The conference opened a high-level dialogue between the Slovenian Prime Minister, Dr. Robert Golob, and the Minister of Public Administration (PA), mag. Franc Props. They highlighted the central role of people in public institutions and the importance of motivation, leadership, and trust-building. “In public administration, success is measured by user satisfaction,” emphasized Dr. Golob. “When citizens recognize good service that becomes our motivation to keep improving.” Minister added, “Leaders must inspire, not just manage. We need to empower those who are bringing ideas and driving change.”

Public Administration Is Built by People

State Secretary Mojca Ramšak Pešec underscored that public administration is powered by people who dedicate their knowledge and commitment to keeping the system running. Throughout the conference, panels highlighted the gap between public perception and operational reality, the importance of leadership that fosters creativity and initiative, and concrete national examples of innovation, collaborative policy design, and local-level learning communities. In addition, experts emphasized that digitalization and artificial intelligence must reinforce—not replace—the human role in public administration. “AI will not replace public servants, but those who know how to use AI will lead the transformation,” noted Peter Pogačar, Director-General at the Ministry of PA.

Good Practices Strengthen Institutional Resilience

The “Good Practices for a Resilient Administration” segment highlighted innovation and improvements across the public sector. Eva Treven, Director-General of the Directorate for Quality, noted, “Success stories and good practices emerge every day, but many remain hidden. Our task is to help them thrive more broadly.” Dr. Til Rozman, Head of Regulatory Quality and Development Planning Sector explained that the Ministry’s Policy Design Hub fosters evidence-based, stakeholder-driven policies tested before implementation, while Dr. Staša Mesec, Innovation Community Coordinator added: “Innovations aren’t born in strategy documents, they come from people courageous enough to try.”

CEF’s Role in Driving Learning and Progress

The conference wrapped up with a forward looking closing remarks featuring State Secretary Jure Trbič and CEF Director Jana Repanšek, who highlighted: “Slovenia ranks 21st on the Human Development Index, and around 70% of citizens are satisfied with administrative services. Change is happening—not by revolution, but through evolution, driven by knowledge, responsibility, and trust.” She emphasized that learning, collaboration, and knowledge sharing are key, with CEF supporting practitioners and policymakers to turn innovation and evidence-based practices into tangible results.

Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA