Investments in People and Knowledge Are Needed for Strong Public Institutions
At the conference Strong Institutions Deliver on Their Mandate, we discussed the importance of systematic knowledge management that directly affects the capacity of institutions to deliver on their mandates. High-level representatives from international organizations together with ministers of finance, line ministers, governors of central banks of South East Europe (SEE), and other key policymakers discussed the importance of sustainable investment in human capital to create competitive advantages in public institutions in the region. The discussions took place in the context of the implementation of the structural reforms with a special focus on the Economic Reform Programmes of the EU candidate countries and potential candidates. The conference was delivered as part of the CEF forum events.
We were honored to welcome governor Gent Sejko (Bank of Albania), governor Anita Angelovska Bezhoska (National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia), minister Rozeta Hajdari (Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade, Kosovo), deputy minister Filip Nikoloski (Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Macedonia), state secretary Mihai Precup (Ministry of Finance, Romania), director general Peter Pogačar (Ministry of Public Administration, Slovenia), Florian Hauser and Vasyl Zubaka (European Commission) as distinguished speakers on the occasion.
Conference attendees agreed that to lead public institutions and their staff through the profound changes we are witnessing in today’s world, it is crucial for public institutions to invest in the strategic development of human resources and effective institutional knowledge management. This can make a big difference in how the mandate of the institution is delivered and directly affects their efforts of returning to the path of sustainable and inclusive economic growth. They also emphasized the value of a systematic approach to learning and knowledge sharing within public institutions as this will help institutions achieve better results faster.
In response to the continuous changes in the external environment, the CEF Director Jana Repanšek explained that the model of a learning organization is a good way forward for public institutions. “This model implies investing in people and learning. This way, each individual, team, and the whole institution is inspired, thrives, performs, and delivers. One of the building blocks is the creation of a learning culture that is embedded into the day-to-day work of an institution. With adequate leadership, it nurtures the growth mindset of people. The other building blocks are securing funds for learning; partnerships; institutional knowledge capturing, packaging and sharing; right communications that support learning; and the monitoring and evaluation of the achievements.” said Ms. Repanšek.
Almost one hundred participants and guests confirmed the event was a timely and effective contribution to the policy debate on the importance of strategic human resource management and systematic knowledge management in public institutions. They also recognized the important role that the CEF will play in developing the capacities of ministries and central banks in SEE for effective institutional learning. As leaders in learning, we are looking forward to inspiring public officials as individuals and teams to shape institutional governance that will contribute to the development of successful economies and fair societies in our constituency.
Apart from the conference, the 2022 CEF Forum featured also the training of trainers titled Knowledge Management in Public Institutions. The objective of this training is to present the CEF’s methodology around six building blocks of what it takes for an institution to become and be a learning organization. The conference Strong Institutions Deliver on Their Mandate and training of trainers have taken place between May 23 and June 10, 2022