Strong integrity systems are essential for public trust, effective institutions and credible public administration reform. Yet having legislation and formal mechanisms in place is only part of the solution. Their real impact depends on whether public servants understand integrity risks, know how to respond to them and work within institutions where ethical behaviour, accountability and transparency are part of everyday practice.

With this in focus, ReSPA is bringing together public administration, anti-corruption and training professionals in Tirana on 21–22 October 2026 for a new workshop of the Community of Practice on Public Sector Integrity.

Opening the workshop, Boris Ristović, Programme Manager – Coordinator at ReSPA, and H.E. Catherine Suard, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Albania, highlighted the importance of sustained cooperation in strengthening integrity capacities across public administrations. The workshop reflects the continued partnership between ReSPA and France in translating integrity principles into practical knowledge and tools for public servants. This cooperation has also supported the development of ReSPA’s new e-learning course on Public Sector Integrity, while the programme in Tirana brings an additional practical perspective through the expertise of Olivier Salvador from the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA), who is sharing France’s experience in effectively implementing and expanding the reach of integrity education.

“Integrity cannot remain only a matter of legislation and procedures. It has to become part of how public institutions work and how public servants make decisions every day. Through this Community of Practice, and now by connecting colleagues from the Western Balkans with Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine, we want to turn shared knowledge and experience into practical solutions that administrations can use and sustain,” said Ristović.

The event builds on ReSPA’s continued work to strengthen public sector integrity across the region. Previous regional analysis and consultations showed that, while legal and policy frameworks are generally in place, important challenges remain in their implementation - including enforcement, integrity-risk prevention, whistleblower protection, conflicts of interest and the development of a professional institutional culture based on transparency and accountability.

Established as a long-term framework for cooperation among institutions from the Western Balkans, the Community of Practice on Public Sector Integrity provides a platform for peer exchange, practical learning and cooperation among ministries responsible for public administration, public administration training institutions and anti-corruption bodies.

This meeting marks another important step in that cooperation, as representatives from Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine join the exchange, bringing additional perspectives, learning needs and experience from the Eastern Neighbourhood. Their participation opens new space for comparing approaches and identifying shared challenges across administrations that are advancing reforms and strengthening alignment with European standards.

A central element of the workshop is the presentation of ReSPA’s new e-learning course on Public Sector Integrity, developed under the project “Strengthening capacities in ethics and integrity in public service in the Western Balkans”, supported by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France. The course is designed as a practical resource to support integrity education across Western Balkan and Eastern Neighbourhood administrations.

Through dedicated sessions, participants are exploring the core concepts of public sector integrity, integrity-risk assessment and prevention, conflicts of interest, asset declarations, whistleblower protection and ways to build an ethical culture within public institutions. The programme also addresses fraud and corruption risks in development projects, as well as approaches to making integrity training more effective in practice.

The workshop goes beyond presenting a training tool. Drawing also on the experience of the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA), participants discuss how online integrity education can be successfully implemented and how cooperation between public administration schools, anti-corruption bodies and other institutions can be strengthened.

A strong practical dimension is built into the second day. Through World Café discussions and peer exchanges, participants examine how integrity training can be integrated into professional development systems, how to reach relevant target groups, whether participation should be voluntary or mandatory, and how training can be connected to career development and performance frameworks. The process concludes with the development of draft administration-specific guidelines, turning regional exchange into concrete proposals that administrations can take forward.

For public servants, this means more than learning about compliance. It means strengthening their ability to recognise ethical dilemmas, identify risks early, make responsible decisions and contribute to institutions in which integrity becomes part of the organisational culture.

By connecting institutions responsible for integrity, training and public administration reform across the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood, ReSPA is helping move the integrity agenda from rules on paper to knowledge, behaviour and institutional practice - where lasting change ultimately happens.