Public administration in a new reality was discussed by representatives of more than 40 countries

The 2021 ACSH Annual Conference on “PUBLIC SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION” was held on 27-29 October. The event was attended by heads of authorized state bodies, experts, scientists from over 40 countries, as well as representatives of international organizations. The conference was held offline and online in Nur-Sultan.

Chairman of the ACSH Steering Committee Mr. Alikhan BAIMENOV, Chairperson of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Civil Service Affairs Ms. Anar ZHAILGANOVA, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan Mr. Yakup BERIS, Director for Public Governance, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Ms. Elsa PILICHOWSKI, Head of Cooperation at the European Union (EU) Delegation to Kazakhstan Mr. Johannes Stenbaek Madsen, World Bank Country Manager for Kazakhstan Mr. Jean-François Marteau, as well as Director of the Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Didar Temenov made welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony.

Welcoming the conference participants, Mr. Alikhan Baimenov noted that one and a half years in the new reality governments are accumulating invaluable experiences and have already been allowed to draw some preliminary lessons. First, the need for prompt decision-making in response to crises issues should not put government accountability and transparency at risk. Next, the digital transformation of public administration, massively accelerated by the outbreak, should not be employed at the expense of citizens’ rights and freedoms. Third, access to the Internet and social networks must be protected by international law and recognized as inalienable human rights. “These all together emphasize the importance of balancing quick wins with strategic goals” – said Mr. Baimenov. In addition, he stressed that a continuous exchange of knowledge and experiences is gaining ever-growing importance.

Ms. Anar Zhailganova, in her welcoming address, said that “the topic of the current conference perfectly reflects the need we feel during this period to strengthen ties and communications, in closer interaction, giving rise to new ideas, approaches, and solutions in order to further transform the public administration system”.

Leading international experts and practitioners shared their views and vision on the future of public administration in the post-pandemic period at the special session titled “Professionals’ Insights and Reflections”:

• H.E. Mr. Larbi DJACTA, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Chairman of the United Nations International Civil Service Commission 
• Ms. Maya TSKITISHVILI, former Vice Prime Minister of Georgia 
• Mr. Drago KOS, Head of OECD Working Group on Bribery 
• and other experts.

A number of new projects implemented by the ACSH were presented within the framework of the conference: 

• Regional Project on "Capacity Building for Innovation in Governance and Digitalisation of Public Services" which is implemented jointly with the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the National Information Society Agency of the Republic of Korea;
• Public Service Innovations Accelerator Lab implemented jointly with "Zerde" National Infocommunication Holding" JSC;
• Results of a Comparative Review of Public Sector Compensation Systems;
• Briefing on a new book “Public Service Evolution in the 15 Post- Soviet Countries: Diversity in Transformation”.

The Hub has over 80 institutional partners, with which Hub maintains and develops partnerships. Thus the conference continued with joint panel sessions of the Hub with partners on October 28 and 29.

On the second day of the conference, a joint seminar was held with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Academy of Public Administration in Kazakhstan on public administration reforms to achieve the SDGs. A joint session was also held with the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Civil Service and the Association of HR Association of Kazakhstan, dedicated to the role of internal communications in human resource management and the brand of the civil service as an employer. Ms. Nataliia Alyushina, Head of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, Mr. Rinat Mukhametkaliyev, Head of Staff of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, as well as representatives of authorized bodies in the field of civil service of Belgium and Uzbekistan shared their country experience.

On the third day of the conference, the prospects of digitalization of public services and innovations were discussed:

• Joint panel with the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea, and JSC "Zerde" National Infocommunication Holding" on “Digitalization in Public Service Delivery”. Within this session, the experience of the Republic of Korea and Estonia in developing a digital government was presented, which are a benchmark and are of particular value for many countries in the region.
• Joint Workshop with UNOSSC and the South-South Network for Public Service Innovations (SSN4PSI) “Public Service Delivery in the Era of SDGs”.

All materials and photos are available via following link.

Video recordings are available at the ACSH Facebook and Youtube page.