Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA): Creation of a new International Organisation

Proces stvaranja regionalne škole za javnu upravu počeo je inicijativom za stvaranje formalnog okvira regionalne suradnje u izobrazbi u javnoj upravi usvojenom na sastanku Europske unije i zemalja tzv. zapadnog Balkana u Solunu u lipnju 2003. Nastavno, u svibnju 2006. zemlje tzv. zapadnog Balkana potpisale su Protokol o suradnji na stvaranju Regionalne škole za javnu upravu (ReSPA), kojim je ReSPA u prvom, dvogodišnjem razdoblju, djelovala kao mreža institucija koje se bave izobrazbom javnih službenika. Sukladno ciljevima navedenima u Protokolu u razdoblju 2006.–2008. ReSPA je provela brojne aktivnosti, a stvorenisu i svi potrebni preduvjeti za prijelaz u drugu fazu razvoja u kojoj bi ReSPA trebala prerasti u međunarodnu organizaciju – profesionalnu školu za javnu upravu koja će aktivno surađivati s nacionalnim školama za javnu upravu na temelju analize regionalnih potreba za izobrazbom, osmišljavati, organizirati i provoditi programe izobrazbe javnih službenika.The establishment of the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) is one of the activities conducted within the framework initiative of the European Union, adopted at the meeting of the European Union and the Western Balkans countries in Thessaloniki in 2003. At the meeting, the EU extended its political and financial support to the efforts countries in the region were making in order to reinforce peace and stability, develop democracy, and to promote economic development. In the first phase (May 2006 – end of 2008), ReSPA functioned as a network of institutions dealing with education and in-service training of public servants in order to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of public administration, including strengthening the administrative capacities necessary to conduct the European integration process and human resources development in accordance with the principles of the European Administrative Space. ReSPA’s activities in this phase may be divided in to two parts. Activities aimed at organisation and implementation of educational and in-service training programmes and other activities directly related to the realisation of ReSPA’s aims, and activities aimed at making material, financial, organisational, and other preconditions for entering in to the second phase at the beginning of 2009. During this phase, ReSPA should develop in to an international organisation – a professional public administration school that should have an active cooperation with national public administration schools and should develop, organise, and conduct educational and in-service training programmes for civil servants based on the analysis of regional educational needs. From Croatian perspective, a more active participation in ReSPA’s activities may be useful in the realisation of several national and international objectives. International exchange of experiences in the field of public administration could contribute to the strengthening of public administration experts’ administrative skills, and consequently, of the whole Croatian public administration. Creating the quality educational and in-service training programmes (including academic programmes) and of fering those to other users from the region, might additionally confirm Croatia’s position of a regional leader in public administration. Considering the views of the European Commission on the importance of regional cooperation, Croatian readiness to engage in to regional cooperation would additionally strengthen Croatia’s positions in the EU accession process