The seminar 'Implementing Communication and Lobbying Campaigns' has been held in the capital of Albania – Tirana, in the period 27 September – 2 October, 2009. Organized by the Regional School for Public Administration (RESPA) and European Institute for Public Administration (EIPA), it gathered civil servants from the countries of the region which are working in the area of communication.With the view to that, spokespersons, communication experts and PR experts from public administrations and institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Kosovo took participation at this seminar. Public Administration Coordinator's Office has also had its representative at the event.
Gaining comprehensive understanding of the current state of affairs in the area of communication and media in the European Union and developing of participants' competences for active involvement in communication and lobbying tasks were highlighted as the main goals of the seminar. Knowledge gained at the seminar should help partcipants in development of their expertise and creation of basis for more efficient work in this area which significantly getting on importance in the region.
Thematically, the seminar has comprehended three aspect. It included strategic aspect of communication (communication strategies and plans, tools, methodology, environment), current communication (public relations, communication channels, messages, content), and lobbying as everyday and important aspect of communication, especially form the point of view of the European Union and its institutions. In that direction, lecturers at the seminar has tried to give an insight in the theory and, especially, European practice in respective area, through interactive presentations and workshops.
So, for example, the participants were introduced to the usage of social networks and medias (such as facebook, twitter, digg) as a modern trend in communication in the European Union and Member States. The media landscape of Brussels as a heart of the European Union has been presented, together with complex relations in that environment. The importance of lobbying in the Eu institutions has been pointed out and some practical example of those activities has been given to the participants.
The participants has agreed in evaluation of the seminar as highly sucessfull an useful, expecting that presented expiriances derived from practice of the EU and Member States will significantly help in understanding of the European requirements and activities in the area of communication of public administration and its institutions with the micro and macro environment.