Final Report

The IIAS EURONEMA 2022 Joint Conference was organised in Rome, Italy on June 27-July 1, 2022, by the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Luiss – Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali - Guido Carli (LUISS), the Middle East and North Africa Public Administration Research network (MENAPAR), ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa and the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA). The 2022 Conference gathered more than 300 public administration scholars, practitioners, and Ph.D. students. Participants discussed contemporary challenges faced by governments worldwide focusing on the central theme of the event: Next Generation Governance and Young Global Public Administration: Mobilizing People, Skills, Energies for a Sustainable New Normal.

During plenaries, panels, and track sessions, the participants addressed different public administration topics. Digital transformation and its impacts in public service was frequently mentioned as fundamental for next generation governance and the process of reshaping administrative institutions and the administrative culture. However, participants also raised several concerns on the complexity of its implementation, problems of digital divide, and the lack of standardization of technical languages, amongst other challenges, so that digital transformation can fulfill its potential to help public administration be adapted to present and future challenges.

At the same time, conference debates also reinforced the need for changing the mindset inside and outside public service. Investment in training and education was considered a crucial aspect to support public servants in managing crisis and transforming governance structures, focusing on both hard and soft skills. Nonetheless, participants stressed that building bridges might be a key condition to address current and future society challenges.

The implementation of the SDGs, the recovery plans from the COVID-19 crises as well as the necessary reforms of PA for coping with these challenges were analysed : as for instance, creating networked, crosscultural, and interdisciplinary approaches, integrating different actors/stakeholders, strengthening institutions, adapting countries' strategy and national developing plans, using data and evidence-based analysis, increasing capacities of PA and Civil servants to cope with global challenges . However, discussions highlighted that efforts should go further than promoting international guidelines and best practices and should include the need of tailoring initiatives to local contexts. Key challenges of our societies were also examined as: gender discriminations vs gender balance, social inequalities vs social inclusion and all the contemporary challenges to leave no one behind.

Social innovation in public administration as an evolution of Public Governance underlining the importance of networks, multilevel governance systems and collaborative relationships were also emphasized as key processes for the future of our societies.

The report offers a summary of the discussions and key elements to be considered for the future developments of PA role in tackling the challenges of sustainable development. It also provides the reader with some takeaways for practitioners, future perspective for research in the different fields of PA as well as concluding remarks for each thematic track and panel.