Interested researchers and practitioners are invited to submit papers for presentation at the conference Improving Performance of Public Administration: Current Experiences and Future Perspectives to be held in Belgrade, Serbia 9-10 September 2015. The Conference is organised by the Think for Europe Network (comprising the European Policy Centre, Belgrade, European Policy Institute, Skopje and Institute Alternative, Podgorica).
Conference Themes
The conference addresses the experiences and future perspectives in improving performance in the public administration in the European context. Suggested guiding topics for papers include:
- Evidence-Based Policy Making as a Precondition for Performance of PA
Using evidence in policy formulation, policy monitoring and evaluation, result based approaches in policy making, evaluation as a tool for organisational learning, etc. - Public Administration, Performance and Accountability
Performance measurement and budgeting, linking performance with accountability, managerial accountability, ’Europeanisation’ of public administration in the context of PA performance, etc. - Performance Audit and Policy Evaluation
Effectiveness of government spending and/or policies, impact of performance audit on policy cycle, correlations/links between performance audit and policy evaluation, etc.
We especially welcome submissions dealing with processes of performance audit and policy evaluation as important pillars of public administration and policy making reform in the context of the EU integration. The conference will include practical, empirical as well as theoretical approaches to these topics in order to bridge policy and academia worlds and incite peer learning. While we are foremost interested in contributions in relation to the Western Balkans, we encourage submissions dealing with the EU member states as well.
Eligible Candidates
Researchers working on performance in the public administration, including various aspects of the policy cycle
Practitioners dealing with policy making and evaluation, as well as performance audit in the European context
Scholars and PhD candidates active in the fields of public administration, public management and related fields
The selected candidates will be able to share and discuss their work in practitioner/researcher panels. The Conference is being organised within the project Performance Audit and Policy Evaluation: On the Same or Parallel Tracks supported by the Regional Research Promotion Programme in the Western Balkans (RRPP).
Submission
All interested candidates should submit a single file containing a short Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages) and an abstract of the proposed conference paper (max. 500 words) by 30 April 2015 at the latest, using online application form on the official conference website (see Guidelines for Registration and Applying).
NB: Receipt of abstracts will be confirmed via email, in case there is no confirmation within 24 hours from sending your application, please contact us back at conference.ten@europeanpolicy.org.
Selection Process
The selection process for abstracts will be completed by 15 May 2015. After initial approval of abstracts, selected candidates will be invited to submit a full research paper (up to 6000 words) by 15 July 2015. Please note that the submitted papers will be peer-reviewed and potentially invited for publication in a joint volume. If invited for publication, the final versions of the papers will need to be submitted by 31st August 2015.
Costs
Costs of accommodation in Belgrade and travel costs will be covered for up to 15 participants, based on available funding.
Programme and Practical Information
Participants will be informed about the programme and specific panels of the conference as well as all relevant practical information in due course.
The conference website will be updated on regular basis.
The organisers reserve the right to limit the number of applicants accepted to participate at the conference.
We are looking forward to your proposals! Should you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact conference.ten@europeanpolicy.org.
About Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP)
The RRPP is aimed at fostering and promoting social science research in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia). Social science research aids in the understanding of the specific needs for reform and in identifying the long-term implications of potential policy choices. Researchers receive support through research grants, methodological and thematic trainings, as well as opportunities for regional and international exchange and networking. The RRPP is coordinated and operated by the Interfaculty Institute for Central and Eastern Europe (IICEE) at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). The programme is fully funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
