with a particular focus on the application of Agile methodology. This review seeks to address the potential benefits of Agile methodology in addressing public sector challenges and the key obstacles to its successful implementation. Termed ‘Agile Government’, the approach aims to align public institutions with citizens’ needs, enhance efficiency, productivity, innovation and digital capabilities, improve decision-making processes, and foster collaboration between teams. Moreover, it serves as a response to global crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, refugee issues, climate change, and more, all while optimising the use of resources. Methods applied in the article are the following: systematic analysis, comparison, and synthesis.

The application of Project Management (PM) tools and techniques in public sector is gradually becoming an important issue indeveloping economies, especially in a new development country like Latvia where projects of different size and structures are undertaken.The paper examined the application of the project management practice in public sector in Latvia. Public sector projectmanagement in Latvia become popular in recent years as there is different type of public funding sources available. The paperdescribes the public sector project management practice in Latvia. Study shows that public sector project maturity level is low andshould be improved. Research period covers the time period from January 2013 – March 2013.

An analysis of Lithuanian legislation has shown that documents regulating the development of teachers’ qualifications provides the teacher with an opportunity to improve personal, institutional and national educational needs for development, and defines requirements for educators and qualification development opportunities. However, research conducted in Lithuania shows that this process is frequently characterised as fragmentary, and that it lacks research on the needs of the development and planning of teachers’ qualifications, the connection with the educational process, and its practical application. In the meantime, teachers commonly disregarding the significance of the subsidiarity principle to the effectiveness of the development of teachers’ qualifications desire direct cooperation and the coordination of the need for the development of personal qualifications with the andragogue organiser, while ignoring the people responsible for it in educational institutions. The perception that the andragogue organiser’s activities must be designed taking into account not only the personal expectations of teachers but also the objectives and priorities of educational institutions and of the development of teachers’ qualifications raises a scientific issue: what type of andragogue organiser’s activity is effective for achieving the main goals (quality) in the development of teachers’ qualifications? The qualitative research conducted revealed the andragogue organiser’s role and the effectiveness of the activity and direction of improvement with respect to the performed functions, activity areas and competences, and justified the fundamental principles of the development of teachers’ qualifications. In the practical approach, empirical data presented in this article can be significant in: 1) seeking the effectiveness and improvement of activity of the andragogue organising teachers’ qualification development services in the Klaipėda district; 2) identifying the roles and responsibilities of the participants’ process in ensuring its quality.

Scientific literature, LR legal acts and analysis of research conducted in Lithuania shows that the process of teachers’ qualification development is related to adult education and organization of teaching / learning, is relevant as a source of improvement of teachers’ pedagogical as well as andragogical activity and acquisition of new competences. But this process is complicated and consists of professional activity’s self-assessment / assessment, planning, self-improvement / improvement, practical application, reflection and as an aspect of quality assurance it is a repeated cycle of actions to improve quality. Knowing that andragogue organiser’s professionalism is one of the most important conditions for this process to be successfully and qualitatively implemented, the issue raised in this article is: what is the role of andragogue organiser’s professionalism in striving for effectiveness of teachers’ qualification development? The conducted quantitative research confirmed the importance of andragogue organiser’s professionalism for the effectiveness of this process. It is found that the main objective of teachers’ qualification development, that is, the quality of their professional activities and the acquisition of new competences will be achieved if the andragogue organiser will professionally implement the teachers’ qualification development process beginning with analysis of learning needs and ending with practical application of acquired competences. In the practical approach empirical data presented in this article can be significant in: 1) seeking to reveal the effectiveness of activity of Klaipeda District Education Centre that provides teachers’ qualification development services; 2) improving and ensuring the quality of this process; 3) achieving andragogue organiser’s professionalism (internal professionalism – improvement of professional competences by examining the analysis of research results, external professionalism – justification of andragogue organiser’s role of professionalism in the effectiveness of teachers’ qualification development).

Abundance of horse graves and very expressive horse-offering rituals are well known in the Central region of Lithuania. But principally the new material has been obtained after the investigations of burial ground in Marvelė. Horse graves are usually found separate from human graves, composing special parts of “horse graveyards” in the cemeteries. Arrangement of these parts with horse graves are related to local micro-landscape. The natural and cultural elements with memory signs embody the environmental cosmology and are involved into the mythology. The horse burial places suggest the ceremonies of public displays. The horse becomes a contributor which helps to cross the border between mythological spaces.