ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE US ACADEMY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

A meeting was held today between the representatives of the National Academy of Public Administration, together with Marta Arsovska Tomovska, Director of the Public Administration Reform Team in the Prime Minister's Office on one side, and the representatives of the National Academy of Public Administration of the United States on the other.

The US Academy is an advisory institution that, through research, analysis, problem solving, strategic planning and leadership, provides services to federal ministries and agencies in the following areas: assessing the work of organizations and their strategic development, supporting the implementation of activities and technical assistance, performance management and stakeholder networking. The American Academy also manages the Center for Agile Leadership, a network that brings together representatives of governments, nonprofits, foundations, academic institutions, and the private sector.

The Serbian National Academy of Public Administration and the US National Academy of Public Administration have recognized the possibilities of cooperation in the future in the field of research. Zvonko Popović, the programme director of the Academy, said that the National Academy is about to establish a Research Center, planned within the project financed by SIDA and implemented by UNDP, and that the experiences of colleagues from the US will be valuable in that process.

Snežana Antonijević, Assistant Director of the Academy, emphasized that the main activity of the National Academy is the development and implementation of professional development programmes for employees in public administration, but also pointed out that research activity is very important, so its accelerated establishment is expected.

Joe Mitchell and James Higgins, representatives of the US Academy, expressed their readiness for cooperation and an exchange of more detailed information was agreed. The participants of the meeting also thanked Marta Arsovska Tomovska for the initiative and the established connection between the two academies.