About this learning event

This interactive workshop is tailored for young public officials and emerging leaders from the Western Balkans, aiming to strengthen their ability to design and implement effective public finance reforms. Participants will gain a solid grasp of the policy cycle—a structured approach to understanding how public policies are shaped, executed, and improved over time. The workshop will focus on ways to align reforms with broader public sector goals, such as transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline.

The workshop will highlight how this framework supports reforms that are grounded in the core principles of good governance: transparency, accountability, equity and inclusiveness, responsiveness, and participation.

A special focus will be placed on budget reforms, exploring how ethical and inclusive financial practices can enhance public trust and government legitimacy.

In addition, we’ll explore global trends in open government, examining how these initiatives can be adapted to the Western Balkans context to foster more transparent and citizen-responsive public finance system.

During this workshop, participants will:

• Understand the Foundations of Good Governance - Dive into the principles that guide ethical and effective government action, especially in the realm of public finance.
• Master the Policy Cycle - Learn the key stages: agenda-setting, policy formulation, decision-making, implementation, and evaluation—and how they shape successful reforms.
• Analyze Real-World Case Studies - Explore EU (Austria Budget Reform) and regional examples that demonstrate how reforms progress through each stage of the policy cycle to become impactful laws.
• Apply Practical Tools - Get hands-on with tools like Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIA) to navigate the complexities of public financial management.
• Develop Leadership Skills - Strengthen your capacity through experiential learning, peer exchange, and collaborative problem-solving.
• Co-Create and Reflect - Work with peers to design reform scenarios, drawing lessons from real-life planning, implementation, and evaluation experiences.
• Enhance participants' understanding of key PFM reform objectives, processes, and best practices.
• Identify challenges and bottlenecks in implementing ongoing or planned PFM reforms.
• Explore the Future of Public Finance - Discuss emerging trends in financial governance and how they align with transparency, accountability, and responsiveness.
• Analyze PFM diagnostic tools and learn about key challenges across different PFM areas, as well as the needs driving reform efforts.
• Engage with Open Government Practices - Discover how global open government approaches can enhance financial reforms and promote meaningful public participation.

Who should attend

Participants of the component WeLearn of the project WeLead: EU Scheme for Young Professionals in the Western Balkans - third generation.

Faculty

The workshop will be delivered by:

• Alexander Grünwald, Expert in good governance, public management, innovation and multi-stakeholder engagement
• Nina Vujošević, CEF Expert in the fields of PFM and Economic Reforms; Former State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance of Montenegro

Partners

This event is delivered as part of the EU-funded multi-beneficiary project “EU Scheme for Young Professionals in the Western Balkans” (WeLead) implemented by the CEF.