Think Tank on development of digital competencies in public administration

The Think Tank was organised by the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation in cooperation with Finnish experts Riitta Paalanen and Ari Sihvol at the National School of Public Administration on 20 March 2026

The Think Tank was dedicated to the innovative development of digital competencies in EU public administrations, with a special focus on Croatia.

Through the interactive World Café format, participants discussed key topics, including digital transformation and competencies, productivity and the use of digital tools in civil servants’ work, e-learning and artificial intelligence as well as new learning models.

Particular attention was paid to governance in the digital age, leadership, organisational culture and the role of civil servants in the context of AI.

During the meeting, a comparison of the development of digital competencies in the public administrations of Finland and Croatia was presented.

Finland is at the forefront of the EU when it comest to digital public services, but at the same time faces the challenges of hybrid work and preserving social cohesion.

On the other hand, Croatia has adopted a comprehensive strategic framework - from the Digital Croatia Strategy 2032 to the National Public Administration Development Plan 2022-2027, but a key challenge is still ahead: implementation of the plans in practice.

Based on a questionnaire conducted before the event and discussions in the World Café format, participants from state administration bodies analysed current challenges, exchanged solutions and jointly formulated a proposal for measures for Croatia. The results are consolidated in the final report.

There is also an open possibility of further cooperation with DISPA, EUPAN, OECD and the European Commission.

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