SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Nov. 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ministry of the Presidency, Public Administrations, Justice and Security, alongside the Canarian Institute of Public Administration (ICAP), has today, Wednesday, commenced the II Inter-island Conference on Public Administration in Tenerife. This event will continue over the coming weeks with sessions hosted on various islands, addressing topics such as public service, strategic planning, the implementation of AI in public administrations, and security, among others.
The inaugural day, led by the Deputy Minister of Public Administrations, Antonio Llorens, along with the director of the Canarian Institute of Public Administrations (ICAP), Pino de León, focused on the essential reforms needed in public employment to meet the current demands of both the administrations and the citizens.
“This initiative should develop into an annual gathering that fosters the sharing of insights in the realm of public administration. The conferences will occur over the forthcoming weeks across different islands, during which we will examine the state of the administration from various viewpoints,” Llorens explained, noting that one objective is to promote the involvement of social entities and stakeholders in the activities undertaken by the Ministry of the Presidency.
Pino de León, in his address, highlighted that the sessions aim to encourage discussion and identify areas for enhancing public services. He also underscored the commitment of the Government of the Canary Islands to decentralise and render training more accessible to all public administrations, whilst bolstering collaboration in the training of public personnel.
The general director of Public Function, Francisco Javier Rodríguez, delivered the opening presentation, detailing the changes being advocated regarding public employment under the guidance of councillor, Nieves Lady Barreto, aimed at ensuring personnel replacements, reducing temporary contracts, and improving efficiency.
In his remarks, Rodríguez provided an overview of the current status of the General Administration of the Autonomous Community, indicating that public employment is regulated by a law dating back to 1987, “which is now so outdated that it is often impractical.” He highlighted the importance of the decree-law of urgent measures sanctioned last July, “which serves as temporary regulatory backing for all the modifications we are implementing, until we draft a new Public Employment Law at the beginning of next year,” he stated.
The General Director of Public Service also outlined several challenges confronting public services, including the generational transition and the knowledge transfer concerning the high percentage of public employees expected to retire in the next ten years.
Following this, the general director of Modernisation and Quality of Public Services, Juana María Reyes, evaluated teleworking within the Public Administration. To conclude this initial session, a round table discussion was held focusing on the challenges faced by Public Administration in the Canary Islands, featuring participation from the General Directorate of Public Service alongside union representatives from CCOO, UGT, SEPC, IC, and CSIF.
The next session will take place in Lanzarote on November 18, centring on strategic planning. In Fuerteventura, the event is set for November 20, addressing transparency, participation, and public integrity. La Gomera will focus on the integration of artificial intelligence in public administration on November 22. On November 28, the conference will move to El Hierro, where the discussion will revolve around best practices in the management of contracts, agreements, and subsidies. The subsequent appointment is on November 29 in La Palma, concentrating on security. Finally, the year’s edition will conclude with a debate on public innovation on December 12 in Gran Canaria.
