Tirana, Albania

The regional dialogue, "Navigating Transformation: Empowering Public Service for Today's Trends and Challenges," convened key figures including Adea PIRDENI, Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption, H.E. Catherine SUARD, French Ambassador to Albania, Hubert PERR, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Albania, and representatives from the French Directorate General for Administration and the Civil Service. Also present were delegates from the Croatian National School of Public Administration, TAIEX and Twinning Unit, DG REFORM, and over 40 senior civil servants from across the Western Balkans.

Director HANDJISKA-TRENDAFILOVA emphasised the significance of strong partnerships in this initiative, extending her gratitude to the Albanian hosts, the French Embassy, DGAFP, DGNEAR colleagues, the EU Delegation, Croatian partners, and practitioners dedicated to regional improvement and integration. She highlighted two primary reasons for organising the dialogue: sharing best practices of Albania's progress in public administration modernisation (including performance evaluation, lifelong learning for civil servants, salary reforms, and innovation), which can serve as a model that supports the EU integration path and can inspire other administrations. The second reason, she mentioned, is drawing Inspiration and Partnership from French Allies (who have been invaluable advisors and sources of best practices for the region during an intensive reform period).  “The Implications of all of us working jointly go beyond reforming the public sector; they shape policy outcomes, boost competitiveness and our EU integration dynamics. They boost trust in institutions that rest upon a shared belief in the public good and the wish to make an impact,” concluded HANDJISKA-TRENDAFILOVA at the opening.

Minister PIRDENI highlights the role of French public administration as a source of inspiration for regional transformation: “This event comes at a crucial time for Albania, where enhancing public administration is a key priority to advance the EU integration process. It provides an excellent platform to discuss challenges and learn from each other. Our region needs to transform in line with EU standards and modernise public administration to deliver better services to our citizens. Gatherings like this are essential because we all face similar challenges. It’s important to learn from regional experiences and countries like France and Croatia, particularly in areas such as the labour market, attracting top talent to public administration, embracing change, and fostering innovation across all public sector domains.” Minister Pirdeni concluded her address by thanking ReSPA for its outstanding work in bringing expertise to the region and promoting innovation and support among its members.

H.E. Catherine SUARD, French Ambassador to Albania, emphasized that frequent exchanges between institutions and civil services are vital sources of innovation and progress in public administration. She noted, “The topic of this workshop is critical for Albania and the entire region. A transformed public administration must be a driving force for economic growth and improved citizen services.”

Mr. Hubert PERR, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Albania, underscored the EU's commitment to supporting member states in exchanging experiences and partnering with Western Balkan administrations. “This kind of support is crucial because service delivery must be at our core; ultimately, we all serve the citizens,” he emphasized.

Embarking on collective effort, knowledge sharing, collaboration and innovation, participants had a chance to learn more about some of the French and Croatian best practices in public administration presented by Puline MARTIN and Sandra SENICHULT from Frenc Directorate General for Administration and the Civil Service and Valentina MILIČIĆ, from Croatian National School of Public Administration.

The event also featured the latest insights from experts on public servants' staff satisfaction surveys and introduced participants to various tools for enhancing cooperation and experience exchange:  Ivana PETRIČEVIĆ showcased ReSPA Mobility instruments, Jovita GUDELYTE, TAIEX Team Leader, while Ardit ABILI, Klajdi JACE and Romina KALI introduced “Young Cells Albania”.

ComPAct initiative, particularly the PACE component was virtually presented by Florian HAUSER from DG REFORM, with Paulina MARTIN, Samra LJUCA and Velbona LEKAJ sharing their experience in the French PACE project.

Finally, the World Café session provided a dynamic forum for in-depth discussions on pressing public service issues. Topics ranged from attracting the next generation to the civil service, innovating recruitment practices, and embracing Green Administration. Each roundtable generated ideas, visions, and solutions for these critical challenges.

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