Kick-off meeting of the Interest Group on Shared Services - "How to Improve Performance in Local Governments"

The Interest Group on Shared Services (IGSS), led by the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), will hold its kick-off meeting hosted by the e-bourgogne Group of Public Interest (GIP). This meeting will be the starting point for collaboration on shared services, involving all interested parties from the public sector at all government levels in Europe.

The IGSS will gather European stakeholders involved in public administration management to develop strategies and exchange know-how on shared services. The importance of channelling resources and knowledge to improve the public sector's performance will be the main interest of the IGSS. Regular meetings and seminars will be organised to foster cooperation between the interest group members.

Focusing on performance in local governments, the meeting will raise elected deputies' awareness of innovative strategies and tools for optimising resources in their administration. Local initiatives and success factors will be presented to stimulate synergies between European actors and develop a partnership on shared services. Benefiting from a privileged insight into the e-bourgogne best practice, participants will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss the different aspects of performance improvement at all levels of government.

This one-day event will feature practitioners' experiences in the process of implementing change in the public sector to achieve sustainable outcomes. There will be specific importance placed on providing time for discussion and exchange among the participants. Networking sessions and a social programme will allow participants to reflect on the day's debates and establish contacts with peer actors from across Europe.  

The event's targeted audience is:

• Civil servants involved in performance assessment and public management;
• Central and regional government actors;
• Local decision makers, elected deputies;
• Managers of small and large municipalities;
• Public service providers.

Participants are invited to register by filling the attached registration form. Due to limited number of seats available, registration will be open until 15th April 2011. More information about the event can be found in the attached programme.

Event email: a.guiffart@eipa.eu

Wednesday 25 May 2011

20.00    Welcome dinner in Dijon offered by GIP e-bourgogne

Thursday 26 May 2011

09.15    Registration

09.30    An introduction to the interest group

Martine Vandelle, President, GIP e-bourgogne

Louis-Francois Fleri, Managing Director, GIP e-bourgogne

Patrick Ruestchmann, Associate Director, Sources Productions consulting (FR)

Sylvia Archmann, Seconded National Expert from Austria, EIPA, Maastricht (NL)

Astrid Guiffart, Research Assistant, EIPA, Maastricht (NL)

10:00    Time for the participants to introduce themselves and express their expectations

10.30    Aspects of restructuring the communal portfolio: shared services

Guenter Fuerntratt, Change Manager, City of Graz (AT)

11.15    Coffee/tea break

11.45    Measuring performance: Quality Management and Balanced Scorecard in a city

Eva Sejrek-Tunke, Chief Executive Office, City of Vienna (AT)

12.30    Lunch break

14:00    Facing challenges and fiscal constraints: Sant Cugat applying the Politics & Management Deal model

Jordi Joly, Economy Deputy Mayor, Sant Cugat, Catalonia (ES)

14:45    Coffee/tea break

15:15    Panel discussion with the speakers: developing awareness and proposing solutions to your elected members

Chaired by Jordi Joly

16:15    Summary/outlook, announcement of future activities

Sylvia Archmann, Astrid Guiffart

16.30    End of the first meeting

18.30    Social Programme

            (Tour in Dijon offered by GIP e-bourgogne)

20:00    Dinner in Dijon