To improve coordination of communication activities related to the results of public administration reform (PAR), a new meeting of the Working Group for Planning and Coordination of PAR Communication was held at the Palace of Serbia on July 31.
The Working Group consists of representatives of institutions that are also members of the Council for Public Administration Reform, specifically those whose core responsibilities include media cooperation and public relations.
"Given the Working Group’s mandate, it is important to re-establish its operations as soon as possible so that we can jointly enhance the visibility of public administration reform results in the coming period," said Đorđe Đoković, Acting Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government (MPALSG), opening the meeting. He also announced the key items ahead: the adoption of the Rules of Procedure and the Annual Communication Operational Plan (ACOP) for 2025.
Mila Stanković, Assistant Minister at the Sector for European Integration and International Cooperation, MPALSG, emphasized the Working Group’s role—both with new and returning members—in ensuring continuity in communicating PAR results.
"The entire process was initiated by the European Union through the Sector Budget Support (SBS) instrument, from which MPALSG benefits. This instrument supports us in implementing reforms that horizontally span numerous institutions and deliver results over many years. That is why it is important, as the institution leading the PAR process, to make these results more visible to citizens and to highlight the importance of this reform, which is a precondition for all others," Stanković stated.
One of the Group’s immediate priorities is the swift finalization of the Annual Communication Plan, whose adoption is a critical prerequisite for launching promotion of achieved results.
In this regard, the members of the Working Group will be supported by the project "EU Support for Public Administration Reform" (EU4PAR), whose third component is specifically dedicated to improving communication and visibility of the PAR process.
Suzana Trninić, EU4PAR Communication and Visibility Lead Expert, briefed the Working Group on past collaboration with the project and outlined upcoming activities, including media briefings and public campaigns on reform topics relevant to citizens and the economy.
The European Union continues to provide financial and technical assistance to the public administration reform process in Serbia, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government. The contribution of other key institutions involved in the PAR process—including the Ministry of Finance, the Republic Secretariat for Public Policies, the National Academy for Public Administration, and other Government of Serbia institutions represented in the PAR Council—remains essential to the reform’s success.