1 from 4QC to 5QC expectations expressed by the European participants at 4QC E-government meeting, Helsinki 9th November 2006

2 Interviews of 21 participants (non-French) at 4QC on their expectations for 5QC selected for their geographic origin: from a country having organised a previous conference (Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland) from a “big country” by population (Germany, Spain, UK) from one of the founding or longstanding member countries of the European Union (Belgium, Sweden, Austria) from one of the most recent EU entrants (Hungary, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic)

3 Venue: CNIT Paris-La Défense Date: October 2008 Main theme: “the citizen in the heart of public quality” Paris La défense CNIT Arche de la Défense

4 On content: 5QC, a particular time First QC in the 27-member European Union New social challenges: immigration, management of diversity, population ageing, knowledge transfer between generations, etc. In the path towards the objective of 2000 CAF (Common Assessment Framework) users by 2010 A need for change to move on to a “second generation” QC

5 On content: the theme of the “citizen” garners very favourable reactions How can citizens be encouraged to take part? How are commitments made to citizens (charters, etc.)? What kind of communication should there be with citizens? How can citizens be made to feel that they are truly consulted? What connection is there with the political sphere? How do citizens evaluate performance and quality of administration?

6 On content: conference objectives Generate genuine added value for participants: —reusable good practices and innovative viewpoints —confrontation of quality improvement approaches —learning how to overcome difficulties that arise The economics of quality —cost and funding of quality improvement in public services —improving quality for less —conflict between quality improvement and costs cutting Achieving sustainability in quality improvement efforts: —What became of good practices 2006? —How can quality be made sustainable (change management, etc.)?

7 On form: plenary sessions and agoras Preserve the current balance among various types of sessions (e.g., plenary, agora, workshop) Plenary sessions: —Importance of interaction (opportunity to ask questions, to communicate with the speaker: e-voting, questions compiled on- line, etc.) —No more than two conferences scheduled in a row Agoras: —Importance of interactivity —Avoid arranging too many agoras at the same time (frustration of participants) —European challenges, not just national or local

8 On form: good practices cases Improving the quality of presentations: —higher quality of good practices at “European level” —more details on certain aspects (results achieved? conflicts of interest? Cost of the project?) —good practices that illustrate the benefits of using the CAF —good practices highlighting responsiveness to citizens and citizen participation —a more active role for “critical friends” in terms of advice to improve presentations Ensuring genuine interaction with participants: prepare questions, seek differing or complementary viewpoints, etc.

9 On form: logistics The Tampere conference has since become a reference in terms of logistical organisation The linguistic issue should be dealt with satisfactorily in every aspect of the conference: —participants expect French to have a privileged status —plenary conferences with simultaneous interpreting in several languages (French, English, German, other) —working sessions (agoras, workshops, etc.) give English a (predominant?) place

10 the other components The CAF (Common assessment framework) should be more integrated into the conference proceedings E-administration should be fully part of QC (more examples) — 10 out of the 77 best practice cases presented in workshops were about E-administration (i.e. less than 15%) —Need for actual demonstrations of E-administration

11 The key criteria for a successful 5QC Good speakers, presentations rich in content and well structured changes – hear speeches and examine genuinely innovative real-life cases Actual presence of citizens at the conference Very concrete examples of good practices from operational units (e.g. hospitals, schools, etc.) Good time management (observance of strict timing) A conference easy to follow for non-French speakers The “French touch”

12 conclusion: ambitious expectations 5QC, a conference that puts a mark on its era: —number of participants: 1500? 2000? —rank of speakers at plenary sessions (President of the Republic, Prime Minister, others?) and quality of keynote speakers —quality of content —“surprise but not disorient” —convivial aspects (gourmet cuisine, Paris’ cultural and architectural heritage, “surprise” angle) Suggest that participants work on a 10-year joint line of conduct structured around the key idea of quality improvement and linking up with the Lisbon agenda

13 Next steps For 5QC team —Select clear themes for targeted audiences, high quality sessions and cases to discuss, excellent speakers, and more opportunities for true discussion and networking For IPSG —Set up a common approach (an “European standard”) to assess the merits of each best practice case —Set up a more objective and rigorous selection process (board of examiners?) For IPSG and E-government group —responsibility of selecting best practice cases remains the responsibility of each member state but should comply with “the European standard” —ensure that the case studies adequately support the themes of the conference

14 Thank you for your attention See you at the 5QC, in Paris Eiffel tower Triumphal Arch Paris - La Défense district