Regional School of Public Administration

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ReSPA is regional organization established in 2010 as a joint initiative financed by European Commis

The Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) represents a distinctive, regionally-driven platform committed to advancing public administration reform (PAR) by fostering policy dialogue at the highest levels, sharing expertise, facilitating learning opportunities, fostering networking initiatives, promoting public sector mobility and capacity building, conducting topical research, and meticulously analyzing policies. Established as a collaborative initiative between the European Commission and the governments of the Western Balkans, ReSPA operates under the stewardship of five Member States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, with Kosovo* also benefiting from its programs. With a primary focus on empowering civil servants, ReSPA endeavors to catalyze the development of modern, transparent, and efficient public institutions capable of effectively serving their citizens and facilitating the European integration process in the Western Balkans.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and ICJ Advisory opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of independence.

30/10/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐒𝐏𝐀 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐊𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐏𝐀𝐑 2026 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦

🗣️ Opened with remarks by PM Albin Kurti, Lulezon Jagxhiu, Minister of Digitalisation and Public Administration, and Alexis Hupin, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Office in Kosovo*, followed by a keynote from Siim Sikkut, former Chief Information Officer of the Estonian Government, the Conference brought together senior government representatives, ministers, the diplomatic corps, EU and international partners, academics and practitioners, including representatives of SIGMA, the European Union Office in Kosovo*, French experts, the Center of Excellence in Finance, GIZ, universities, civil society and public institutions from across the region and beyond.

✨ The high-level ministerial discussion also included Marash Dukaj, Minister of PA of Montenegro; Goran Minchev, Minister of PA of North Macedonia; and other senior officials.

🎯 Against this strong regional and international backdrop, ReSPA contributed through three closely connected perspectives: professionalisation, digital transformation and public financial management.

✴️ Caroline Socié, Adviser at ReSPA and French expert, joined the discussion on professionalising public administration, focusing on merit, skills, digital learning and talent retention – all essential for building capable and resilient institutions.
✴️ Bojana Bajić, contributed to the panel “From Reform to Results: Better Services, Trust and Accountability”, alongside Dr Mesi Hoxha, Artan Dreshaj, Nick Thijs, and Jana Repanšek. Her key message: we should place greater emphasis on moving from digitalising procedures to transforming services, from adopting strategies to delivering results, and from introducing technologies to creating real public value.
✴️ Rozalija Vasilevska brought the PFM perspective to the strategic roundtable on the next PAR Strategy beyond 2027, alongside representatives of the Office of the Prime Minister, SIGMA, the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Administration, and international participants. Her recommendations were clear: bring PAR and PFM together, make regional cooperation part of reform implementation, and measure success through results citizens and businesses can actually experience: “A reform strategy without a budget line is a wish list. The next PAR strategy must be financed, shared and measured by results that citizens can see.”

📢 For ReSPA, the message is equally clear: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and ICJ opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

29/10/2026

🏦 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 👉 Three Masterclasses for Stronger Public Administration

❗ How can public administrations strengthen integrity, prevent corruption and turn international standards into everyday practice?
These questions were at the heart of three online masterclasses delivered by ReSPA and Italian National School of Administration (SNA) on 14, 21 and 28 October 2026, as part of the Public Servants’ Capacity Building & Mobility Programme 3.0 funded by Italian Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, and its special module on integrity, “Anticorruption: Understanding, Preventing and Managing Corruption.”

📚 Bringing Italian expertise and regional perspectives together, the sessions explored three interconnected dimensions of the fight against corruption:
🔹 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 👉 examining key global legal instruments, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
🔹 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 👉 exploring its different forms, its impact on societies and institutions, and the opportunities and limitations of corruption indicators.
🔹 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 👉 focusing on transparency, whistleblowing, codes of conduct and conflict-of-interest management as essential tools for promoting integrity in public administration.

👏 We are grateful to our experts from Italy’s SNA, Giovanni Tartaglia Polcini and Valentina M. Donini, for sharing their knowledge and expertise with public servants across the region.

🗨️ Reflecting on the importance of this initiative, our colleague Boris Ristovic highlighted the value of translating expertise into practical approaches that respond to the needs of public administrations in the region: "These practical inputs from the Italian anti-corruption experts are very valuable for ReSPA and our beneficiaries. Our work with the Community of Practice on Public Sector Integrity provides an additional perspective on how corruption prevention measures could be applied in practice. In addition, the expert support reiterates the importance of continued strategic cooperation with EU Member States and Italy, as one of the most valuable partners. Such peer exchanges and transfer of practical experiences is exactly the added value that ReSPA brings to its beneficiaries, within the context of EU Enlargement."

🔶 Under the theme of the Programme 3.0 “𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲-𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬,” the three masterclasses reaffirmed the importance of knowledge exchange and professional development in building transparent, accountable and trustworthy public institutions.

26/10/2026

🚀 9️⃣5️⃣ 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 👉 1️⃣ 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬.

💡 What does in public administration look like in practice? At the Republička agencija za mirno rešavanje radnih sporova (Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes), it means turning reflection into and ambition into measurable progress.

❗The Agency has 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 (𝐂𝐀𝐅) 𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞, building on its achievement as the first institution in to receive the CAF Effective User label.

Supported by our team, through its On-site Trainings and Workshops Mechanism, the process brought together committed leadership, dedicated employees and CAF experts to assess all nine CAF criteria and identify 95 improvement actions.

📊 The results speak for themselves: RAMRRS significantly
outperformed the average results of CAF users across Europe and demonstrated notable progress since its first assessment cycle.

But the real value of CAF lies not in the assessment itself - it lies in what comes next ➡️ Over the next three years, the Agency will focus on:
🔸Accelerating digital transformation
🔹 Strengthening partnerships across Serbia and the region
🔸 Making better use of data and user feedback
🔹 Investing in people and organisational learning
🔸 Making services more visible and accessible

Behind this achievement is a shared commitment - and leadership
that keeps the momentum going.

👏 Special recognition goes to Dr Ivica Lazovic, Director of RAMRRS, who initiated this journey towards organisational excellence and continues to champion it, ensuring that continuous improvement remains an integral part of the Agency’s development.

Congratulations also to the dedicated CAF Self-Assessment Group: Dragana Andonovska, CAF Coordinator, Miloš Prokić, Jelena Golubović, Marina Čukanović Bogdanović, Biljana Stojić, Jelena Jovanović and Ljubica Novaković.

🙏 Special thanks to CAF experts Goran Pastrovic and our colleague Slaven Bukarica for their professional guidance and support throughout the process, as well as to all RAMRRS team members whose commitment makes sustainable improvement possible.

The assessment is complete. The ambition continues. The next chapter is about action. 🚀

22/10/2026

84% 👉 66% 👉 38%
Three numbers from SIGMA that tell the whole story of in the : our laws score 84%, our practice 66%, and our results just 38%.

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞.

👆 That gap is why ReSPA , SIGMA Programme and CEF joined forces to bring together public administrators from 9 administrations from the , , and for "Smart Procurement 4 Strong Governance"
📍 Skopje, 20–21 October

⁉️ Why does it matter? Procurement is where public money becomes roads, hospitals, schools, and digital services, accounting for about 9% of GDP across the Western Balkans. At the end of every tender is a citizen: the patient waiting for equipment that works, the parent whose child rides a safe school bus.

🔶 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭: 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
Marian Lemke (SIGMA/OECD) walked us through the latest SIGMA findings and the European Commission's proposal for a new EU Public Procurement Act, a reminder that Chapter 5 is a moving target. Each delegation then opened up about its own reforms, from e-procurement platforms and red-flag tools to professionalisation and review bodies.

💬 "Legal alignment remains necessary, but additional legislation alone will not resolve weak participation or poor delivery," underlined Lemke.

🔶 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Our e-procurement systems now capture every step, so spotting a red flag is no longer the hard part. The hard part is what happens next. Manfred Van Kesteren (CEF) is taking us inside the controls that make the difference, and the Reform Design Lab will send every administration home with one concrete roadmap.

💬 Rozalija Vasilevska MPPM: "When a red flag lights up, someone has to own it. Detection without follow-up is only a more expensive way of documenting problems."

🎯 Smart procurement means competition instead of single bids, quality instead of just the lowest price, and data that leads to action. Every fair, transparent tender rebuilds trust in procurement and in the state itself.

🙏 A big thank you to our speakers and partners, and to the participants who made it a true exchange.

From 38% to results that citizens can feel. That is the work ahead💪

21/10/2026

❗ is not built by rules alone - it is built through the decisions, knowledge and professional culture of public servants 👉 in the focus of ReSPa's Community of Practice on Public Sector Integrity, which gathers public administration, anti-corruption, and training professionals
📍 , 21-22 October
🤝 Under the project supported by the Republic of France.

Alongside colleagues from the , representatives from , and are joining the exchange - bringing new perspectives and creating an even broader space for peer learning on how to make integrity systems work in practice.

🗣️ The workshop was opened by H.E. Catherine Suard, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Albania, and our colleague Boris Ristovic, Programme Manager – Coordinator, reflecting the productive cooperation between ReSPA and France in building practical integrity capacities in public administrations, as well as the strong commitment of the Republic of France to the EU Enlargement process.

Ambassador Suard emphasised the importance of integrity in the public sector as a crucial element of public administration reforms in the context of EU Enlargement. She particularly welcomed the participation of representatives of Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine, who joined the ReSPA Community of Practice, and stressed the relevance of such networks and regional cooperation.

💬 Boris Ristovic emphasised the importance of the Community of Practice on Public Sector Integrity as an instrument of cooperation and peer exchange, intended to advance integrity education and corruption prevention in the public sector. Furthermore, this project enabled us to connect anti-corruption and public administration training practitioners from ReSPA Members and Beneficiaries with their peers in France, thereby strengthening their professional cooperation.

🎯 The cooperation continues throughout the programme, with Olivier Salvador from the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA) sharing France’s experience on how integrity education can move from course development to effective implementation and broader institutional outreach.

At the heart of the workshop is ReSPA’s new e-learning course on Public Sector Integrity, developed with the support of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France. Participants are working through some of the issues that matter most in everyday public administration: integrity risks, conflicts of interest, asset declarations, whistleblower protection, ethical culture, and fraud and corruption prevention.

🎯 The goal is to leave Tirana not only with shared knowledge, but with administration-specific ideas and guidelines that can support real implementation. Because stronger integrity ultimately means stronger institutions - and stronger public trust.

21/10/2026

🚀 Something bigger is starting in !

Public administration leaders from the , , and came together at the College of Europe in Bruges for the 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐒𝐏𝐀’𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞.

✨ They work on the issues that increasingly define 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞: , and , , , , and .

👆 But this is only the beginning 👉 The Bruges training marks the launch of a wider 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲, which will continue through a Strategic Masterclass and then move into the job-shadowing and mobility exchange phase. The idea is simple, but powerful: to take learning beyond the classroom and into real institutional environments, where participants can observe how peers work, exchange practical solutions and bring new approaches back to their own administrations.

💬 As our colleague Filip Chaparoski underlined: “Public administration reform ultimately depends on people, on their ability to lead, to learn from others and to turn new knowledge into better institutional practice. This programme is designed precisely around that idea. By combining high-level learning with peer exchange and practical mobility experience, we want participants not only to gain new perspectives but to return to their institutions better equipped to drive change. Because stronger public administrations are built not only through new rules and systems, but through capable people with the knowledge, confidence and networks to turn reform ambitions into results.”

👏 For us, this is also another important chapter in our continued cooperation with the College of Europe - connecting the strong regional network of public servants we have built with European expertise, perspectives and practice.

🤝 Because the future of public administration reform will not be shaped by institutions alone. It will be shaped by the people inside them, those ready to learn, connect, lead and turn reform ambitions into results.

🎯 And in Bruges, the region’s new mobility journey is just getting started!

19/10/2026

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 👇

Today in , Jelena Mrdak, ReSPA Director ad interim, joined Goran Mincev, Minister, Ministry of Public Administration of the Republic of North Macedonia, national institutions and international partners at the conference “Roadmap for the Academy for Professional Development and Training of Administrative Servants: A Shared Mission.”

The Academy is much more than a new institution. It is an investment in the people who will turn reforms, legislation, digital transformation and European integration commitments into better results for citizens.
ReSPA has already been actively supporting this process.

💡 Our colleague Rozalija Vasilevska MPPM has already supported this process by facilitating an intensive working process with the Ministry team, supporting the development of the Academy’s roadmap, and helping to translate the vision into concrete steps, responsibilities, and priorities - while keeping institutional ownership firmly at the centre.

💬 Jelena Mrdak emphasised: “Success will not be measured only by the number of courses delivered, but by public servants becoming more confident, more capable and better equipped to serve citizens.”

☝ Our support will continue through new e-learning modules, access to ReSPA learning resources and connections with peers and expertise across the Western Balkans and the EU 👉 Because building the Academy is truly a shared mission - one that requires strong national ownership, coordinated partner support and a common focus on the people behind reform.

19/10/2026

🛡️ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!

✨ Last week in , in cooperation with the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), we launched the 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 👉 Training of Trainers, bringing together public administration professionals from the Western Balkans, Armenia and Moldova.

As governments accelerate digital transformation, cybersecurity and data protection are no longer just technical matters. They are essential for ensuring reliable public services, institutional resilience and citizens' trust.

🔶 Over three days, participants explored:
➡️ Cyber resilience, institutional preparedness and cybersecurity governance
➡️ Cyber hygiene, incident response and business continuity
➡️ Data protection and alignment with European regulatory frameworks
Artificial intelligence and emerging cybersecurity challenges
➡️ Practical Training of Trainers methodologies to strengthen institutional capacities

💡 A special dimension of this programme was its connection to the Western Balkans Digital Summit 2026 👉 participants joined the Summit to exchange experiences, strengthen regional networks, and connect cybersecurity and data protection with broader digital transformation priorities.

❗ Through expert-led discussions, practical exercises and peer learning, our ambition goes beyond strengthening individual skills. We aim to empower participants to become knowledge multipliers, transferring expertise and building sustainable cybersecurity capacity within their institutions.

🙏 A special thank you to our partners at the WB3C team, particularly Gilles Schwoerer and Maja Miranovic, for their excellent cooperation, dedication and valuable support in making this programme possible. Our sincere appreciation also goes to our , Arianit Maraj and Stella Manga Chesnay, for sharing their knowledge and expertise.

💬 Gilles Schwoerer “Cyber resilience is about more than technology. It requires skilled people, prepared institutions and strong regional cooperation. Our partnership with ReSPA helps turn these priorities into practical action.”
💬 Bojana Bajić - “Digital transformation must go hand in hand with cybersecurity, data protection and citizens’ trust. Through this Training of Trainers programme, we aim to empower professionals to share knowledge and strengthen resilience across public administrations.”

Digital transformation creates opportunities. Cyber resilience protects them. Trust makes them sustainable.

16/10/2026

📈 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 “𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲, 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐔 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬”: From EU policy to development that people can actually see

✨ For the second consecutive year, jointly with colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia), we brought together senior public officials from the , and in , .

🗣️ Our colleague Jelisaveta Tasev and Dubravka Smolic Vlaić, Head of Service for Knowledge Transfer at the Ministry, set the tone for a week focused on practical knowledge exchange between EU Member State experience and administrations preparing for deeper participation in EU Cohesion Policy.
💬 “Preparing for the effective use of EU funds requires more than understanding regulations. It requires strong institutions, mature projects and the ability to transform local needs into well-designed development priorities. By combining regional peer learning with Croatia’s practical experience, this Academy helped participants build precisely those capacities and establish connections that can support their future cooperation,” highlighted Jelisaveta Tasev.

✴️ The programme connected EU Cohesion Policy, strategic planning, intervention logic, project maturity, multi-level governance and gender mainstreaming with real-life development examples.

🎯 A strong field-learning component took participants directly to Šibenik-Knin County (Sibensko-kninska zupanija) and the City of Šibenik (Grad Sibenik) , where Biljana Gulin and Nenad Tisaj presented integrated territorial planning and the use of EU funds for local development, while Maja Čeko shared the city’s experience with green and digital transition and integrated urban development.

🚶‍♀️‍➡️ Visits to St. John and St. Michael fortresses, Zlarin and Prvić further demonstrated how EU funding, cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, smart specialisation and local partnerships can be translated into tangible territorial development. Huge thank you to Centar koralja Zlarin and Memorijalni centar Faust Vrančić Memorial Center Faust Vrančić for great hospitality

🙏 Huge thank you to experts Jakša Puljiz, Mladen Vojkovic, Domagoj Račić, Ivana Vudrag, Katarina Golubić Pauk, Lucija Madžar, Nenad Tisaj, Dora Pudja, Visnja Bacanovic, and our great co-organisers Giz Moldova, Gheorghe Ursoi and Liliana Rusnac

❗ That is what capacity building should deliver: stronger institutions, better projects and administrations increasingly ready to turn EU opportunities into sustainable development.

15/10/2026

💻 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 👉 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬.

✨ That was one of the key messages from the 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 “𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬” at the Western Balkans Digital Summit 2026 in Herceg Novi, moderated by our colleague Bojana Bajić. Together with Nina Blazic, Arben Damoni, Prof. Dr. Zivko Kokolanski and Marko Vujačić, the discussion explored what it really takes to make digital transformation work at the local level: stronger cooperation between central and local governments, interoperable and reusable solutions, better support for smaller municipalities, responsible use of AI and emerging technologies, and above all - services designed around people’s needs.

🎯 The panel concluded with a message from moderator Bojana Bajić: “The success of digital government should not be measured simply by the number of services developed, but by how many citizens use them and how many barriers we remove.”

✨ The Summit also enriched ReSPA’s Training of Trainers on Advanced Capacity Building in Cyber Resilience and Data Protection, organised back-to-back with the event, connecting practical capacity building with wider regional policy dialogue and expertise.

👏 Thank you to all panellists and participants for the insightful and highly practical exchange.

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