ATP Public Sector SIG Convenes in Copenhagen

Representatives from nearly 80 global organisations and civil service offices attend

“The future is not an upgrade from the present – it’s a whole new operating system,” observed  David Bearfield, Director of the European Selection Office (EPSO), in opening up the fifth annual ATP Public Sector SIG meeting in June.  This year’s meeting was hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at its cutting-edge, eco-friendly UN City complex in Copenhagen.

 Addressing the theme of this year’s SIG meeting, Attracting and Selecting Talent for a Sustainable Future, Bearfield gave an overview of the challenges faced by today’s Public Sector, from shifting populations to changing economies to contentious politics.  Bearfield noted the very real complexities faced by civil service organizations in attracting and retaining the talented staff needed to take on these challenges, not the least of which was the digital revolution.  He noted that the “age of disruptive technology” has created a whole new type of worker, with different expectations for their careers.  “Young people have a completely new viewpoint,” Bearfield remarked, citing issues of diversity, gender equality and technology in the workplace.

Martha Lopez, Director of the UNDP Office of Human Resources, urged this year’s SIG meeting attendees, among whom were representatives from nearly 80 global organizations and civil service offices, to develop partnerships and nurture collaboration among each other in seeking solutions to the challenges.

ATP CEO William G. Harris urged attendees to come together as a community and learn about the many assessment solutions that are available from personnel selection to education, certification and credentialing of workplace skills that can help in the screening, selection, certification and training of today’s workers

Presenters at this year’s meeting included keynote speaker Andrew Lambert, Partner at Corporate and HR Governance Consultancy Creelman Lambert, who highlighted the demands of  operating in a digital world which, he noted,  requires new skills, a new strategic focus, new organizational models, and new leadership philosophies.

Local speakers included Trine Dahl, Head of the Department for Leadership Development, Agency for Modernisation, Ministry of Finance of Denmark; Ole Toft, Under-Secretary for Resources and Operations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark; as well as presenters from the UNDP and the New Nordic Leadership Institute. [For a comprehensive list of speakers and presentations visit the Public Sector SIG webpages:  http://www.testpublishers.org/public-sector-workshop ]