SIGMA helps shape EU operational conclusions on public financial management and public administration reform. Looking at your cooperation with CEF, what tangible institutional changes have you seen when these conclusions are translated into structured learning and applied capacity-building? What does “success” look like in practice?

Operational conclusions as agreed between national authorities and the EU help move the agenda for PFM and PAR forward in individual EU enlargement countries. Ideally, they are formulated in a way that addresses crucial necessary steps on the path of EU accession countries towards a public administration that is relying on strong and accountable public institutions that are capable to implement public policies for the benefit of citizens and businesses. With CEF’s support, we see tangible results especially with regard to more structured and professional planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting structures and processes for PAR and PFM reforms. We see it as a success when ministries clearly take ownership of these processes and have teams that feel capable and empowered to improve their approaches gradually over time.

Internal audit is often called a cornerstone of accountability - but its impact depends on how it works in practice. Through SIGMA - CEF cooperation, what concrete improvements have you seen in accountability, risk management, and oversight of public resources in line with EU standards?

Establishing effective internal audit functions in EU accession countries requires continuous professional training as carried out by CEF for the Western Balkan region. In our cooperation however, we also place particular focus on improving the governance of internal audit within public institutions to ensure that governments not only have professional internal auditors, capable of carrying out internal audits according to international standards, but that they also work in an environment where managers value their work and know how to make best use of it. The changes are slow and improvements of accountability, the use of risk management and oversight are coming along only gradually, but through the regular SIGMA monitoring against the Principles of Public Administration, we can measure the progress.

CEF places strong emphasis on applied learning, peer exchange, and on-the-job training. From SIGMA’s perspective, how does this approach change the way public officials actually work day-to-day?

Public administrations in EU enlargement countries come from a traditional administrative culture that is very hierarchical, legalistic and formalistic. Transforming and modernizing these structures is not an easy task as cultural changes take a lot of time. Public servants benefiting from CEFs approach understand over time not to take the traditional ways of working in their administration as a given anymore. They are becoming empowered, slowly but surely, to drive changes ahead themselves and to not be discouraged when changes are not imminent. Peer learning and on the job training help to ensure that what has been learnt can be applied immediately. It is about understanding and embracing your own role, responsibility and also power and weight in your organizations and the overall system.

Building on the regional work of SIGMA with EU candidate countries and potential candidates, and CEF’s 25 years of experience in public financial management and institutional development, how can our organizations better align activities to generate stronger synergies and greater regional impact?

The strength of the cooperation between SIGMA and CEF lies for me in the like-mindedness of these two organizations. We are value based with a regional and long-term approach towards capacity development of public institutions in EU enlargement countries in the Western Balkans and beyond.

With 25 years of CEF and 35 years of SIGMA, during which both organizations have continuously shaped their approaches as well as their ways and methods of working, there is a very strong basis for further improving the results of our cooperation. This could be achieved potentially by forming a more strategic partnership that ensures a clearer understanding of the differences and commonalities of our organizations. Regular strategic coordination exchanges could further facilitate joint, parallel or sequenced regional and/or country activities.

In the past two years, SIGMA–CEF cooperation has placed greater emphasis on improving coordination and reporting between public administration reform and public financial management reforms. What concrete progress has this delivered so far, and where do the main gaps still remain?

Progress has been made in creating better ownership on the one hand and more organized and professional structures on the technical level on the other hand for designing and implementing reforms. Challenges remain when it comes to ensuring that the reforms get the necessary political backing. Public servants managing these reforms need more capacities and tools for effective interaction with the political level. They also need to better understand result oriented planning and reporting to ensure that reform structures are not limited to merely implementing planned activities without constant monitoring of their value for the achievement of identified objectives.