The WeLearn Workshop provided participants with practical tools to design and implement effective public finance reforms. Through interactive sessions led by experts Alexander Grünwald and Nina Vujošević, participants explored the policy cycle, good governance principles, budget reforms, and open government practices. Case studies and peer collaboration further helped participants build leadership skills and apply reform scenarios to real-world administrative challenges.

As highlighted by Irini Zoica, participant from Albania, the workshop allowed participants to work through the entire policymaking cycle, from the principles of good governance and agenda-setting to the completion of reforms and the use of practical tools such as Regulatory Impact Assessment. She also stressed that a true added value was the opportunity to collaborate with peers from different Western Balkan administrations: “The highlight was working together to create a real-life policymaking scenario, which helped us understand policy cycles and public financial reforms more deeply and gave us the confidence to apply them in our own institutions and support smoother cooperation across different stages of the cycle.”

Building on the learning gained during the workshop, the WeExperience Study Visit allowed participants to engage directly with Serbian public institutions, including the Ministry of European Integration, the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, the Institute for Development and Innovations, the Ministry of Education, and the Institute of Economic Sciences. These exchanges provided concrete insights into Serbia’s EU accession process and its ongoing reform agenda.

As Ms. Zoica further noted, the study visit highlighted the value of regional cooperation: “In Belgrade, public administrators shared not only their achievements but also their challenges, which opened meaningful opportunities for discussion and exchange. Since we are all part of the Balkan region, many of our challenges are similar. Learning from one another and adopting best practices is a meaningful way to advance our institutions and build bridges of cooperation across the region.”

Together, the workshop and study visit offered a unique value-added experience: strengthening professional networks among young civil servants, enhancing understanding of EU integration, and fostering innovation in public administration. By combining theoretical learning with practical institutional visits, the events prepared the next generation of leaders to drive reforms and cooperation across the Western Balkans.