Training course "HOW TO BE A BETTER POLICY ADVISOR"

Zagreb, Croatia, February 26-29, 2008

ReSPA (The Regional School of Public Administration) in cooperation with its local partner the Civil Service Training Centre of the Central State Office for Administration organized a NISPAcee training course “How to be a Better Policy Advisor” in February 2008 in Zagreb, Croatia.

This was already a second joint training course organized with ReSPA. The first training was carried out in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in September 2007. Based on the positive feedback received from participants ReSPA decided to continue this joint initiative and to offer another NISPAcee training course especially tailored to the needs of public officials from the Western Balkan countries.

The welcome and introductory remarks were offered by Mr. Davor Ljubanovic, Director of the Civil Service Training Centre and Member of the ReSPA Steering Committee, Ms. Inga Stefanowicz, ReSPA representative and Ms. Elena Zakova, NISPAcee representative. The training course was successfully led by a team of NISPAcee international trainers – Mr. Alfredas Chmieliauskas (Lithuania), Mr. Gyorgy Gajdushek (Hungary) and Mr. Georgi Shopov (Bulgaria).

The objective of the training course was to provide the public officials with an opportunity to increase their knowledge and develop their skills in the design of public policy advice and establishment of channels for its delivery to their respective governments. The training programme was designed as a combination of theoretical parts and practical exercises. It was composed of the following main theoretical parts: Policy Cycle and Advising Entries, Skills of a Good Advisor, Environment, Problems in Advising, Types of Client / Needs Assessment, Types of Products / Policy Paper and Reaching the Client.

The training included 20 participants mainly representing different ministries and governmental institutions from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The diversity of experiences of the participants contributed to the success of the training. The trainees participated in the work of nationally mixed groups allowing them to share their experiences, overcome cultural barriers and establish new partnerships and cooperation.

The positive feedback from participants indicates that this kind of training is still very much needed and appreciated in the NISPAcee region. The training course met the expectations of the trainees, brought them new information and a better understanding of issues in the area of policy making and advice, structural view of the policy development cycle and better possibilities for their personal and professional development.

Participants

Enila HASANI, Decentalisation, Reform and Local Competencies, Ministry of Interior, Albania

Denada KAKELI, Department of Public Administration, Albania

Irena YMERAJ, Department of Public Administration, Albania 

Sanja KENIG-COROVIC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Damir MASIC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mujo RANCIC, Ministry of Security, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Radmila KONTI JAMAN, SAPARD Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Croatia

Ana BUDIN, Hitrorez (Special unit of the Croatian Government for simplification and elimination of dispensable regulations), Croatia

Nevenka ADRIA WEISSMANN, Hitrorez (Special unit of the Croatian Government for simplification and elimination of dispensable regulations), Croatia

Mladen ILIC, Central State Office for Administration, Croatia

Ivona MENDEŠ, Civil Service Training Centre (Public Policies), Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Goran CVETKOVSKI, Sector for Legal affairs, Civil Servants Agency, FYROM

Vlatko ILIEVSKI, Legal Affairs, Office of the Prime minister, FYROM

Maja MALJANOVSKA, Ministry of Justice, FYROM

Aleksandar PEJOVIC, Directorate for EU, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Montenegro

Tatjana VUKCEVIC, Human Resources Management Authority, Montenegro

Marijana VUKECEVIC, Secretariat for European Integration, Montenegro

Milena LAZAREVIC, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Serbia

Stasa LUKIC, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Serbia

Nenad VUJIC, Judicial Training Centre, Serbia