As Western Balkans countries strive to advance on the path of EU integration, their governments adopt enhanced reformagendas with Public Administration Reform (PAR) as a centerpiece. The experience of earlier accession countries highlights the crucial importance of administrative capacity not only for the successful management of the accession phase, but also – and perhaps more importantly – for taking full advantage of EU membership once it is achieved. Strengthening Human Resources policy and management capacities in Civil Service represents an important common concern for Western Balkan countries. However, Western Balkan countries, in spite of their common socio-political experiences and almost identical present challenges (rooted in the genuine strive for EU integration), have been unable to secure an efficient exchange f experiences and lessons learned in the context of civil service and HRM reform.

In 2006 the initiative was established and was called Western Balkans Community of Practice in the Civil Service. In October 2011, the initiative has been handed over entirely to ReSPA form UNDP Bratislava. In the past six years the CoP has organized six regional conferences and produced three research-papers covering various HRM topics.

The main objective for the establishment of this networking, is to provide ReSPA with an effective instrument for professional networking, knowledge management and development of demand-driven cooperative activities among the civil servants and others concerned with the human resources management in the context of civil service reform in the Western Balkans. This forum will also be used as a discussion forum between professionals to discuss issues that require immediate action/revision. On the other hand, it needs to provide civil servants and other HRM professionals in the Western Balkans the opportunity to discuss challenges, learn from mistakes and spread good practices in their efforts to reform the public administration.