23-24 December 2024, Veles, North Macedonia

The third in the series of ReSPA Interoperability Academies across the Western Balkans, the Interoperability Academy in North Macedonia, provided a platform for public officials, policymakers, technologists, and lecturers to address pressing challenges related to interoperability in North Macedonia.

Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry for Digital Transformation, Ministry of Interior Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, and other relevant institutions were empowered from various fields—law, IT, and economics—with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of interoperability and foster collaboration.

Day 1: Laying the Foundations for Interoperability

The Academy commenced with opening remarks by ReSPA Director and Mr Stefan Andonovski, Minister of Digital Transformation, who emphasised the event's significance in strengthening interoperability and overall digital transformation efforts in North Macedonia.

ReSPA Experts Filip Manevski and Stefan Dedović presented practical solutions for implementing interoperability in modern public administration, touching on the international policy framework for achieving seamless data exchange between systems and the EU Interoperability Framework (EIF) and its alignment with North Macedonia's legal and institutional structures.

Stanislav Vasilkovski from the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Miroslav Grozdanovski, an IT policy specialist, provided insights into North Macedonia's National Interoperability Framework, detailing its current status and improvement areas.

The day included a session led by Stefan Dedović on successful interoperability practices in the EU, followed by group discussions facilitated by Filip Manevski and Stefan Dedović. They explored public administrations' legal, policy, and technological challenges in implementing seamless data exchange.

Day 2: Addressing Challenges and Identifying Solutions

The second day began with a recap of the discussions by representatives and Stefan Dedović. The morning sessions included a presentation on Data Protection in North Macedonia, led by representatives from the Agency for Data Protection, Valentin Fetadzokoski, and Robert Rajković's elaboration on successful implementations of interoperability in Tax Administration in Montenegro.

A panel discussion featured representatives from multiple ministries, including the Ministry of Public Administration, the Ministry of Digitalisation, the Ministry of Interior Affairs, and the Agency for Data Protection. They addressed critical challenges to public administration interoperability, particularly focusing on how aligned policies and governance could promote collaboration and accountability.

During the dialogue of high-level decision-makers, Minister of the Ministry of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Public Administration, Laze Jakimovski, Deputy Minister of Ministry for European Affairs Viktorija Trajkov, and ReSPA Director Maja Handjiska Trendafilova discussed:

• The modernization of public services through digital means, discussing e-governance, the digitalization of public administration processes, and how these reforms can enhance citizen services, transparency, and efficiency;
• Strategies for collaboration between their respective ministries and with regional partners to implement digital strategies effectively, potentially including joint projects or shared platforms for digital public services;
• The necessity of enhancing digital skills among public servants to manage and leverage digital tools, covering topics like digital literacy, cybersecurity, and training for digital transformation;
• Addressing obstacles like the digital divide, cybersecurity risks, and institutional resistance to digital change while also exploring opportunities for improving public trust via digital governance;
• How can digital transformation initiatives align with and support North Macedonia's EU accession process, focusing on the Reform Agenda and recognizing activities?

The overarching goal was to empower participants with the knowledge and strategies needed to navigate and enhance interoperability, ensuring better public services and digital transformation for North Macedonia.

Bojana Bajić, ReSPA Public Policies Innovations and Digitalization Officer outlined that the Academy fostered meaningful connections between participants and equipped public officials with actionable knowledge to advance interoperability, highlighting the importance of policy alignment, standardisation, and stakeholder engagement in achieving seamless data exchange and supporting digital transformation: “This event reinforced the commitment of ReSPA and North Macedonia’s government to strengthening public administration capacities, ensuring privacy compliance, and promoting citizen-focused digital services. We believe the Academy was a significant step toward addressing regional interoperability challenges”.