Local Self-Government Representatives Certified to Conduct Competence-Based Interviews Exchange Experiences in Vrnjačka Banja

Exchange of experiences, discussion of practical challenges, and improvement of skills in conducting competence-based interviews were the focus of the first workshop for assessors of behavioral competencies from local self-governments, organized by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) on March 5th, 2026, in Vrnjačka Banja.

The workshop was organized within the Programme “EU for HRM in LSG – phase 3”, financed by the European Union in the scope of IPA 2024 national allocation. The key competent line institution at the national level is the Ministry for Public Administration and Local Self-government (MPALSG) and SCTM has the role of implementing partner.

In his opening remarks, Miloš Mucok, Program Director for System Topics and Governance at SCTM and coordinator of the Programme component “EU for HRM in LSG – phase 3”, emphasized that the workshop represents a continuation of support to assessors who previously attended training on conducting competence-based interviews. He recalled that during 2024 more than 200 officials from local self-governments were trained to conduct competence-based interviews.

"Competence-based interviews represent a specific technique that requires continuous professional development. For this reason, we designed a series of workshops that will enable assessors to exchange experiences and further improve their skills in applying this method," said Mucok.

As he pointed out, a total of four workshops is planned within the Programme, addressing different aspects of competence-based interviews, with a particular focus on the exchange of experiences among assessors.

Representatives of the Human Resource Management Service of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Jovana Stojadinović and Aleksandra Stanković, presented to participants the institution’s experience in assessing behavioral competencies and cooperating with local self-government units.

As Jovana Stojadinović noted, over the past year and a half the Human Resource Management Service has cooperated with more than 80 cities and municipalities in the process of assessing behavioral competencies, during which more than 150 candidates were tested.

Aleksandra Stanković emphasized that the interest shown by local self-governments in this topic confirms that the assessment of behavioral competencies is becoming an important part of modern human resource management in public administration.

During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences from their practice in conducting competence-based interviews and to discuss challenges they encounter in this process. A special segment of the workshop was dedicated to the training “Advanced Questioning Techniques and Managing Difficult Situations in Competence-Based Interviews,” through which participants enhanced their skills in conducting structured interviews and deepening candidates’ responses.

This workshop represents the first in a series of activities aimed at the continuous professional development of behavioral competency assessors in local self-government, which will be implemented within the Programme “EU for HRM in LSG – phase 3”.