Helen Conefrey
The scale of restructuring and its implications for all Commission and EEAS staff
Delegations have acted as the voice of the European Union vis-à-vis national authorities and their citizens in host countries for decades. EUDEL constitute an enviable network to leverage EU interests and assist partner countries in their development goals.
USHU publicly requests the Commission/EEAS to communicate restructuring scenarios and share information on the change management process and implementation timeline
Given growing budgetary restrictions, the need to further embed the Global Gateway approach and prioritise strategic alliances, EU Delegation will need to adapt. There will be an inevitable shift towards prioritisation and enhanced policy dialogue in order to achieve EU strategic developmental, trade and political goals.
In any change management process, there will be casualties. Posts will be frozen and eventually suppressed. Expatriate Staff will be redeployed from one EU DEL to another or repatriated to HQ. Local Agents will be dismissed. No need to sugar-coat the impact…..
In 2000, EU DEL underwent a significant de-concentration process with the creation of hundreds or posts for officials with additional posts for ALATs /Individual Experts/Local Agents and later Contract Agents. This has resulted in a network today of 145 EU DEL employing approximately 6000 staff from both the Commission and the EEAS.
Zoom forward to end 2024 and we are in a vastly different context. HQ managers want to revamp the EUDEL network to ensure it remains fit for purpose. EU DEL are tasked with being geopolitical, more efficient and more effective.
Greater regionalisation and specialised thematic hubs in EUDEL is not a new concept. The Commission is however now aiming to increase and extend the use of hubs for both Operational and Finance & Contracts purposes. Hubs will be located in regionally strategic host countries, and presence reduced in other EUDEL countries. This will create a new layer of complexity as reporting lines, authorisations and coordination between hubs and other EU Delegations will need to be defined.
How can we achieve the necessary organisational agility in a way that provides predictability for staff and ensures a smooth change management process, in which staff and their representatives are fully informed and involved?
New recruitment profiles will be required, new skills and knowledge.
EU DEL Staff need support to be prepared. They need access to training to upskill progressively to meet future needs. Staff in EUDEL have repeatedly demonstrated their resilience and ability to learn and adapt.
Join the conversation on EU DEL restructuring and share your thoughts with us at: REP-PERS-USHU@eeas.europa.eu
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