5 March 2026, Tirana, Albania

ReSPA and its Italian partners today launched the third cycle of the Public Servants’ Capacity Building & Mobility Programme (Programme 3.0), reaffirming a long-standing partnership in support of public administration reform and European integration across the Western Balkans.

Implemented by ReSPA in partnership with the Italian National School of Administration (SNA) and financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Programme 3.0 continues to invest in stronger administrative capacities, leadership, and reform implementation, contributing to the gradual integration of the Western Balkans into the European Administrative Space.

Held under the theme “Towards a shared European administrative space – Italian expertise, regionally-owned solutions,” the launch brought together senior representatives of Western Balkan administrations, Italian institutions, and EU partners to reflect on reform priorities and expectations for the new programme cycle.

In her opening address, Adea Pirdeni, Minister of State of Albania for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption, stressed the strategic importance of investing in civil servants as key drivers of reform: “Strengthening the professionalism, integrity, and capacity of public administrations is essential both for delivering quality services to citizens as its own goal and for advancing our transformative European integration agenda across the region. We are confident this platform will, for the third year in a row, continue to support our administrations in translating our reform priorities into tangible, lasting results.”

Director Maja Handjiska-Trendafilova underlined the added value of the partnership with Italy and the programme’s regional impact: “The first two cycles of the Programme confirmed that sustained cooperation, peer learning, and shared European values deliver tangible results. With the third cycle, we build on this success to further support targeted reforms, leadership development, and the readiness of Western Balkan administrations to operate within the shared European Administrative Space.”

The event also featured interventions by H.E. Marco Alberti, Ambassador of Italy to Albania, who underlined that leadership is about nurturing civil servants to thrive and strengthening institutions. In today’s fast-moving environment, he noted, speed has become a new currency for delivering reforms.

Amb. Massimo Gaiani, Head of European and International Affairs at SNA, stressed the importance of competence: “Leadership cannot be achieved without competence and skills.” In that spirit, he highlighted SNA’s and ReSPA’s shared commitment to empowering civil servants across the Western Balkans with the capabilities needed to join the European administrative space.

Francesco Leone, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister, Italian Ministry of Public Administration, praised ReSPA’s outstanding work, noting that it is the Ministry’s most significant strategic partner. He emphasized that, through this partnership, the third cycle will continue to bring Western Balkan public administrations closer to the EU, supported by a comprehensive and forward-looking programme.

Professor David Natali (SNA) presented Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, offering practical insights into reform coordination and implementation mechanisms. A panel discussion moderated by Jelisaveta Tasev (ReSPA) provided a platform to discuss the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, focusing on governance coordination, reform delivery, and institutional communication, with contributions from Lorela Simoni (SASPAC Albania), Krisela Hackaj (Cooperation and Development Institute), and Bojana Bajić (ReSPA).

Jelena Mrdak (ReSPA) presented the structure of Programme 3.0, organised around three thematic streams: Digital Transformation of Public Services, Strengthening Local-Level Administrations and EU Funds Project Management and Leadership for Public Sector Transformation. These streams are complemented by an on-demand technical assistance facility, providing tailored support to participating administrations.

The launching event concluded with interactive discussions, enabling participants to exchange priorities and expectations and contribute to shaping the programme’s implementation in the months ahead.