SIGMA Programme

💡Last week the EU and Western Balkans leaders met in Brussels EU-Western Balkans summit - Consilium 🤝The meeting served as an opportunity to pursue the new momentum for the strategic partnership between the European Union and the Western Balkans. 🎯One of the areas discussed was the Single Digital Market. The EU and the Western Balkans partners should pursue work on integration in the EU’s Digital Single Market and continue the incorporation of the relevant digital acquis. Key in this regard is the Digital Single Gateway. The EU Single Digital Gateway Regulation (SDGR) serves as a crucial framework to streamline services and promote cross-border cooperation. 📊Over the past year the SIGMA Programme made an assessment of readiness to implement Single Digital Gateway Regulation requirements in the Western Balkan economies. 👉The full report will be out early next year. Keep a close eye on our channel !!! With Jose Manuel Diaz Pulido , Gregor Virant , Mihkel Lauk, Goran Pastrovic , Igor Markovski , Dragana Bajić , Visar Rushiti and Nevila Como

🏆 Winner: Public Policy Secretariat, #Serbia  💡 Project: Digital Transformation in Serbia – Contribution to Green Agenda 🎉 Congratulations for their project "Digitalisation of Administrative Procedures for Stimulation of Investments into Renewable Energy"! Recognised for its simplification and streamlining of processes, this initiative is a game-changer for sustainable development. 🚨 Why it stands out: 🔹 Introduced 32 digital services to simplify administrative procedures for renewable energy investments. 🔹 Delivered in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), reducing costs, cutting processing times, and improving transparency. 🔹 Aligned regulations with EU standards, fostering efficient governance and boosting investor confidence. 🛠️ Key insights from implementation: 🔹 Navigated challenges like bureaucratic delays by leveraging strong partnerships and open communication with stakeholders. 🔹 Tailored solutions to investor needs by prioritizing stakeholder feedback, ensuring services were practical and efficient. 🌍 Replication potential: This framework has broad applicability, offering a pathway to enhance administrative efficiency and attract investments in renewable energy and beyond. 🎥 Watch the video to learn more about this inspiring initiative and its impact. The Public Administration Awards in the Western Balkans is an award scheme initiated by ReSPA and SIGMA to enhance governance initiatives and support establishing strong public governance systems in the Western Balkan region. Find out more 👉  https://lnkd.in/e6DjYC3Z With Nick Thijs, Jose Manuel Diaz Pulido, Gregor Virant, Tihana Puzic, Maja Handjiska Trendafilova, Jelisaveta Tasev, Regional School of Public Administration #DigitalTransformation #GreenAgenda #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #Innovation #PAawardsWB

How can Western Balkan administrative judiciaries reach the standards achieved by their EU counterparts and what could be done to improve the functioning of the administration?   A functional administrative judiciary is a cornerstone of the rule of law ⚖️, ensuring access to justice before independent and impartial courts, including the judicial review of administrative acts. Effective administrative justice serves as a crucial oversight mechanism, vital for a well-functioning public administration. 🏛️   SIGMA Paper No.73 examines the administrative judiciaries of the Western Balkans and the European Union (EU), highlighting areas where Western Balkan judiciaries can improve to meet EU standards. This analysis, informed by discussions with judges, public authorities and stakeholders, focuses on elements relevant to jurisdictions across the region.🌍   The functioning of administrative judiciaries can be enhanced by addressing these gaps, thereby strengthening both public administration and the rule of law. 💪⚖️   🆕📖 Read SIGMA Paper No.73 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQUMqaaH    👥 Timo Ligi, Andrej Kmecl and Villem Lapimaa with valuable input from Gregor Virant, Peter Vagi, Jose Manuel Diaz Pulido, Aleksandra Melesko and Blanca Lázaro.   🙏 Special thanks to Zhani Shapo, Rinor Hoxha, Emina Zahirović-Pintarić, LL.M., Jovana Homen, Zarko Hadzi-Zafirov, Dawid Sześciło, the judges and officials from Western Balkan judiciaries and administrations, and colleagues in EU Neighborhood & Enlargement of the EC.   #SIGMAPapers | #AdministrativeJustice | #WesternBalkans | #RuleOfLaw

🏆 Winner: Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, #Montenegro 💡 Initiative: Social Welfare Information System (SWIS) - e-Social 🎉 Congratulations for a transformative initiative, awarded for its dedicated inter-institutional governance! 🚨 Why it stands out: 🔹 A revolutionary digital platform transforming Montenegro’s social protection system. 🔹 Launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) and UNDP, it integrates technology with human resources, legislation, and institutional capacity. 🔹 Features interoperability with 26 web services connecting 9 ministries and institutions, cutting administrative burdens and improving service delivery for vulnerable populations. 🛠️ Key takeaways from implementation: 🔹 Overcame challenges of cross-sector coordination by leveraging partnerships and the enthusiasm of public administration teams. 🔹 Prioritised stakeholder engagement, communication, and a citizen-centric approach to ensure the system met community needs. 🌍 Replication potential: E-Social offers a powerful blueprint for other regions and sectors, highlighting the benefits of simplified procedures, transparency, and efficiency in social protection systems. 🎥 Watch the video to learn more about this inspiring initiative and its impact. The Public Administration Awards in the Western Balkans is an award scheme initiated by ReSPA and SIGMA to enhance governance initiatives and support establishing strong public governance systems in the Western Balkan region. Find out more 👉 https://lnkd.in/dZjds2hx With Nick Thijs, Jose Manuel Diaz Pulido, Gregor Virant, Tihana Puzic, Maja Handjiska Trendafilova, Jelisaveta Tasev, Regional School of Public Administration #DigitalTransformation #SocialWelfare #Innovation #Efficiency #CitizenCentricSolutions #PAawardsWB

The #Ombudsperson defends the fundamental rights of citizens by overseeing the activity of public administrations.   SIGMA 👥 #citizen survey shows how awareness of the Ombudsperson varies across socio-demographic groups in the Western Balkans: On average, 60% of citizens are familiar with the Ombudsperson. ⬆️ Awareness is highest among public sector employees, with 80% being familiar, compared to 54% of other citizens. Education and age matter! 🎓 Similarly, 74% of citizens with tertiary education are aware of the institution’s purpose. ⬆️ Among citizens aged 45-64, awareness is highest at 64%. ⬇️ Awareness is much lower among younger people (aged 18-24), with only 46% saying they are aware.   Check out the #SIGMAdata series of posts for more 💡 insights! Questions? 📧 [email protected] #WesternBalkans | #SIGMAsurveys | #SIGMACitizensSurvey | #PublicService  

🏆 Winner: The Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment, Republic of Serbia Kancelarija za IT i eUpravu 💡 Initiative: I Protect You 🎉 Congratulations for an innovative platform, accessible at cuvamte.gov.rs, awarded for its human-centric approach to digital transformation in safeguarding children from violence. 🚨 What makes it stand out? 🔹 A centralised hub for reporting and monitoring child abuse, violence, and exploitation. 🔹 Integration of 2 700+ entities, including schools, social services, police, and healthcare, to improve collaboration and response times. 🔹 Anonymity options for reporters and tools to track case progress until resolution. 🔹 A mobile app allowing children to send urgent alerts to trusted contacts when in danger. 🔹 Educational resources raising awareness about violence and prevention strategies. 🔹 Broader reach: addressing violence against adults in caregiving and educational institutions, ensuring comprehensive protection for vulnerable groups. 🛠️ Key takeaways from implementation: 🔹 Leveraged partnerships across sectors to overcome bureaucratic challenges. 🔹 Prioritised user-centric design for accessibility and ease of reporting. 🔹 Engaged diverse stakeholders to identify gaps and improve functionality. 🌍 Replication potential: The modular design of "I Protect You" offers a template for replication in other regions, empowering communities worldwide to enhance safety through technology. 🎥 Watch the video to learn more about this inspiring initiative and its impact. The Public Administration Awards in the Western Balkans is an award scheme initiated by ReSPA and SIGMA to enhance governance initiatives and support establishing strong public governance systems in the Western Balkan region. Find out more 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6DjYC3Z With Nick Thijs, Jose Manuel Diaz Pulido, Gregor Virant, Tihana Puzic, Maja Handjiska Trendafilova, Jelisaveta Tasev, Regional School of Public Administration #Innovation #ChildProtection #DigitalTransformation #HumanCentricDesign #PAawardsWB

On 29 November 2024, SIGMA organised jointly with the Secretariat General of the Government of Morocco (SGG) a seminar on international experience with consolidation of national legislation.   Experts from Belgium, Italy, Luxemburg, Malta and Finland joined online to share their experiences and ✅ good practices with a group of over 40 legal advisors of the SGG.   Morocco is in the process of digitalisation of their Official Bulletin (a process also supported by SIGMA) to ensure that citizens and businesses have free access online to relevant legal acts. Consolidating laws in line with amendments introduced over the years is another step in making all laws accessible, as requested by the Constitution of Morocco 2011 👉 https://lnkd.in/eg2Q8snj   With 👥 M. Daniele Dotto, EUD in Rabat. M. Philippe Depasse, Attaché informaticien, FOD Justitie SPF Justice – JLS – Moniteur belge (Belgium). M. John Dann, Editor of the Official Journal of Luxembourg. M. Antonio Antetomaso, Head of the Project Management division of the IT departement at Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato Italiano (Italy). Mme Donatienne Spiteri, Senior lawyer, Office of the Attorney General / Office of the State Advocate (Malta). M. Aki Hietanen, Head of Development at Oikeusministeriö - Justitieministeriet - Ministry of Justice, Finland.   Coordinated by Lech Marcinkowski

On 2 December 2024, SIGMA in collaboration with the The State Examination Center of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SEC) organised a workshop focused on developing a framework of technical competencies for civil servants in Baku, #Azerbaijan. 🎯 The objective of the workshop was to share knowledge and promote discussions with the SEC and human resource professionals in other public administration bodies. The discussions focused on: 📝 Defining business categories in the civil service in the central government administration of Azerbaijan. 🧱 Building an inventory of functions based on the catalogue produced by the EU twinning project. 🤝 Agreeing on the desired structure for drafting specialised technical competencies. 🔎 Exploring the methodology and approach to define technical competencies to use with the PA bodies. Participants left equipped with practical knowledge to define and implement technical competencies, improve efficiency and foster professionalism in public administration. 👏 Thank you to the SEC and all participants for their active engagement and commitment to excellence. This is a significant step toward strengthening Azerbaijan's public administration capacity. With: Blanca Lázaro, Linda Ait Ameur #PublicAdministration #HumanResources #TechnicalCompetencies 

On 27-28 November 2024, senior public servants from the central and local administrations gathered in Kolasin, #Montenegro to address a key tool in human resource management: staff performance appraisals. Co-organised with the Human Resource Administration of Montenegro, this workshop offered a platform to identify issues in the current practice and results of staff performance appraisals in Montenegro, share experiences, and discuss the way forward. Key highlights: 💡 Insightful discussions led by Blanca Lázaro and Wojciech Zieliński, focused on good practices in setting performance objectives, holding evaluation interviews, and organising calibration meetings with managers to ensure consistent implementation. 📊 The presentation of an improved performance appraisal manual prepared by the HR Administration, designed to enhance the effectiveness of appraisals across public institutions. ✏️ Hands-on exercises, including roleplays and group activities, aimed at tackling challenges such as inflated appraisal grades and objective setting. Participants left with actionable strategies to refine appraisal processes, ensuring they support meaningful performance management while minimising administrative burdens. 👏 Thank you to all speakers, facilitators, and participants for making this workshop a success. Together, we’re building a more effective and accountable public administration. #HRM #PublicAdministration #PerformanceAppraisals 

🎉 Celebrating success is key in public administration reform! On 27 November SIGMA together with ReSPA organised the 3rd edition of the Western Balkan public administration awards. We celebrated the remarkable #achievements of public institutions driving innovation and transformation in public administration across the region: 🏆 Special Award: Kancelarija za IT i eUpravu (Office for IT and eGovernment of #Serbia) was honoured for its #leadership in #digitaltransformation and innovation in public service delivery. 🏅 Winners: ✔️ Kancelarija za IT i eUpravu for the “I Protect You” platform, which safeguards children from violence.  ✔️ Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Montenegro: For the E-Social initiative revolutionising social welfare services. ✔️ Public Policy Secretariat, Serbia: For the Digital Transformation in Serbia - Contribution to Green Agenda promoting renewable energy investments. 🌟 Special Recognitions (SR): ✔️ City of Kragujevac, Serbia: For “Be Part of the Plan”, improving transparency in urban planning. ✔️ Public Procurement Commission, Albania: For reducing administrative burdens in public procurement. ✔️ City of Prijedor, Bosnia and Herzegovina: For launching the Open Data Portal to enhance transparency. ✔️ Central Register, North Macedonia: For the Beneficial Ownership Register, advancing transparency in anti-money laundering efforts. 👏 #Congratulations and a big #ThankYou to all the dedicated teams who continue to lead by example and contribute to stronger, more efficient public administration systems across the region! #Stay tuned 👉 soon we will present them all! With Nick Thijs, Jose Manuel Diaz Pulido, Gregor Virant, Tihana Puzic, Maja Handjiska Trendafilova, Jelisaveta Tasev, Regional School of Public Administration