CEF Associate Fellow Merdža Plahonjić Handalić on the CEF’s Role as a Trusted Regional Knowledge Hub
Merdža Plahonjić Handalić, Associate Professor at the University of Sarajevo, shares her reflections on the CEF’s role in strengthening public sector reforms and regional cooperation. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in EU integration, fiscal policy, and public internal financial control systems, she offers a thoughtful perspective on the value of partnerships, knowledge sharing, and leadership development across the Western Balkans. Her insights highlight how capacity building, evidence-based policymaking, and collaboration can translate reform ideas into lasting impact for institutions and future public leaders.
What words come to your mind when describing the CEF’s role in the region?
The CEF’s role in our region can best be described in just a few words: building capacity, sharing knowledge, fostering connectivity, and encouraging collaboration. Over the years, the CEF has really established itself as a credible knowledge hub. More than just providing support, the CEF empowers public officials and institutions to strengthen governance, fiscal management, and the policymaking process across the Western Balkans. The CEF goes beyond facilitating learning; it fosters partnerships and builds trust among countries that are working toward common goals.
Where do you see the greatest value of partnerships between institutions like the CEF, the European Commission, CIPFA, national ministries, and academia in advancing public sector reforms?
The greatest value of these partners comes from the strengths of each other. The European Union provides strategic direction and funding, organizations such as the CEF and CIPFA contribute technical expertise and learning initiatives, national ministries ensure reforms that reflect national priorities, and academia provides evidence-based insights. Together, they can create an ecosystem for continuous learning and innovation that transforms policy ideas into sustainable reforms.
In my opinion, this kind of collaboration is key to achieving success and ensuring that reforms deliver their intended impact across the region.
In your role as a mentor in the WeWrite component of the EU-funded WeLead project, supporting young leaders in developing policy papers under expert guidance, what competencies do you see as most critical for emerging leaders working on public sector reforms?
The WeLead project was created with the aim of encouraging young professionals to step forward as leaders of ideas, people, and reforms in our region. The project has been carefully designed to strengthen their competences in managing change.
In my role as a mentor within the WeWrite component of this project, I see several competencies as vital for our mentees. First, they need a strategic perspective and the ability to think long-term, which helps them align their topic with broader national goals. Second, they are learning the importance of grounding their work in relevant data, enabling them to develop credible, measurable, and effective policy options to address identified challenges. Additionally, they are learning how important collaboration with stakeholders is, which prepares them to respond to complex issues. Finally, they have the opportunity to build skills in articulating reform goals, engaging stakeholders, and mobilizing support for their policy paper.
Together, these competencies should help them grow into confident and credible public leaders.
What makes your collaboration with the CEF meaningful?
Working with the CEF is really important to me because the CEF builds shared values in our region; it is based on supporting the learning process, inclusiveness, and regional cooperation. For me, collaboration with the CEF means being part of a diverse network of people who believe in mutual growth. It is not just about sharing knowledge. It is about creating common growth, where the process of learning becomes a common approach that strengthens the capacity of all participants across the region.
Every engagement with the CEF feels purposeful to me. I feel that I am contributing to something greater, not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also across the region.
As the CEF marks 25 years of successful operations, what do you hope it will continue to achieve in the years ahead?
As the CEF marks 25 years of successful operations, I hope that it continues to serve as a leader in promoting regional excellence and common leadership in public sector transformation. Looking ahead, I would like to see the CEF expand its role as an innovative partner, supporting our institutions and the officials within them in building modern, evidence-based governance systems and also inspiring and encouraging the next generation of public leaders.