From managing EU funds to delivering smarter services, today’s local officials face complex challenges that demand more than just experience: they need new skills. In Puglia, municipalities are stepping up.
The first edition of the “Upskilling for GOVERNANCE” High Training Course, developed within the Interreg GOVERNANCE project and co-financed by the Interreg IPA South Adriatic Programme, has closed registrations with a strong and enthusiastic response from local authorities. The demand exceeded expectations, confirming that digital transition and administrative capacity are now top priorities across the region.
Tailored to the needs of municipal staff, the 300-hour training programme blends online and in-person sessions and covers a range of essential topics: digitalisation, cybersecurity, AI in public services, simplification, EU funds management, and institutional communication. It offers concrete tools to improve local governance and citizen access to services.
Whether in small towns addressing digital divides or in larger cities redesigning their service models, Puglia’s municipalities are showing a clear commitment to making local public administration more agile, skilled, and citizen-oriented.
The initiative is coordinated by the Puglia Region - Digital Growth Unit of the Department for Economic Development, in partnership with the University of Bari Aldo Moro, the National Inter-University Consortium for Informatics (CINI), and ANCI Puglia.
This is just the beginning. Two additional editions are planned over the next three years, with the goal of reaching even more public employees and extending the training model to partners in Molise, Albania and Montenegro, building a shared vision for responsive, digitally capable governance across the South Adriatic.
Learn more on GOVERNANCE project HERE.
About the project
GOVERNANCE is co-financed by the Interreg IPA South Adriatic Programme 2021–2027 and brings together partners from Italy, Albania, and Montenegro to reinforce public sector capacity, promote digital innovation, and support cross-border cooperation at the local level.