ReSPA Regional Public Administration Mobility Programme
“Shaping the Future of Public Service - Together”
The ReSPA Regional Public Administration Mobility Programme “Shaping the Future of Public Service – Together” is a regional flagship initiative aims to strengthen cooperation, institutional capacities, and mutual trust among public administrations in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood through structured peer learning and professional mobility.
Inspired by the concept of an “Erasmus for civil servants,” the programme “pairs the peers” and combines executive training with hands-on institutional exchanges. It enables public servants to learn from each other’s reform experiences, acquire practical governance tools, and build lasting professional networks that support regional integration and EU accession.
The initiative contributes to the development of a shared regional administrative space aligned with European standards of public administration. In this context, a ‘shared regional administrative space’ refers to progressively converging administrative practices grounded in common values of good administration (legality, transparency, accountability, and service orientation) and aligned with European standards.
The programme is designed as a three-year initiative (2026-2028) implemented through annual cycles. Each cycle will begin with a call for participants. Eligibility extends to public administrations from the Western Balkans and selected Eastern Neighbourhood partners (Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia), fostering broader regional cooperation and knowledge exchange.
By the end of the three-year period, the initiative is expected to reach approximately 100 public servants.
The programme seeks to:
- Strengthen regional cooperation and mutual understanding among Western Balkans and eastern Neighbourhood public administrations;
- Enhance professional competencies in key areas of public administration reform;
- Promote peer learning through direct exposure to institutional practices across the region and EU Member States;
- Support alignment with EU accession requirements and European governance standards;
- Foster a sustainable network of reform-oriented public servants in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood;
- Political networking.
Target group:
- Participants: Up to 3 public servants from ReSPA Members and up to 2 participants from ReSPA participating administrations from the ministries responsible for public administration, EU integration, regional cooperation, transport, anti-corruption;
- Profile: Early- to mid-career professionals directly involved in reform processes, European Integration, policy development, or implementation in core public administration areas;
Participation will be merit-based and aligned with reform relevance. Candidates shall:
- have 3-10 years of experience,
- work on an active PAR/EU integration file,
- demonstrate working proficiency in English (or Italian/French language in case job shadowing is planned in Italy or France), and
- submit an institutional endorsement letter confirming time allocation and commitment to implement a post-programme action note. Cohorts will seek balanced gender representation.
The annual programme will be structured around four components, with participants required to complete all components during each programme cycle.
Component 1: Introduction and Preparatory Session
- Duration: 2 hours;
- Format: online session;
- Content: Programme design, elements, objectives, logistical arrangements, participants` expectations;
- Timing: early June 2026.
This component establishes a shared knowledge base and prepares participants for the mobility exchange.
Component 2: Executive training
- Duration: 3 days;
- Format: Intensive executive training for early- and mid-career public servants;
- Content: European integration processes, public administration reform, change management, human capital management, and implementation of EU-aligned reforms;
- Delivery: Designed and delivered by the Regional School of Public Administration in partnership with a leading European training institution. The training will feature EU and regional practitioners and emphasize interactive learning, case studies, and peer exchange;
- Timing: end June 2026.
This component establishes a shared knowledge base and prepares participants for the mobility exchange.
Component 3: Strategic Masterclass “Leading Public Administration Reform in Practice”
- Duration: half day;
- Format: Online executive masterclass;
- Timing: early September 2026.
The Strategic Masterclass serves as a transition component between the executive training and the mobility exchange. It consolidates learning, deepens strategic thinking, and prepares participants to maximize the value of their institutional exchange. Moreover, the masterclass will culminate in a participant-level mobility learning plan (objectives, stakeholder map, and priority questions), which will serve as the basis for matching and the host agenda.
Component 4: Mobility exchange
- Duration: 3 working days
- Format: Job shadowing and structured peer exchange within host ministries or affiliated institutions, or regional organizations in the WBs;
- Pairing and hosting: RESPA will match participants to host institutions based on thematic relevance, identified institutional needs, language feasibility, and host capacity;
- Host institutions:
- Ministries responsible for Public Administration or European Affairs in the Western Balkans,
- Regional organizations in the WBs, and
- Relevant institutions in selected EU Member States that support the initiative;
- Activities: Participation in meetings, working groups, reform initiatives, and thematic discussions aligned with participants’ professional profiles;
- Deliverables: Prior to mobility, each participant will submit a one-page learning plan (objectives, questions, expected transferable practices). Within 2 weeks of mobility, participants will submit a short mobility report (key observations and practices with transfer potential);
- Timing: September/November 2026.
The mobility exchange enables participants to observe alternative administrative models, discuss shared challenges, and identify transferable practices or joint initiatives.
- Introduction and Preparatory Session: early-June 2026
- Executive Training: end-June 2026
- Online masterclass: early-September 2026 (topic to be defined)
- Mobility exchange: mid-September to mid-November 2026
The programme will apply a results framework linking objectives → outputs → outcomes. Core indicators will include: (i) completion rate of all components, (ii) number of mobility plans and action notes completed, (iii) percentage of participants reporting adoption/testing of at least one transferred practice within 6 months, (iv) number of cross-administration collaborations initiated, and (v) alumni engagement rate. Data will be collected via pre/post surveys, host feedback forms, and a 6–12 month follow-up check.
Expected results
- Strengthened professional networks linking Western Balkans, Eastern Neighbourhood and EU public administrations;
- Increased understanding of reform practices and institutional approaches across the region;
- Transferable knowledge and practical ideas supporting domestic reform efforts;
- Enhanced regional cooperation and administrative convergence;
- Improved readiness for EU integration and adoption of European administrative standards.
Sustainability and alumni
An alumni network will be established to sustain cooperation, including a digital community of practice, periodic peer-learning sessions, and an annual alumni event linked to existing regional policy dialogue platforms. Alumni will be encouraged to propose follow-up peer exchanges and to present examples of reform uptake.
Apply
Suppose you are interested in participating in this Programme. In that case, you should apply to the ReSPA Liaison Officers or Focal point, available on this link.