Regional School of Public Administration

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢ș𝐢𝐧ă𝐮 👉 After the ReSPA Open Days, our team continued the through four important meetings with Moldovan institutions working on public administration reform, digital government, civil service development and EU integration 👇

✴️ We had the pleasure to meet with Ms Rodica Crudu, Deputy to the Chief Negotiator of Moldova with the EU at the Bureau for European Integration, Ms Lilia Dabija, Chair of the Working Group on Public Administration Reform, Ms Nicoleta Colomeeț, Director of the e-Governance Agency Moldova, and Ms Veronica Butnaru, Director of the National Institute of Public Administration and Management – INAMP (Institutul Național de Administrație și Management Public).

💡 What made these meetings especially valuable was the open exchange - sharing experiences, comparing challenges and identifying concrete areas where the Western Balkans and Moldova can learn from each other.
❗ These conversations showed how much our administrations have in common, and how powerful it can be when people from different regions sit together, exchange ideas and look for practical solutions.

🔶 For ReSPA, this is exactly where meaningful cooperation starts: by connecting people, institutions and experiences - and by building bridges that can bring real value to citizens.

🗨️ As Jelena Mrdak, ReSPA Director a.i., concluded: “What started in Chișinău is an important step towards a broader community of reform-minded public institutions working together for a shared European future.”

Looking forward to turning these first conversations into future cooperation, peer learning and joint activities between the Western Balkans and Moldova.

🙏 Boris Ristovic, Filip Chaparoski, Bojana Bajić, Jelisaveta Tasev

📢 Strengthening bridges for more efficient public administration and a shared European future 👉 𝐑𝐞𝐒𝐏𝐀 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐢𝐧 , brought together public administration professionals from the , , and for the first time in this format.

🎤ReSPA Director a.i. Jelena Mrdak: “Reform gives direction. Readiness gives credibility. Regional cooperation gives strength. No administration can modernise in isolation, and no country can prepare for EU membership only through formal procedures. Progress comes when civil servants learn from each other, and when regions build practical alliances around common goals.”

Ghenadie Marian, Head of the Bureau for European Integration at the State Chancellery of the Government of Moldova: "EU accession is not only a process of adopting EU legislation, but also a transformative journey of building effective public institutions, strengthening administrative capacities and delivering sustainable reforms that improve citizens’ lives."

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐧 from the Delegation of the EU to Moldova highlighted that Moldova’s progress towards EU membership depends not only on legal reforms, but equally on strong institutions, professional public servants and the ability of the administration to implement reforms effectively.

✴️ Presenting ReSPA’s support mechanisms and thematic areas, Boris Ristovic emphasised: “What we are starting today with Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia is not a one-off event, but the foundation for long-term cooperation. We want to listen carefully, understand priorities, and jointly shape support that is practical, relevant and useful for institutions.”

👏 Participants explored how cooperation, knowledge exchange and mobility can contribute to more resilient, citizen-oriented and future-ready public administrations.

❗ The gathering concluded with a clear message: the EU enlargement agenda is gaining renewed momentum, bringing the regions closer together within a shared European integration path.

👉 ReSPA was reaffirmed as a recognised regional hub and trusted partner that supports administrations in strengthening capacities, exchanging practical knowledge and advancing reforms that deliver tangible benefits to citizens.

🔶 EUPAN DG Meeting in , organized under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026, has been completed, and we are still wrapping up the main conclusions and takeaways.
💡 ReSPA’s presence at EUPAN remains critical for connecting the and administrations with space, contemporary trends, peer exchanges, and reform priorities.
✴️ In that regard, we are looking forward to the upcoming EUPAN presidencies: Ireland Presidency (July- December 2026) will prioritise , building the public sector workforce capacities to meet future challenges and evidence-informed policy making and services design.
❗ This programmatic framework would allow us to reinforce our partnership with the Institute of Public Administration, which has been ongoing since 2025.
👉 Lithuania Presidency (January- June 2027) will focus on public sector resilience and in times of crisis, which remains a very important issue, and ReSPA is looking forward to informing its work with administrations on deliberations on these topics by their EU member states’ peers.

💡 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 👉 some of the key topics discussed at the Directors General Meeting in , organised under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026

🤝 Senior EU public administration leaders discussed the future of governance, workforce transformation, AI adoption, and citizen-centred public services. EUPAN was also attended by the representatives of Montenegro and Albania - Uprava za ljudske resurse and Departamenti i Administratës Publike - DAP

❗ Our colleagues joined this important gathering with partners from the European Commission and SIGMA.

💡 Plenary sessions raised challenges that European public administrations are facing:
➡️ Budget constraints due to rising costs and slowing revenues
➡️ Digital expectations that citizens now compare administration services to private-sector digital experiences
➡️ Need for promotion of the digital innovations and infrastructure modernization, but that must be followed by workforce transformation
➡️ Need for modernized services, resilience must be enhanced, while digital transformation and partnerships must be forged to meet the future challenges

👉 The side events were focused on critical PAR trends in Europe, including the administrative simplifications, human resources management and planning, and evidence-based policymaking

💡 Our colleagues Boris Ristovic and Jelisaveta Tasev joined the workshop “Smarter, simpler, better: Reducing administrative burden in public administration”, facilitated by Nick Thijs (SIGMA). Productive discussion explored practical ways in which the simplification of administrative procedures can contribute to improved service delivery for citizens and businesses.

🗨️ Boris Ristovic emphasised the importance of the drivers of administrative simplifications, whether it is coming from the political considerations within the public sector, or as a demand from the public sector beneficiaries, from civil society and/or business support associations. And while their demands might seem different, with NGOs focusing on transparency, accountability and accessibility, and businesses are oriented mainly on simplicity, cost efficiency and predictability, they all refer to the efficient and effective service delivery.

🔶 Final sessions entailed fruitful , presentations of good practices from the public and private sector, and EUPAN concluded with the following key messages:
✔️ Preparing public administration for the future through comparative practices and evidence-based approaches
✔️ Transforming the public sector workforce through strategic planning, education, and skills development
✔️ Strengthening collaboration across governments and institutions
✔️ Advancing digital transformation and innovation in public service delivery

🤖 Last two days, together with colleagues, partners, and experts from the , EU Enlargement & Eastern Neighbourhood, and the , we opened an important discussion on how governments can responsibly and effectively use AI and emerging technologies to build more efficient, transparent, secure, and citizen-oriented public services.

🎤 We were honoured to open the event together with 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Montenegro, whose remarks highlighted the importance of the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, secure digital infrastructure, digital skills, trusted governance, and responsible AI adoption in enlargement countries.

✨ Davide Meinero, EU Delegation to Montenegro, also contributed valuable perspectives on the Digital Agenda and the region's digital transformation priorities.

💡 Very valuable insights were shared by Bruno Monteiro from the SIGMA Programme & Government Transformation Accelerator initiative on how governments can become enablers of change, bridge innovation and implementation, and embed responsibility, ethics, and human rights into governance frameworks and emerging technologies.

🔦 Idoia Ana Salazar provided excellent perspectives on responsible and ethical AI, regulatory sandboxes, and the importance of ensuring that AI systems remain safe, inclusive, transparent, and accessible for everyone. Discussions also focused on how natural language interaction with machines is transforming public administration and why governments must adapt internal governance and policy frameworks accordingly.

Discussions also highlighted the importance of digital skills, innovation ecosystems, and emerging technologies, interoperability, secure registries, digital identity, and practical implementation-oriented approaches such as the ReSPA eGOV Pilots methodology, as well as AI4Gov-X Project, with additional contributions from Francesco Molinari and Goran Pastrovic on the MAGIX Programme

Today, Milica Janković and Vid Štimac discuss highly efficient, seamless, and simplified public services, AI innovation, and digital transformation practices across the region.

💬 Bojana Bajić: The future of public administration depends not only on adopting innovation and emerging technologies, but on ensuring that these technologies are implemented responsibly, securely, and in a human-centred manner. Governments must translate AI and digital innovation into practical, trusted, interoperable, and citizen-oriented public services that improve efficiency, transparency, inclusion, and quality of life, while safeguarding human rights, accountability, and public trust.

❗ Through initiatives such as ReSPA eGOV Pilots, cybersecurity programmes, AI and digital governance activities, and cooperation with SIGMA and international partners, we remain committed to supporting administrations in moving from concepts and pilot ideas toward sustainable and scalable transformation across both regions.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐛𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬
📍 Podgorica, Montenegro | Hotel Crowne Plaza
📅 25–26 May 2026

📢 ReSPA is pleased to announce the regional event that will bring together policymakers, senior public administration officials, digital transformation practitioners, international experts, and regional partners from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership, the event will focus on advancing practical implementation of digital government solutions through responsible innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), and regulatory experimentation.

✨ The two-day programme will explore how governments can accelerate digital transformation by strengthening governance frameworks, fostering institutional readiness, and enabling the practical deployment of innovative digital public services. Particular attention will be dedicated to ethical and responsible AI, AI regulatory sandboxes, interoperability, digital skills, and citizen-centric service delivery.

🔶 The event will open with remarks from Ms Liselotte Isaksson, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation, alongside representatives of ReSPA, SIGMA, and OECD.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage with leading experts and practitioners, including:
✔️ Bruno Monteiro, SIGMA/OECD Senior Policy Advisor, Service Delivery and Digital Government (SDD), PhD
✔️ Bojana Bajić, ReSPA
✔️ Idoia Ana Salazar, ReSPA Expert
✔️ Goran Pastrovic, AI4Gov-X partner
✔️ Milica Janković, ReSPA Expert
✔️ Vid Štimac, Project Manager AI, Digital Innovations, UNDP

❗ The programme will include interactive workshops on responsible and ethical AI in public administration and the practical implementation of AI regulatory sandboxes, drawing on experiences from Spain and across the European Union. Sessions will also showcase regional experiences and innovative approaches to public service transformation, while highlighting the importance of upskilling and reskilling initiatives such as MAGIX and AI4GOV-X.

👉 A central focus of the event will be ReSPA’s continued support for digital transformation through its eGOV Pilot methodology and Government Transformation Accelerator Programme, aimed at supporting institutions in designing, testing, and implementing user-centric digital services.

💻 The event will conclude with discussions on future cooperation opportunities and concrete follow-up actions to further accelerate digital transformation and public administration reform across the region.

💡 More than 5️⃣0️⃣ senior government officials, international experts, and public administration leaders gathered today in for the 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 “𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐞 – 𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬”.

✴️ Representatives of hashtag , the , , and discussed how to build public administrations that are digital, resilient, citizen-centred, and ready for the future, focusing on governance reform, digital transformation, workforce upskilling, innovation, and sustainable modernization of public services.

✨ ReSPA enriched the panel “𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠”, together with distinguished speakers: Vasiliki Kakosimou, Vice-President of the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government; Pavel Ivanov, Executive Director of the Institute of Public Administration of Bulgaria; Jelena Mrdak, Director a.i. of ReSPA; and agron medziti, Head of the Academy for Training, Ministry of Public Administration of North Macedonia. The panel explored how upskilling and continuous workforce development can improve the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of services provided to citizens.

💬 Representing ReSPA, Director a.i. Jelena Mrdak highlighted: “At ReSPA, we strongly believe that the quality of public services will always depend on the skills and capabilities of the people delivering them. Technology matters. Processes matter. But ultimately, citizens experience governance through interactions with public servants. This means that modern public administrations need new skills: digital skills, leadership skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, but also empathy, adaptability, collaboration, and citizen-oriented thinking.”

❗The discussion underlined that 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 👉 in , , , continuous and 👇

🔶 Through initiatives such as e-government pilots, mobility schemes, leadership development, and the Public Administration Awards, ReSPA continues to support administrations across the Western Balkans in building more responsive and human-centred institutions.

🙏 A special thank you to our hosts, the Government of Greece, the Ministry of Interior of Greece, and the ΕΚΔΔΑ-EKDDA - Εθνικό Κέντρο Δημόσιας Διοίκησης & Αυτοδιοίκησης, as well as to Economist Impact SE Europe Events for creating an important platform for dialogue on the future of governance in Europe.

Because ultimately, the success of public administration reform is measured not only by systems and strategies, but by whether citizens truly feel the difference in their everyday lives!