Slovak EUPAN Team12 October 2016

EUPAN HANDBOOK STRUCTURE

  1. INTRODUCTION (this chapter shall provide asuccinct description of the network, its purpose, main areas and domains of the network´s activities, uniqueness, main conclusions and changes of the Taskforce from 2015, etc.)
  1. FUNCTIONINGOF EUPAN (this chapter shall include a visualization of the network’s set-up including all meetings, organization, management of the network including accountability, responsibilities andthe role of Presidencies, also the mentioning of other relevant events such as CAF)
  1. CODE OF CONDUCT (membership vademecum defining basic rights and duties, include suggestions for monitoring and evaluation which might be carried out by Presidencies concerning their EUPAN events)
  1. EUPAN 5 MEETINGS (description of EUPAN 5 Secretariat + Directors General format, purpose, participants and other relevant informationetc…)
  1. WORKING LEVEL (introduction of the working level meetings including the main topical areas, 2 permanent delegates, useful information on organizing the meetings, referring to interactive examples of participation)
  1. DIRECTORS GENERAL LEVEL (introduction of the functioning of the DG level meetings, emphasizing the strategic level of this meeting including the reference to possible domains for discussion, reference to delegate issues, dealing with organizational issues)
  1. MINISTERIAL LEVEL (introduction of the purpose and functioning of the ministerial level meetings)
  1. ROLLING PROGRAM & STRATEGY PAPER (introduction of the purpose,time horizon, format and scope of these documents,the method of preparation including which members of EUPAN shall participate in their preparation)
  1. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT & WEBSITE (dealing with the issue of sharing information, making documents available online, enhancing EUPAN’s digital “presence”, providing information on what kind of documents and data shall be available on the website, guidance on managing the website, basic contacts)
  1. PARTNERS (defining the relationship with relevant non-members of EUPAN)
  1. PRACTICAL INFORMATIONFOR ORGANISATION(roadmap for Presidencies including timetables, procedures, templates for outcomes such as 1-2 pagers, invitations, letters, notes etc.. to ensure consistency, also information on registration, contacts, website management, questionnaires etc… )
  1. VISIBILITY & USEFUL LINKS (recommendations on information dissemination and providing links on useful and relevant documents, annexes)

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CAF – Common Assessment Framework

CMS – Content Management System

DG – Director General

DISPA - Directors of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration

EC – European Commission

EGPA - European Group for Public Administration

EIPA – European Institute of Public Administration

EU – European Union

EUPAN – European Public Administration Network

HRIOD - Human Resource Innovation and Organizational Development

MLM – Ministerial Level Meeting

MS – Member States

OECD - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

PA – Public Administration

RP – Rolling Program

SID - Service Innovation and Delivery

SP – Strategy Paper

SWOT Analysis - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

TUNED - Trade Unions’ National and European Administration Delegation

WL – Working Level

  1. INTRODUCTION

The European Public Administration Network - EUPAN is an informal network of representatives responsible for public administrations in the Member States of the European Union, the European Commission (EC), observer countries (EUPAN Members) and other Partners (see chapter 10).

History

EUPAN has a long-established tradition and organization that have been granted EUPAN membership functioning since 1988. Informal co-operation in public administration within the scope of the European Union Council has been taking place since the second half of the 70’s in a structure designated as the Committee of the Directors-General for the Public Services of the Member States and the Commission. This structure has always had an informal character as the Treaties of the European Union do not establish community powers for public administration organizations.

The first meeting of Ministers of the Member States responsible for public administration and the European Commission was organized in Maastricht on the 24-25 February already in the year 1988. During this meeting the Ministers expressed the desire to exchange information and experiences among themselves and called to establish periodic informal meetings for this purpose. Gradually, by the year 1991, the Ministers proceeded a mandate to Directors General to meet regularly in order to exchange points of views on developments in public management. Throughout the 90´s and early 2000's, the DGs were establishing the basic structure and organizational aspects for their meetings, which eventually led to the creation of the EUPAN as we know it today.

The starting point of the last EUPAN evaluation process was the DGs resolution from Rome, December 2014, which fixed 3 main areas where further reforms could be envisaged in EUPAN. A taskforce was established and met several times during 2015 to evaluate EUPAN and to develop the strategy for a future vision and the functioning of EUPAN. The evaluation of EUPAN in 2015 introduced many changes to the functioning of the meetings.[1] Update of this Handbook was one of the outcomes of the evaluation.

This Handbook is a concise manual, updated in 2016, intended to be a guideline book that provides specific information concerning the structure and functioning of the network.

Mission

The main objective of the network is to make cooperation among European public administrations more relevant and focused, with clear deliverables and to find an effective way of selecting topics of interest for a common agenda in line with MSs and EU level priorities while taking into account current developments and debates. The uniqueness of EUPAN lies in its role to facilitate for its members the exchange and sharing of views, experiences, tools and best practices on certain topics and areas of interest. Moreover, EUPAN fosters the development of common tools, activities and/or visions that are being utilized among all its members.

Mandate of EUPAN Members

Representatives (expert level, DGs, Ministers) participating in EUPAN on behalf of their public administration represent different Ministries and areas and have different mandates in their national administration. This limits and defines the current areas of cooperation within EUPAN and with the EC. The EC participates in the network activities with different DG representatives depending on the issues being dealt with by EUPAN.

Main areas of Interest

The network is organized around its main domains which include human resources management & organizational development, service innovation & delivery, but is also open to further areas of public administration, such as public administration reform implementation, open government etc. The direction of EUPAN's work is determined by two main documents:

  • Strategy Paper: defines strategic domains to be dealt with at an operational level during each Presidency with a perspective of 3 years (further see chapter 8)
  • Rolling Program: operates in a fluid 18-month programming perspective and is designed in the outlook of 3 active Presidencies plus the leaving Presidency to ensure continuity together with the EC (further see chapter 8).

Furthermore, a Presidency can transfer its experience to the next Presidency by temporarily exchanging civil servant(s) involved. The more the network develops a shared vision on topical areas or domains, the more EUPAN could become the reference network and sparring partner on those areas for civil service and good public administration on national as well as on European level.

Core Characteristics of EUPAN

The core principles & characteristics of the network include stable structure, informality, flexibility and transparency.

Structure

EUPAN has a well-established structure including various levels of public administration experts delegated to its respective meetings.

Informality

EUPAN aims at contributing to efficient and effective public administrations that are responsive to the needs and expectations of their citizens. The uniqueness and strength of EUPAN lies in its informality and in bringing together the cultural and structural diversity of public administrations in Europe. EUPAN as a network contributes to the gradual creation of a European administrative space. The informal structure of the network is steered by the Ministers responsible for public administrations.

Flexibility

EUPAN has a clear and definite organizational structure at three different levels, however due to the necessity to adopt new methods of cooperation and react to changes, the network is open to further flexible collaboration. Should Member States opt to go further, they can organize more in depth peer-to-peer-consultations or knowledge transfer, capacity and expertise in a specific area of public administration reform or modernization, bilateral or in smaller groups. The more the network develops a shared vision on topical areas or domains, the more EUPAN could become the reference network and sparring partner on those areas for civil service and good public administration on national as well as on European level.

Transparency

The EUPAN website is the channel for communication and dissemination of documents and shall include all necessary information, which is available to the public.

The working language of all EUPAN meetings is English.

2. FUNCTIONING OF EUPAN

Organization and structure

In order to ensure professionalism, stability and continuity of the network it is organized at three levels:

  1. Political: Ministers and the Commissioner responsible for Public Administration,
  2. Steering or managerial: Directors General,
  3. Working Level: coordinating professionals and practitioners/expert level.

At the political level Ministers from all EU Member States, observer countries and Commissioners may steer the long-term direction and priorities of EUPAN. The core of their work is to prepare, negotiate and approve the Strategy Paper for a 3-years period and to give direction to the network periodically revising the mission and the vision.

The 3-layered structure guarantees the participation and approval of professionals from different levels of public administrations in EUPAN

At the Management level Directors General coordinate and approve the work of the expert level and set goals to be achieved in relevant areas of PA based on the Strategy Paper. One of their core tasks is to update and validate the Rolling Program and evaluate the results at the end of each semester.

Each Presidency has the possibility to adapt the Rolling Program to their term with respect to the approved Strategy Paper and the need of the RP´s continuity

The Working Level meetings are organized by each Presidency and are attended by delegates from the EU Member States, observer countries, the EC and organizations that have been granted EUPAN membership. The main task of the delegates is to work on the activities planned in the RPs. There are two main Working Level domains: Human Resource Innovation and Organizational Development (HRIOD), Service Innovation and Delivery (SID).

Besides the basic 3-level structure of EUPAN respective members of EUPAN 5 hold their working meetings according to the needs to discuss the program of each upcoming meeting.

Meetings

Each organizational level has its own periodicity and format of meetings:

  • The Ministerial level: at least once per three years,
  • The Directors General level: at least once per presidency ,
  • The Working Level: at least once per presidency,
  • EUPAN 5 Secretariat: at least once per presidency,
  • EUPAN 5 DG: at least once per presidency.

EUPAN cooperates with other institutions, organizations and structures from the field of public administration (see chapter 10).

Additional meetings can be organized by each Presidency if considered necessary.

The role of the Presidency

Each EU member state that presides over the Council of the EU has the responsibility to advance the work of EUPAN primarily by stimulating and coordinating the RP implementations in accordance with the agreed priorities included in the relevant 3-years SP. Within common targets drafted in the SP the members of EUPAN 5 continuously propose to the network the updating of the Rolling Program for the period of 18 months. Each EUPAN Presidency is assigned with the following tasks:

  • To organize and chair the network meetings whereas other countries can volunteer to host specific meetings;
  • To make documents available before the meetings with at least two weeks’ notice by email and at the same time upload them to the EUPAN website depending on the size and relevance of the documents;
  • To manage and upload documents on the EUPAN website following the meetings;
  • To update the contact list of EUPAN members in the different groups;
  • To contact and provide information to partners of the network (e.g. EIPA, OECD, EGPA).
  • To provide summary report on the results achieved in the relevant WL meetings and also in the network in general to other EUPAN Members;
  • To coordinate with earlier and coming Presidencies;
  • To limit the number of issues on the agenda to facilitate high quality reports and discussion.

Observer countries

EUPAN may decide to invite observer countries to co-operate and share information. Observer countries may access the meetings, conferences and other events within the framework of EUPAN, once observer status has been approved. Observer countries primarily include Iceland, Norway, Switzerland together with relevant EU candidate countries. Under certain conditions countries outside the EU can also be invited for collaboration (e.g. accessing countries, presidency decision).

3. CODE OF CONDUCT

EUPAN Members are designated at the level ofDirectors General (DG) responsible for Public Administration as well as delegates at the Working Level (WL) from all Member States of the European Union (EU), the European Commission (EC) and observer countries (hereinafter “EUPAN Members”).

For the DG level each EUPAN Member shall designate a Director General or Directors Generals, or other delegates with a corresponding function responsible for Public Administration or responsible for one of the main domains of EUPAN. The DG and one additional delegate are entitled to participate in the DG meetings and in the EUPAN 5 DG meetings.

For the WL meetings each EUPAN Member shall designate two EUPAN delegates in line with the
SP domains who are entitled to participate in the WL meetings. Delegates can be accompanied by topic experts where needed, however, the total number of participants per EUPAN Member should not exceed four in order not to overcharge the Presidency as well as MS budgets. The final number of participants may be limited by the Presidency.

In order to ensure the continuity of membership at all levels of EUPAN, each Member shall designate a single national contact point. It is advisable that the single national contact point uses a country-specific EUPAN e-mail address. Such a contact point may be selected from among EUPAN delegates or other appointed persons. The single national contact point coordinates participation of country delegates in the meetings and coordinates information exchange regarding represented country. In case of any changes within the lines of delegates, the single national contact point is responsible to notify the current Presidency about these changes. The single national contact point shall inform the current Presidency about the inability of delegates to participate in the EUPAN meetings. If an EUPAN delegate is not able to attend the meetings, the respective Member State is expected to ensure a substitute. The single national contact point shall use a country-specific EUPAN e-mail address, if applicable.

The singlenational contact point from every MS ensures the continuity of each EUPAN Member in the network

RIGHTS & DUTIES

In order to foster informal cooperation rights representing a minimum standard of EUPAN Members are the following:

  • attending the meetings of EUPAN,
  • submitting proposals of topics to the current Presidency,
  • sharing experiences and good practices,
  • comparing national strategies and initiatives,
  • providing feedback within EUPAN discussions, also asking for opinions and suggestions,
  • commenting on resolutions and minutes of the EUPAN meetings,
  • asking for collaboration in specific matters,
  • disseminating information to relevant bodies within the national administration,
  • commenting and approving at Ministerial and/or DG level on the Rolling Programme and the Strategic Paper,
  • reporting results back to their national administration.

EUPAN DGs also have the right to be involved in drafting the Strategy Paper. EUPAN DGs have the right to set specific targets for the Network and react to the reports issued by the WL.

On the other side in order to foster informal cooperation and strengthen the network effectiveness, specific duties for EUPANMembers shall be complied with including:

  • designating a single national contact point,
  • promoting EUPAN activities and results at national level and disseminating information to relevant bodies,
  • actively participating in the definition and approval of each SP and RP making proposals and comments
  • actively participating in the implementation of each RP during and in-between the EUPAN meetings,
  • working on tasks in accordance with the agreed priorities included in the RP currently in force
  • filling out surveys and questionnaires concerning PA within EUPAN,
  • informing fellow EUPAN Members on the subjects concerning PA,
  • treating all EUPAN Members equally and with respect,
  • reporting to DGs on the results achieved within WL and on the evaluation of targets,
  • contributing with proposals and comments on resolutions of the EUPAN meetings with the aim to finalize their for approval.

The EUPAN Members have also an option to create a country specific EUPAN e-mail address.

EUPAN Members work within the environment of an informal network and bear rights & responsibilities varying on the level of their representation

4. EUPAN 5 MEETINGS

The EUPAN 5 is rotating and is always formed by the current Presidency together with the previous one and the two following Presidencies, and the European Commission (5 members). If needed, the Presidency may enlarge it to the second past Presidency.

The role of EUPAN 5 is to ensure continuity in the planning and implementation of the EUPAN Rolling Program agenda and to assist the Presidencies in planning the agenda of the respective Working Level and DGs meetings. Moreover, EUPAN 5 Members monitor the work and results of all EUPAN meetings in order to provide useful information to Presidencies on upcoming issues.

EUPAN 5 works in 2 different set-ups: EUPAN 5 Secretariat and EUPAN 5 Directors General. Both of these set-ups serve as essential organizational teams ensuring the preparatory work prior to the meetings but also as a meeting point of respective EUPAN representatives from the various levels. The EUPAN 5s have a coordinating role as well as the role of surveying the progress of work related to the goals between the Working Level and DG meetings.