Jack Kruf, Eric Frank and Ronny Frederickx | april 2014

Idea

Gérard Combe and Jack Kruf, board members of the international association PRIMO Europe, proposed during their meeting in Brussels in May 2013 that global developments be brought to the attention of local authorities through a think tank model.

The Union des Dirigeants Territoriaux de l’Europe (UDITE), the leading professional network for directors and senior managers in the public sector in Europe, and the Public Risk Management Organisation (PRIMO), the leading international network for the development of products and the dissemination of knowledge and strategic information for the public sector in Europe, have joined forces to establish the ‘From Global to Local’ think tank. This is regarded as a formal joint project of both organisations. It was developed and implemented at the first think tank held in Amsterdam.

Start

The first think tank in April 2014 was organised by Jack Kruf (President of PRIMO Europe), in close collaboration with Eric Frank (Director of PRIMO Netherlands) and Ronny Frederickx (member of the UDITE Executive Committee). They were assisted by Marie Dequae (Ghent University), Ed Mallens (ISO 31000 expert and risk manager), and John O’Dea (President of PRIMO Malta). Its primary aim is to use the Global Risks Report 2014 as a basis for discussing how to develop it into a meaningful tool.

The meeting was held in the Spiegelkamer at the College Hotel in Amsterdam.

Recommendations

It became clear that the aim should be to promote a better understanding and exchange of knowledge, ideas, and expertise regarding the impact of global public risks on local communities and cities.

It was agreed that this would take the form of a formal collaboration combining content and expertise, and that global risks would be discussed from the perspective of local and regional government.

The think tank should be actively introduced and promoted via the PRIMO Europe and UDITE networks in Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

This initiative focuses on local strategic governance and (risk) management in relation to public values. It is intended to develop and strengthen the resourcefulness and improvisational skills of local communities and cities across Europe, and in particular the management skills of local government officials and senior professionals.

The think tank was initially inspired by the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Risks Reports and was strongly motivated by the vision of PRIMO Europe and UDITE that global risks are not properly aligned with or embedded in local public administration.

The think tank aims to raise awareness of the importance, knowledge and practice of strategic risk management as an integral part of good public governance, which encompasses much more than preventing losses and reducing costs. The results are intended to provide concrete recommendations for governance and management.

The think tank consists of a series of roundtable discussions with a select group of representatives from government, non-governmental organisations, the business community and academia. The results are presented internationally and published on their websites and in the media. Both organisations sought collaboration with selected public organisations.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2014 is clearly intended to address global issues, sometimes at national level, but mostly on a larger scale. The report provides a general overview of the most relevant risks.

We know that not all risks can be managed or mitigated at the local level, but our network indicates that many local and regional public leaders and city administrators will face the direct consequences of emerging risks as reported. After all, they are closest to the well-being of our citizens and are engaged in governing society daily.

The think tank is convinced that many of the risks outlined in the report require robust strategies and policy measures at all levels of government and the private sector. The report and its conclusions are largely unknown to mayors, councillors, and city administrators in municipalities across Europe. It is essential that general awareness of the quality of life in towns and villages, and the associated risks, is raised and discussed by local leaders. The sharing of knowledge and insights on public administration and management in towns and regions is considered urgent.

Finally, the mission of this think tank is to strengthen the preventive approach, the precautionary principle, and proactivity regarding risks. The results will be presented internationally and published on the website, social media, and in PRIMO magazine

It is recommended that the think tank be organised in a round-table format, with a compact group. Experience shows that this fosters in-depth dialogue. The composition should include participants with diverse backgrounds, roles, and expertise, so that issues can be examined from various perspectives.

The discussion should be open and focused on the essence of the current local and regional spectrum of public values and risks. It is worth considering asking each member of the think tank to prepare a thesis (maximum 300 words) setting out their personal view on that year’s theme. This will be submitted and presented by the author in a one-minute pitch.

Each think tank will include theses, pitches, a general presentation on public risks, focused and thematic discussion, conclusions and recommendations.

For each country, a partner will be sought for each think tank that endorses the ideas and who is able and willing to contribute based on their specific expertise and focus. Potential partners include BNG Bank in the Netherlands, Belfius Bank in Flanders, and the University of Malta in Malta.

It became clear during this meeting that not all risks can be addressed and mitigated at a local level. Nevertheless, it is known within the network that many local and regional public leaders and city managers will have to deal with the direct consequences of the emerging risks as they arise. After all, they are closest to the well-being of our citizens and are engaged daily in managing the fabric of society.

There is a conviction that the Think Tank can serve as a platform for in-depth discussions on the regional and local implications of these risks, based on the belief that many of these risks require robust strategies and policies at various levels of government and the business sector, and that the Think Tank can provide an important forum for these discussions.