28 -29 April 2026, Zagreb, Croatia

The second workshop in the Beyond Classroom Learning (BCL) series, titled “Operational Leadership Culture in Action,” brought together senior training managers and representatives of public administration training institutions from across the Western Balkans to explore how leadership can be developed through real-life workplace situations rather than traditional classroom formats.

Organised by the National School for Public Administration of Croatia in partnership with Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Kehl and ReSPA, the workshop focused on helping participants move from seeing leadership as a training topic to recognising it as a practical task they carry into their own administrations.

Responding to the growing complexity of public administration, the workshop invited participants to reflect on the everyday “grey zones” where leadership is most often tested: when systems do not work, staffing gaps cannot be filled, interfaces between institutions are unclear, or citizens bring requests that existing procedures do not cover.

Through peer exchange, facilitated reflection, diagnostic exercises, and guided practice, participants examined how public servants respond when formal mandates, resources, or processes do not provide clear answers. The methodology encouraged participants to recognise these situations from their own organisations and to build a shared language around operational leadership culture.

Participants explored how to identify real workplace scenarios, isolate critical situations, define the relevant competency bundle, and connect these insights to the design, delivery, and evaluation of learning interventions.

By doing so, the workshop strengthened the role of training institutions not only as providers of courses, but as enablers of continuous, workplace-based learning and leadership transformation across public administrations in the Western Balkans.

Reflecting on the importance of the initiative, Jelena Mrdak, ReSPA Programme Manager, underlined: “Public administrations today require leaders who can act decisively in complex, real-life situations - not just apply abstract competencies. This workshop shows how leadership can be translated into practical, usable actions that make a real difference.”

Special thanks were extended to Osman Bayraktar, Valentina Miličić, and Jürgen Kegelmann for guiding participants through this unique learning experience and supporting them in translating operational leadership challenges into practical, actionable solutions.

This workshop represents the second step in the BCL learning cycle, with the next session expected to build on these results and further support the application of operational leadership culture in administrations across the region.

The Zagreb workshop reaffirmed the shared commitment of ReSPA, the National School for Public Administration of Croatia, and regional training institutions to modernising leadership development, strengthening public administration reform, and contributing to more effective, responsive, and citizen-oriented governance across the Western Balkans.