Managerial Accountability as the Main Topic of the Workshop in Bečići for Public Sector Leaders

Managerial accountability was the main theme of the two-day workshop in Bečići, which brought together managers and internal auditors from Montenegro’s public administration. The event was organised within the framework of the project “EU for Public Finance Management – EU4PFM”, funded by the European Union in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, with the aim of strengthening transparency, ethical governance, and the effective delivery of services in Montenegro’s public administration.

Opening the workshop, Minas Trubljanin, Director General of the Directorate for Central Harmonisation and the Development of Internal Controls within the Ministry of Finance, emphasised that an efficient public administration is one of the three key pillars in the European Union enlargement process.
“Integrity, transparency, and accountability are prerequisites for public trust, as well as pillars of good governance and efficient public administration. The managerial accountability for their entrusted tasks is of essential importance for sound governance in public administration, ensuring that it remains efficient, professional, and citizen-oriented,” Trubljanin stated. He welcomed the participants’ interest in the topic and expressed his expectation of a substantive discussion.

On the first day of the workshop, the latest analyses and recommendations regarding the current situation in the field of managerial accountability were presented, alongside interactive sessions where managers exchanged experiences and identified practical steps for improving accountability mechanisms. As noted by Malgorzata Skocinska, representative of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro:
“Although there is a solid legal framework and supervisory institutions have a clear mandate, performance management remains weak. As goals are often imprecise and reporting is delayed or absent, it is very difficult to ensure individual accountability. From this perspective, managerial accountability is not merely an administrative matter but a foundation of trust, integrity, and service to citizens.”

The main focus of the second day of the workshop was the role of internal auditors and the ways in which they can support managers without undermining their responsibilities. Participants discussed practical tools, guidelines, and good practices for strengthening the internal control environment and fostering closer cooperation between auditors and managers. Ana Stankaitiene, Team Leader of the EU4PFM project, stressed that managerial accountability may appear to be a general concept, but its effects are both concrete and far-reaching.
“Every decision in public finance management – from the timely preparation of the budget, through the proper selection of capital projects, to the flexible execution of the budget – depends on the maturity of accountability,” said Stankaitiene. She encouraged participants to view the subject both systematically and in detail.

The workshop concluded with a summary of the key messages and a reinforced commitment by institutions to strengthening managerial accountability and internal audit practices within Montenegro’s public administration.