Yury Hubarevich spoke to Belarusian Radio Racyja about the “Personnel Reserve” campaign, its goals and participants
30 September, 2024
The coordinator of the “Personnel Reserve” campaign, Deputy Representative for the Transit of Power of the United Transitional Cabinet Yury Hubarevich, spoke to Belarusian Radio Racyja about the initiative, its objectives, and its participants.
He discussed whether the 272 people recruited over the past year, according to the campaign’s report, can be considered a real reserve that could be used in a future democratic Belarus.
Participants come with very different levels of competence, preparation, education, and professional experience. And this, according to him, is a positive factor, since a state governance system also requires people who are not uniform “cogs” and who have not all gone through, for example, only the Presidential Academy of Public Administration of the Republic of Belarus. The future administration, he argues, should consist of people from different fields who primarily share the desire to build a new democratic country.
Have there already been two cohorts of participants?
They have conducted two online training programmes, although they do not refer to them as formal “graduations”, because the “Personnel Reserve” is not purely an educational initiative. The educational component is important, but the project also includes professionals who themselves can teach—people with PhDs and doctorates, as well as specialists with decades of experience. The main added value, according to him, is often not basic training, but understanding how governance and administration work in democratic countries.
Therefore, the programmes are flexible and adapted to participants’ needs, although they include basic introductory courses.
Two training cycles have already been completed, but this does not mean the process ends there. The goal is to bring together people who see themselves as part of a future team of reformers, administrators, and public sector professionals in a future democratic Belarus.
What are the plans for the coming year?
A discussion platform has been launched for “Personnel Reserve” participants (https://t.me/pr_belarus/284), accessible only to registered members. It is intended for discussion of draft laws and reform concepts in different areas.
Among other plans are a study visit to Brussels at the end of the year to learn about the functioning of EU institutions, as well as various initiatives such as online lectures chosen by participants. The project has many plans and encourages new participants to join.
