32nd NISPAcee Annual Conference 2024, Tbilisi, Georgia

32nd NISPAcee Annual Conference

May 23 - 25, 2024 · Tbilisi, Georgia

Activities

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Main Theme

MAIN THEME

Public Administration in post-conflict reconstruction

The 2024 NISPAcee Annual Conference will revisit and compile an evolving perspective on the role of Public Governance and Administration in post-conflict reconstruction aiming  to take stock of decades of state building experiences,  revisiting and compiling some of the best practices as well as reflecting on the new and unique opportunities for build-up provided by digitalisation and artificial intelligence, producing theoretical and practical approaches to the most pressing post-conflict PG/PA matters in CEE region as well as globally.

Working groups

WG1

Local Government

The working group on Local Governance deals with all sub-national levels of governance from several points of view: regulation, structure, organisation, functioning, finance, representation, election and public policies, etc. The WG especially welcomes empirical research results, comparative analysis, theoretical contributions, and interdisciplinary approaches are, of course, supported, too.

WG2

Digital Government

The Digital Government Working Group invites innovative papers on the influence of information communication technologies (ICT) on government, public administration, public policy and the public sector. NISPAcee’s focus and differentiation of regarding this topic is discovering some of the special challenges originating from the CEE region but also contributing to the general discourses on the digital transformation of citizens, institutions and governance.

WG3

Public Administration Reform in CEE and CA

In fragile territories, policymakers usually need to understand the intricacies of different (e.g., political, economic, social) contexts, correctly identify the adequate set of needed resources and manage internal and external interventions in a coordinated, accountable, and timely manner. All this effort, complemented by a process of co-designing the new services, would eventually help communities regain their trust in state and its authorities and reconstruct their inner ties.This Working Group has an outstanding tradition of bringing together thinkers and doers of public administration reforms throughout and beyond the CEE Region and the Caucasus.

WG4

Politico-Administrative Relations in CEE

The theme of Politico-Administrative Relations (PAR) and its focus on observing the roles and interplay between ministers and senior bureaucrats endures, both as a scholarly enquiry and as a practitioner concern.

WG5

Public Finance and Public Financial Management

The topic of the WG is public finance, which plays a vital role in providing essential public services and goods. The WG deals with the financial management of existing resources, which includes both microeconomic and macroeconomic dimensions and whose effectiveness is critical for creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development.

WG6

Evidence-Based Public Policy Making

The Working Group started in 2008 as a Panel Session on Policy Analysis Issues and became an annual Working Group based on the increased demand. The wide variety of papers and many participants confirm the strong interest in the region's evidence-based policy-making and policy analysis. Thus, the WG continues to support the scientific development of new ideas in public policies and encourages experience and knowledge exchange on how academics can meet the urgent needs of public servants and civil society.
WG7

Public Administration Education

The aim of the Working Group is Public Administration Education in its broadest sense (curriculum development, curriculum technology, e-learning, teaching technology, best practices, research on education, quality assurance, modern management of public administration programmes, international accreditation, and the like).
WG8

Non-Governmental Organisations in CEE

The working group focuses on the third sector, including civil society organisations, from now on referred to as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and their participation in governance in Central-Eastern Europe (CEE) states and regions. Our broad objective is to create a forum for the intellectual and practical exploration of NGOs' role – independently and in collaboration with government institutions and private firms – in defining, shaping and achieving the public good. We define NGOs broadly, and we are especially interested in those whose mission is strongly related to the public interest and who work in areas such as governance, social and health services, education, public policy, citizen participation, human rights, environmental protection, watchdog activities and/or humanitarian aid, and who come from all sides of the political and social spectrum.
WG9

The Rule of Law & Public Administration

This Working Group seeks presentations that address issues related to the position of law in public administration, the effect of the rule of law (RoL) on the administrative system as well an analysis of the factors strengthening or weakening the RoL.

Panels

Panel
Panel

Policy Planning and Coordination

The panel aims to discuss and review the practices of the Policy Planning and Coordination (PDC) Systems, as a horizontal pilar of good public administration. Main The focus of the panel is on practices of how policy planning and coordination is organised in NISPAcee countries and what the main implications, challenges and opportunities are.
Panel
Panel

Accreditation as a tool for learning: what and how?

The panel explores whether accreditation could be used to encourage innovation in public administration education, specifically addressing two questions:
1) How could the accreditation process and/or standards be adapted to encourage innovation?
2) If this can be done, which types of innovations should be encouraged?

Panel
Astana Civil Service Hub Panel Session

Public Administration in the New Reality

The New Reality is marked by substantial levels of instability, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, set against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, climate change, digital transformation, increasing populations, urbanization, migration, and environmental degradation. These intricate and interconnected phenomena present serious challenges to public administration systems worldwide. 

This panel session's primary beneficiaries include civil servants, scientists, and practitioners within the realm of public administration, actively involved in the development and execution of Public Administration Reform (PAR) policies.

Panel
Panel of the Regional School of Public Administration (Western Balkans)

Navigating the Change: Transformative Power of the EU Accession Process for Public Administrations

The session will commence by “setting the stage”, followed by a panel featuring Western Balkans public administration enthusiasts. Each panelist will present the most demanding task in the PAR process thus far and share a success story as “food for thought” for the audience, who will be provided with the safe space to ask practical questions and seek peer suggestions about the ways in which to navigate demanding PAR process through a moderated discussion. A mix of panelists from Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership will be explored.

Panel
USAID/UNDP panel on Georgia Public Administration Reform

Practical and conceptual considerations in the context of EU candidacy

The discussion panel will center on the key areas of Georgia's public administration system, essential for EU integration, and will examine and discuss the progress made thus far, along with the challenges faced.
Discussion Points:
- Georgia’s PA Reform: Progress and Future Steps: Evaluate the progress made in Georgia's PA reform efforts and identify key areas for future enhancement, considering the EU accession process's evolving dynamics.
- Lessons Learned from PA Reform During and After EU Accession: Reflect on past experiences of PA reform in countries undergoing EU accession and extract valuable insights to inform future strategies and approaches.
- Digital Governance & Transparency: Explore the role of digital governance in enhancing transparency and efficiency within public administration systems, drawing on best practices and emerging trends in the field.

Sessions

Session
Session

PhD Pre-conference seminar

The day before the NISPAcee conference begins, a PhD seminar will take place where the NISPAcee conference also takes place, enabling PhD students to improve their paper concerning structure and content. The seminar aims to discuss ways to improve their papers with the students.
Session
Workshop

Engaged Research:  Insights from Engaged Scholars

This session will bring together experienced engaged scholars to share their experiences in designing engaged research.  They will highlight recent cases of engaged research, revealing efforts to identify research partners and co-develop research questions.  Scholars will share insights on how to partner in data collection and analysis, as well as in vetting and disseminating findings. Attendees will learn about the wide range of ways that researchers can engage community and other partners at multiple points during the research process.
Session
Session

Open Session

The NISPAcee Annual Conference Open Session calls for papers that cover topics beyond the conference's central theme and the working groups. The Open Session aims to include a wide array of potential contributors to accommodate the varied interests of Public Administration and Policy scholars, experts, and practitioners. The goal is to have an in-depth discussion of the papers and a mutually beneficial exchange between the authors.
Session
Session

Poster Session

A poster session is intended for both young and experienced researchers who need to discuss and get inspiration for their research ideas. This event will be a physical session for researchers participating in the 32nd NISPAcee Annual Conference.
Conference
Main Conference ThemeWG1: Local GovernmentWG2: Digital GovernmentWG3: PA in CEE and CAWG4: Pol-Admin Relations in CEEWG5: Public Fin. and Mngmt.WG6: Evidence-Based PP MakingWG7: PA EducationWG8: NGO in CEEWG9: On Law and Public AdministrationPanel: PP and CoordinationPanel: Accreditation as a tool for learningReSPA Panel: Navigating the ChangeACSH Panel: PA in the New RealityUSAID/UNDP panel on Georgia Public Administration ReformSession: Pre PhD-Conf.Session: Poster SessionSession: Open SessionWorkshop: Engaged Research
Registration
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