“Think fast…act faster” is a part of the two-day Government After Shock online event coordinated by the OECD’s Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) with the support of the European Commission through and its Horizon 2020 Programme.

Government After Shock aims to support each country’s capacity to anticipate, understand, and govern complex and changing circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while simultaneously promoting international collaboration. Joining with affiliates across the world, the OECD will also be working to help collect and curate some of the lessons from the pandemic for governments in the lead-up to the event, focusing on questions such as: What do we need to leave behind from this Shock? What do we want to keep? What should we do differently?

“Think fast …act faster” will present and discuss some of the most successful innovative digital approaches from the Western Balkans public administrations among those who participated in the Western Balkans Public Administration Awards contest, a joint initiative by ReSPA and OECD/SIGMA.

Electronic services for citizens (e-Health), e-Government response - Improving service delivery during the pandemic, deployment of Infection Control and Tracking Mechanisms, e-Inspector Contact Center and e-Greenmarket, e-Governmental platforms, online communication platforms and other innovative approaches proved the Western Balkans governments reacted promptly to the COVID-19 crisis. They also confirmed that the Western Balkan public administrations were ready for a giant step ahead in digitalization and innovation. The OECD/SIGMA and ReSPA event will highlight above stated inspiring cases from the Western Balkans administrations, which will inevitably support a global dialogue in this subject.

The role of digital governance in the Covid-19 pandemic will elaborate Barbara Ubaldi, Head of the digital government and data unit OECD.

The innovative digital government responses in the Western Balkans will present Mr Mihailo Jovanović,  Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Republic of Serbia, Ms Nevila Repishti, Head of the Governmental Portal e-Albania Department, National Agency of Information Society Republic of Albania and Mr Vladimir Raičković, Assistant Director - Sector for IT and Data Exchange in the Integrated Health Information System of Montenegro.

The panel discussion on the lessons learnt and conclusions for the future will gather eminent speakers: Ms Marta Arsovska Tomovska: Director, Team for Public Administration Reform, Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Ms Nevila Repishti: Head of the Governmental Portal e-Albania Department, National Agency of Information Society of the Republic of Albania, Mr Vladimir Raičković: Assistant Director - Sector for IT and Data Exchange in the Integrated Health Information System of Montenegro, Ms Barbara Ubaldi: Head of the digital government and data unit OECD, Florian Hauser: Team Leader Centre of Thematic Expertise on Public Administration Reform, European Commission/DG NEAR.

The Panel will be moderated by Gregor Virant, Head of OECD/SIGMA Programme

Wrap-up and closure of the Panel will be moderated by ReSPA representatives.

Register in advance for this event HERE

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.