Our close partnership with British Council in Montenegro
Information on how we are developing skills, capacity and leadership of Montenegrin civil service.
As part of the UK’s support to Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic integration, we partner with different organisations to deliver projects that will directly contribute to our project priorities, such as to establish and promote proper functioning of core institutions necessary for democratic governance in Montenegro, through building institutional and administrative capacities.
Over the years, we have worked closely with the British Council Montenegro to deliver a series of strategic partnerships to enhance public administration skills, capacity and leadership.
The British Council Montenegro office was established in 1994. Within the British Council’s global mission to support cultural and educational exchange with the UK, the British Council Montenegro office has worked on numerous projects in the areas of improvement of competences of civil servants, sustainable development, cultural heritage and the English language.
In partnership, we have strengthened cooperation with the Montenegrin government through long-term projects which strengthened the civil servants’ competences, created in response to the recommendations of the European Commission, Country Strategy Paper, and strategic priorities of the negotiation process.
List of our joint recent and ongoing governance projects:
| 2013-2016 | ProAccession |
| Partner | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations and Negotiation Teams |
| Results | Conducted an intensive practical training in communication and negotiation skills in the EU context; provided support in practical tasks related to the negotiation process in cooperation with Croatia’s Centre of Excellence, engaging more than 200 Montenegrin civil servants from across public administration. |
| 2012-2013 | Parliamentary Strengthening Programme (implemented in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy) |
| Partner | Montenegrin Parliament |
| Results | Provided intensive training for more than 50 administrative staff enhancing efficiency in communicating with international partners and meeting Parliament’s obligations, particularly in the process of EU integration. |
| 2014-2015 | EU Communications Strategy, joint programme, co-funded by EU, MFAEI and British Embassy |
| Partner | The EU Coordination Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations and PR offices from all ministries |
| Results | Collaborated in the development of a comprehensive EU Communications strategy and action plan, including intensive training for PR teams in specific areas, such as: developing strategies and action plans; engaging with the media; crisis communications and campaigning. Provided expertise from UK PR leaders and trainers to enhance quality of engagement across Montenegro. Implemented a large-scale public campaign promoting EU values and engaging citizens in the accession process. |
| 2008-2011 | Skills for EU |
| Partner | Senior and mid level civil servants from all government ministries, most agencies and directorates |
| Results | Provided practical training in communication and negotiations skills in the EU context for 100 middle managers and officials involved in EU integration, including negotiations, reports and position papers. |
| 2013-2017 | Peacekeeping English Language Programme (co-funded by UK, Dutch and Norwegian Ministries of Defence) |
| Partner | Ministry of Defence and Montenegrin Armed Forces |
| Results | We have developed sustainability of English training to help meet interoperability requirements for NATO membership. Intensive teacher training, building internal resources, including self-access learning centres, reorganising staffing policy and delivering targeted, bespoke English language courses. |
| 2015-2016 | Regional Public Administration Capacity Building (co-funded by RESPA, regional project) |
| Partner | Senior and mid-level civil servants of Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo |
| Results | Enhanced skills and capacity of public administration leaders and future leaders across the Western Balkans, in line with the European Commission’s focus on public administration reform. |
| 2015-2016 | Professional development in the UK: Future Leaders (regional project) |
| Partner | Senior and mid level civil servants of Montenegro |
| Results | Identified and empowered future leaders and agents of change; developed their connections with their UK counterparts through a working attachment programme; and supported their deployment of new skills on their return to Montenegro. |
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For any questions about our project work in Podgorica, contact our Projects team.