Peer-to-Peer Learning Workshop

The Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) of Bhutan and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), through the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) and its project office- United Nations Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), and in collaboration with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Bhutan, are organizing a Peer-to-Peer Learning International Workshop on Public Service Training Assessment Framework for Strengthening Capacities of Public Servants to Support SDG Implementation.

The Workshop was aimed to promote a learning journey of peers that would help strengthen civil service capacity building in Bhutan as well as developing partnerships among the participating countries, leading to the development of a framework for learning outcome assessment for the Royal Government of Bhutan. The Workshop provided a platform for practitioners and decision-makers of the RCSC and its affiliated agencies to learn lessons from international best practices.

Through participating in this Peer-to-Peer Learning Workshop, participants from Bhutan will have:

● Uncovered common challenges and roadblocks to the implementation of the public service training assessment framework (PSTAF).

● Enhanced awareness of the various approaches and methodologies adopted by different countries to overcome some of the challenges in the design and implementation of the PSTAF.

● Identified the key elements of a PSTAF.

● Established pathways for follow-up mechanisms for further peer-to-peer learning.

● Recommendations for a customized public service training assessment framework.

Ms. Azusa Kubota, UN Resident Coordinator a.i., the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Bhutan, Ms. Tshering Yangden, Commissioner of RCSC and Mr. Juwang Zhu, Director, DPIDG of UN DESA, on behalf of Mr. Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, delivered opening remarks to launch this virtual event today. During his opening remarks, Mr. Zhu particularly highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional capacity through relevant training courses to develop new mindsets, competencies and behaviors and new ways of working across organizational boundaries. Mr. Zhu further underscored the necessity of ensuring training effectiveness and sustainability by assessing whether public service training delivered translated into desired change in behavior among public servants, which is one common challenge faced by many countries.

The Day 1 of the Workshop has been attended by 90 government officials from Bhutan, UN officials, and other invited international experts including officials from China, Republic of Korea, and Thailand. Today’s Session witnessed active engagement and participation from participants. This Workshop concludes tomorrow.