State Education Development Agency (VIAA) has been established in order to implement national policy in the area of initial and further education, undertake the implementation and monitoring of projects financed by EU Structural Funds, as well as provide for the administration of EU Programmes and other financial instruments, projects and initiatives.

VIAA functions as an intermediary institution for the administration of projects financed by the European Social Fund and provides the administrative structure for the implementation of the EU vocational training action programme Leonardo da Vinci, support for the establishment of the national career guidance system as well as participation in the Euroguidance Network programme.

The Cabinet of Ministers Regulation of 24 April 2007 "Statutes of the State Education Development Agency" delegates the following functions and tasks to the Agency:

VIAA functions:

• To ensure the implementation of the European Union action programme Leonardo da Vinci in Latvia;
• To ensure the participation of Latvia in the Euroguidance Network according to the aims and objectives set out in guidelines by the European Union;
• To implement other education and lifelong learning programmes and projects based on contractual relations between the Agency and the institutions of Latvia, the European Union and other countries;
• To ensure the functions of an EU Structural Fund secondary level intermediary institution and cooperation authority;

• To promote cooperation among the institutions involved in the career guidance system.

To perform these functions VIAA undertakes the following tasks:

• Plans, implements and manages programmes and projects, ensures the support required according to agreements signed between the Agency and institutions of Latvia, the EU and EU Member States;
• Cooperates with the relevant institutions of Latvia, the EU and other countries with the purpose of exchanging information and experience and the development and implementation of vocational education, further education and lifelong learning programmes and projects;
• Ensures the implementation, monitoring, control and collection of data for projects financed by the EU Structural Funds according to the functions delegated to secondary level intermediary institutions and stipulations of normative acts;
• Ensures transparent procedures for the selection of projects tendered for EU funds as well as the implementation, monitoring, control and compilation of data for Structural Fund projects within the management of European Union Funds during the 2007-2013 programming period;
• Establishes and maintains data bases on the disbursement of Structural Fund resources, ensures exchange of information within international education information and cooperation networks in accordance with agreements signed with the European Commission, compiles information and maintains a national data base on education opportunities in Latvia;
• Coordinates the implementation of the career guidance support system between the education and labour sectors and promotes the development of cooperation among the institutions involved in the system;
• Enters into agreements with natural persons and legal bodies for procurement of goods and services;

In order to ensure the provision, implementation and consistent control of high quality services, establish efficient cash flow and financial management, as well as establish financial transparency and a targeted and rational management system in the agency, the VIAA bases its activities on the Operational and Development Strategy elaborated in 2004.