ReSPA backed the participation of public servants from the Western Balkans in the prestigious PACE initiative, granting them access to the engaging programs hosted by the Direction générale de l’administration et de la fonction publique (DGAFP)
22-26 January 2024, Paris, France
For the first time, ReSPA enables the participation of Western Balkans civil servants in the Exchange Week as part of the PACE Initiative, which the French administration coordinates.
As part of the strategic collaboration between ReSPA and the French Ministry of Public Service Transformation, French counterparts have invited public servants from the region to participate in the Exchange Weeks under a project coordinated by France within the PACE initiative. From January 22 to 26, 2024, they discussed "Attracting and retaining talents in the civil service: strategies, tools, and actors." The focus was on exploring a comprehensive approach to attractiveness, as outlined in the toolbox of attractiveness used in central government administrations. This included understanding factors of attractiveness and unattractiveness, developing and implementing employer branding, communication and recruitment strategies, attracting specific profiles, and addressing working conditions and retention policies.
This initiative of ReSPA presented a valuable opportunity for the participants from the Western Balkans to discuss the challenges related to the attractiveness of their respective home administrations with their European Union counterparts.
“I accentuate the importance of the information gained through discussion regarding the HR platform with a focus on partnership with the private sector. Also, the training platform mentor.gouv.fr gives a lot of opportunities related to HR tools: management by values, intergenerational management, and conflict management. French HR Strategy covers issues of managing older employees as well as the attractiveness of young people. France is in the process of branding the State as the Employer for youth allowing them to work on service contracts and further career development,” said Samra Ljuca, Deputy Director for Vocational Education and Civile Service Development, Civil Service Agency of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The PACE Initiative (Public Administration Cooperation Exchange) is an initiative by the European Commission to foster cooperation and cross-border exchanges among Member States. The goal is to enhance administrative capacity and prepare the next generation of policymakers within the European Union. The objective is to establish a European Community of public servants who can share best practices and build personal connections, fostering future critical cooperation.
