15 – 17 July 2025, Rome, Italy

In the second cycle of the capacity building and mobility programme, crafted in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and SNA, titled “Towards a Shared European Administrative Space: Connecting Western Balkans with the Italian Administration”, mid-to-senior-level public officials from civil service agencies, ministries of public administration, and public administration training institutions in the Western Balkans visited the Italian Department for Public Administration and the National School of Public Administration (SNA). They engaged with Italian counterparts to explore innovative solutions and best practices in public administration reform.

Director Maja Handjiska Trendafilova emphasized that the event reflects ReSPA’s steadfast commitment to building a truly shared European Administrative Space — “a space where knowledge flows seamlessly, and reforms are co-created through genuine collaboration among diverse stakeholders.” She encouraged participants to engage deeply with Italian counterparts and experts, underlining the transformative power of competency models in modernising public administrations: “By exploring and comparing approaches from Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and beyond, we uncover practical, actionable solutions tailored to the realities of our region. These exchanges are not just academic discussions — they are the foundation for stronger leadership, transparent and merit-based recruitment, and performance systems that drive real change. They empower us to shape resilient, future-ready administrations that can truly serve our citizens.”

Structured in two interrelated segments, the programme empowered participants to draft a basic competency model for senior public service roles in their administrations. They gained insights into behavioural indicators that distinguish top performers and learned to integrate these frameworks into recruitment, career development, and performance assessment. Participants were equipped to champion these practices within their institutions, fostering a culture of merit, accountability, and continuous learning under the guidance of prominent experts:

• Sabrina Bandera (Head of Research, Innovation, and Strategy Division, SNA) presented Italian experience in developing and implementing the competency framework in all phases of human resource management;
• Patricia Sanches (Head of the Strategic Planning and Partnerships Department, INA) and Celia Ortega Lechuga (Deputy Director, INAP) shared insights into competency frameworks in Portugal and Spain;
• Francesco Leone (Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister for Public Administration) provided a brief insight into Italian experiences in addressing the challenges of implementing public administration reforms in Italy;
• Paolo Vicchiarello (Head of the Italian Department for Public Administration), Massimo Gaiani (Ambassador, Head of European and International Affairs, SNA), and ReSPA Director Maja Handjiska Trendafilova emphasized the collaborative nature of the event, focusing on creating a shared European Administrative Space;
• Hanna Pappalardo (Head of the Office of External Relations of the EU and EU Enlargement, DG for Europe and International Trade Policy) delivered keynote speeches on accelerating EU enlargement and the importance of communicating results;
• Nicolò Acciai (Director, Office for Public Employment and Management, Italian Department for Public Administrationpresented Minerva, the new competency-based interoperable platform for the Italian Public Administration;
• Ioannis Foustanakis (Secretary General for Greek Public Administration) shared Greek experiences in workforce planning and the use of AI to predict future needs in public administration
• Discussions included Francesco Leone on policy coherence for sustainable development across different public administrations, and insights from Giulia Bonamini & Benedetta Scotti (Public Manager apprentices - SNA graduates) and Yannick Coirint (HR Expertise Project Manager at DGAFP) on the importance of innovation in the public sector.

The second and third days focused on understanding and utilizing competency models in public administration, featuring Chiara Consiglio (Associate Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology, Sapienza Università di Roma) and Giovanna Guarino (Work and Organizational Psychologist) providing a conceptual introduction to competence and competency models.

Working in groups, participants developed tailored competency models for senior public managers in their administrations, fostering reflection on common challenges and solutions across the region.

The ReSPA team extends heartfelt thanks to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for their unwavering support, the Department for Public Administration for hosting the event, and the Scuola Nazionale dell’Amministrazione for their intellectual leadership. Special gratitude goes to Ambassador Giani, Francesco Leone, Sabrina Bandera, and all experts whose contributions fuelled the success of this programme.