Vućić Popović: Strategic planning key to a responsible and European public administration

Strategic planning represents the foundation of quality decision-making and a key tool for the long-term functioning of institutions in the process of European integration, stated Irena Vućić Popović, Deputy Secretary-General of the Government of Montenegro, at a training session on strategic planning organized within the Professional Development Programme for Civil Servants.

Addressing the participants, Vućić Popović emphasized that strategic planning is often mistakenly perceived as a formal document or plan that is adopted and then archived, stressing that its true essence lies in clearly choosing a direction, setting priorities, and assuming responsibility for decisions taken.

A strategy is not a list of activities, nor a guarantee of certainty. It implies focus, the ability to recognize what truly matters within a complex system, as well as the readiness to consciously decide what we will not do, Vućić Popović stated.

She particularly underlined that strategic clarity is of exceptional importance in the context of European integration, as membership in the European Union requires institutions capable of planning, coordinating, and acting with a long-term perspective.

Speaking about the significance of the Strategic Planning Training Programme, Vućić Popović recalled that the Programme has been successfully implemented for seven consecutive years by the Secretariat-General of the Government, in cooperation with the Human Resources Administration.

The strong interest shown by civil servants confirms the public administration's commitment to building a credible, interconnected, and coherent public policy planning system. Through programmes such as this, we further strengthen the capacities of the public administration to make well-considered decisions, use resources more efficiently, and adequately respond to the complex challenges of the European integration process, Vućić Popović said.

At the conclusion of her address, she congratulated participants of the Sixth Cycle of the Programme on their achievements and wished the new participants and lecturers a successful start, emphasizing that strategic thinking makes a decisive difference in the quality of public policies.