ETGN Summer School on Agile Governance - 2022

Programme Description

We are now welcoming registrations for the second edition of the ETGN Summer School on Agile Governance. Apply now!

In times of accelerating technological development, as well as existential risks such as climate change and infectious diseases, agile governance is becoming a “must have” for governments, businesses and international organisations. Being able to anticipate future events, quickly reorganise in times of disruption and adequately respond to fast-changing environments is an essential feature of agile organisations.

Originally developed in the private sector, as an emerging characteristic of thriving organisations, the notion of agile governance has gradually been adapted to the domain of governments and institutions, where it is now inspiring far-reaching reforms, gradually charting the future of government. Since 2020, institutions such as the US Government and Accountability Office and the Government of Japan have adopted initiatives on agile governance; and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Singapore, UAE and UK signed the world’s first “Agile Nations” agreement at a panel co-organised by the OECD and the World Economic Forum (WEF).

This Summer School will provide an in-depth introduction to agile governance, defined as adaptive, human-centred, inclusive, multi-stakeholder and sustainable policy-making. Trainers and participants will discuss emerging tools such as foresight and horizon scanning, regulatory sandboxes, GovTech solutions, Artificial Intelligence, policy co-creation, citizen engagement and more.

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Programme structure

• Day 1: Setting the stage: Why do we need agile governance?
• Day 2: Designing agile governance systems
• Day 3: Artificial intelligence, big data, and governance
• Day 4: Opportunities and threats for democracy in agile governance

After a first day of introduction, aimed at shedding light on the concept and tools of agile governance, Day 2 will feature interactive sessions on how to design agile governance systems, how to use foresight and horizon scanning in support of adaptive policymaking, with concrete examples and a group debate with guests from the OECD. Day 3 will be dedicated to the emerging approaches to the regulation of Artificial Intelligence and big data; and also to a discussion of how AI and Big Data can support agile governance through key techniques such as machine learning for predictive analytics. Participants will discuss with data scientists the opportunities and challenges of deploying AI and big data in government, and possible measures to promote the trustworthy use of these powerful technologies. Day 4 will focus on how an inclusive policy process can strengthen government agility by leveraging public private partnerships and engaging with citizens in co-designing future policy.

 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the Summer School programme, participants will be able to:

• Describe the notion of agile governance, and the ways in which it can strengthen competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience;
• Compare different approaches to agile governance design, from the business and the public sector point of view;
• Determine how horizon scanning and strategic foresight contribute to a more agile policymaking process;
• Examine opportunities and challenges of AI and big data in government;
• Recognise ways in which effective public-private partnerships and an inclusive policy process can strengthen government agility.

 

Who should attend

• Policymakers at all levels of government;
• Senior and mid-career civil servants;
• Senior staff in corporations delivering public services;
• Early- and mid-career lawyers and economic consultants;
• Staff in tech companies developing tools for government;
• Researchers focusing on tech and governance.

 

A training certificate from leading European policy institutes

The participants of the Summer School will receive a training certificate from the ETGN, a network of seven European institutes that offer top-of-the-market executive education for policy professionals.

• Central European University (CEU);
• College of Europe, Bruges Campus;
• College of Europe, Natolin Campus;
• EUI School of Transnational Governance (STG);
• Hertie School – The University of Governance in Berlin;
• Institut National du Service Public (INSP);
• SDA Bocconi School of Management.

 

Speakers & Trainers

The Summer School will have speakers and trainers from the ETGN network, governments, international organizations, and the private sector, in an interactive environment which will include moments of debate, groupwork, and plenty of space for networking. Among the confirmed speakers and trainers are:

• Alexander Stubb, Director and Professor, EUI School of Transnational Governance; former Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, Trade and Europe Minister of Finland;
• Andrea Renda, Professor, EUI School of Transnational Governance; Senior Research Fellow and Head of the CEPS Unit on Global Governance, Regulation, Innovation, and the Digital Economy (GRID);
• Alessandra Santacroce, President of the IBM Italia Foundation;
• Cameran Ashraf, Professor, Central European University; head of Human Rights at the Wikimedia Foundation; co-founder of AccessNow;
• Dimitri Lorenzani, Member of Cabinet of the Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight;
• Hiroki Habuka, Research Professor, Kyoto University, Graduate School of Law;
• Kenneth Amaeshi, Professor, EUI School of Transnational Governance; Visiting Professor, London School of Economics; Honorary Professor of Business in Africa at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa;
• Miguel Amaral, Senior Economist at the OECD Public Governance Directorate;
• Olaf Osica, Professor, College of Europe, Natolin Campus;
• Thurid Hustedt, Professor of Public Administration and Management, Hertie School – The University of Governance in Berlin;
• Francois Lafarge, Researcher, L'Institut national du service public (INSP);
• Alexandrina Soldatenko, Head of European Action Unit, L'Institut national du service public (INSP);
• Francesco Menegoni, Technical Innovation Project Manager, Department for Digital Transformation, Government of Italy.