On June 21, the Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) held a Roundtable Discussion on the topic: “PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM: Where does Kosovo stand compared to the countries of the region for 2021 and 2022?”, held in Prishtina. This event was held to present the National Monitoring Report on Public Administration Reform (PAR) 2021/2022 for Kosovo, drafted within the auspices of WeBER 2.0.

During the discussion, GLPS presented a draft report from a civil society perspective on the implementation of PAR in comparison to Western Balkan countries. The monitoring results indicated that Kosovo has shown better performance in Service Delivery and certain aspects of Public Finance Management. However, Kosovo’s Policy Development and Coordination as well as the Strategic Framework for Public Administration Reform were not satisfactory. Additionally, civil society involvement in drafting strategic documents and the government’s transparency in sharing performance information were also lacking.

Deputy Minister Mr. Dobra, from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, highlighted the government’s focus and efforts on public administration reform, particularly in service provision and human resources management during the past two years.

Mrs. Mikaela Gronqvist, representing the Office of the European Union in Kosovo, supported the findings of the report, as the European Union reports also identified improvements in service provision but highlighted stagnation in other areas.

In conclusion, the panelists agreed that PAR should be the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ top priority, and tangible results in this regard should become apparent in the near future. They emphasized the significance of PAR for Kosovo’s journey towards EU integration, emphasizing the need for institutions and political entities to prioritize and advance this crucial process.

Panelists:

Mr. Bardhyl Dobra- Deputy Minister, Ministry of Internal Affairs;

Mrs. Mikaela Gronqivst- Team Leader (Good Governance), European Union Office in Kosovo;

Mr. Naser Shamolli- Senior Research Fellow at GLPS;

Mrs. Ema Pula- Co-author of the WeBER National PAR Monitor Report, GLPS.

Venue: Hotel Swiss Diamond, Str. Mother Theresa, 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo.