ReSPA Director enriched the Regional WeBER PAR Platform meeting, held on 5-6 November 2024 in Skopje. The gathering brought together experts, civil society representatives, and government officials from across the region to discuss public administration reform and reinforce a shared commitment to participatory democracy and transparent governance within a European Administrative Space.

In the opening remarks, speakers Simonida Kacarska, Deputy Minister Laze Jakimoski, EU Ambassador to North Macedonia Michalis Rokas, and Milena Mihajlovic emphasized the critical role of collaboration in advancing governance reform.

A key panel, moderated by Julijana Karai, featured Director Maja Handjiska Trendafilova alongside Peter Vagi, Jan-Hinrik Meyer-Sahling, Randma-Liiv Tiina, and Thomas Prorok, who discussed emerging trends in public administration reform.

Director Handjiska Trendafilova highlighted ReSPA’s evolution from a training provider to a regional cooperation hub, facilitating high-level dialogue and providing targeted support in public administration reform: "ReSPA has evolved from a training provider into a regional hub for cooperation, fostering high-level dialogue and specialized support in PAR. Our focus extends beyond policies to the experiences of those within the system, using employee satisfaction surveys to shape HR strategies, improve job satisfaction, and enhance service quality."

Interactive sessions engaged WeBER Platform members from the Western Balkans on critical topics including service delivery, digitalization, accountability, and public financial management. Additionally, the presentation of monitoring results on integrating public administration reform principles into sectoral policies supported the region’s EU accession goals.

ReSPA expressed appreciation to the European Policy Institute – Skopje and the Austrian Development Agency for the invitation and their role in hosting this impactful exchange.