Learning for the Future - The Dublin Meitheal: Leadership, Democracy, and Public Value

Aoife Rialtas

The Directors of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration (DISPA) network brings together leaders of public administration institutes, schools of government and public-sector learning organisations from across Europe. DISPA meetings are held twice each year and provide a forum for members to exchange knowledge, explore emerging challenges and strengthen cooperation on public administration, leadership development and public-sector learning. Each meeting is hosted by a member country, with the host working in partnership with the European School of Administration (EuSA) and the wider DISPA network to shape the agenda. While the theme varies according to the priorities and interests of the host country, a consistent feature of DISPA gatherings is a focus on learning, capability development and public-sector leadership as drivers of institutional effectiveness and public value. The 2026 Dublin meeting will bring together approximately 40 to 60 participants from across Europe. Hosted during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the conference will explore the interconnected themes of democracy, leadership, learning and systems change. Through a participatory and practice-based approach, participants will examine how public-sector learning can strengthen democratic capability, support institutional resilience and help prepare public administrations for the challenges and opportunities facing Europe today and in the future.

Aoife Rialtas

How do we create learning environments, institutions and leadership systems that strengthen democratic capability and help people become more fully human in an increasingly complex and AI-enabled world?

Aoife Rialtas

We work towards addressing these ideas with a progressive journey arc that can be describes as four active ribbons of experience.

Aoife Rialtas

1. Participating in Meitheal/ Collective Action What can we achieve together that none of us could achieve alone? How can education build stronger institutions by using "democracy in action" to develop leadership, manage complexity, and learn through dialogue? 3. Generating Leadership & Institutional Capacity How can public service schools become drivers of institutional capacity, reform, and innovation rather than simply providers of training? 4. Co-creating Learning for the Future What should future public leaders be learning today to meet the challenges of tomorrow?

Aoife Rialtas

Throughout the programme, leadership, learning and democratic practice are explored as interconnected activities rather than separate domains. Our journey begins by opening a space for democratic participation and collective inquiry. Through stories, dialogue and shared reflection, participants are invited to explore how democracy is not simply a system of governance, but a lived experience that is continuously created through participation, learning and relationships. From there, the conference turns to leadership as a relational and societal practice. Drawing on Ciaran Casey's work and the Leadership in Tune perspective, participants will explore leadership not as a set of individual competencies but as a collective endeavour that enables people, institutions and communities to navigate complexity, build trust and work across boundaries in pursuit of public value. Building on these discussions, the programme examines the challenges and opportunities facing Europe today. Through the lens of democratic resilience, enlargement, migration, climate transition, security and institutional renewal, participants will explore how learning creates the conditions for new forms of cooperation, capability and systems change. The journey then looks towards the future. Inspired by Louise Veiling's Cyborgs of the Ecocene, the conference invites participants to move beyond simplistic narratives that position technology as a replacement for human capability. Instead, we will explore what becomes more important as artificial intelligence becomes more powerful: our capacity for judgement, care, creativity, ethical action, democratic participation and collective sense-making.

Aoife Rialtas

The Community has a consistent theme expressed in their priorities this year

Aoife Rialtas

Across Europe, Schools of Government and Public Administration Institutes are grappling with a shared challenge: how to build the leadership, capability and institutional capacity needed to navigate rapid technological change, increasing societal complexity and rising expectations of public services. Before this meeting, we asked members of the DISPA network to identify their priorities. While contexts differ, a common pattern emerged. Institutions are working at the intersection of: · AI and digital transformation · Leadership and workforce capability · Organisational effectiveness and public service transformation

Aoife Rialtas

The question is no longer simply how we provide learning.The question emerging as: How can public administration learning institutions contribute to government impact, democratic resilience and public value? Hosted by Ireland during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this meeting draws on the Irish concept of Meitheal - people coming together to achieve something that cannot be achieved alone. Together, we will explore the ideas of learning as a space for enhanced impact through four interconnected themes.

Aoife Rialtas

Meitheal | Collective Action What can we achieve together that none of us could achieve alone? As a European network, where are the opportunities for collaboration, shared learning and collective leadership that extend beyond individual institutions?

Aoife Rialtas

Democratic Practice How can learning strengthen participation, trust, dialogue and decision-making in complex public systems? Democracy explored not as an abstract concept, but as a practical capability that can be developed through leadership, learning and institutional design.

Aoife Rialtas

Leadership & Institutional Capacity How can public service schools become drivers of capability, reform and innovation rather than simply providers of training? As governments confront increasingly complex challenges, learning institutions are being called on to influence transformation, shape leadership cultures and strengthen system-wide capability.

Aoife Rialtas

What should future public leaders be learning today to meet the challenges of tomorrow? As AI becomes more powerful, what becomes more important, not less? What capabilities will distinguish effective leaders and resilient institutions in the years ahead?

Aoife Rialtas

A Meitheal on Public Value and the Future of Public Administration Learning

Aoife Rialtas

Our Past: Meitheal. Our Present: Public Sector Transformation. Our Future: Public Value in an AI-Enabled World. Traditionally, conferences in our sector focus on emerging trends, new programmes and future skills. The Dublin DISPA Meitheal begins with a different question: What role should public administration learning institutions play in shaping public value? As Directors of public administration learning institutions, we are increasingly becoming stewards of institutional purpose, not simply providers of learning. Our institutions sit at the intersection of government priorities, leadership development, democratic practice and organisational transformation. Increasingly, we are being called upon not only to build capability, but to help governments navigate complexity, strengthen institutions and create better outcomes for citizens. This meeting invites us to explore what that responsibility means in an era shaped by artificial intelligence, accelerating change and growing societal complexity. Seven generations ago, communities across Ireland gathered in a Meitheal. A Meitheal was more than a way of working. It was a way of solving problems that no individual could solve alone. People shared labour, knowledge, responsibility and resources, contributing what they could and benefiting from what was created together. At its heart, a Meitheal was a mechanism for creating shared value. Communities achieved collectively what individuals could not achieve alone. Public value operates on the same principle. The outcomes that matter most to governments and citizens are rarely created by a single institution acting independently. They emerge through contribution, collaboration and collective effort. Today, public administration learning institutions face different challenges, but perhaps they require the same spirit. Across Europe, governments are navigating profound transformation. Artificial intelligence is reshaping work. Expectations of public services continue to rise. Trust in democratic institutions is under pressure. Workforces are changing. The pace of technological and societal change continues to accelerate. At the same time, learning institutions are increasingly positioned to do more than provide programmes, training and content. They are becoming strategic partners in helping governments build capability, navigate change, strengthen leadership, support democratic practice and improve outcomes for citizens in areas where clear blueprints do not yet exist. This raises a fundamental question: Are public administration learning institutions primarily building capability, or are they helping to create public value? Ahead of the conference, DISPA members shared the priorities currently shaping their institutions. While contexts differ across Europe, a striking pattern emerged. Almost every institution's focus sits at the intersection of three interconnected agendas: Technology and AI People and Leadership What capabilities, mindsets and leadership approaches will be required to thrive amid uncertainty and change? How can institutions adapt quickly enough to remain effective, responsive and trusted? Taken together, these priorities reveal something important. The challenge facing learning institutions is not simply technological transformation. It is helping governments and public servants navigate complexity while continuing to improve public outcomes. Traditionally, learning institutions have often been mobilised once strategy has been established. Increasingly, there is an opportunity to contribute earlier, helping governments think through transformation as it unfolds rather than responding after key decisions have already been made. The conversation therefore shifts:

Aoife Rialtas

From: What should people learn?

Aoife Rialtas

To: How can learning create impact? As leaders of public administration learning institutions, we are making decisions that will shape the future of public service capability across Europe. We are deciding: • What leadership capabilities matter most for senior public servants. • How AI should influence learning, development and organisational practice. • Whether collaboration across borders can create greater value than individual action. • How democratic values, trust and public legitimacy should be reflected in our curricula and programmes. • Where learning institutions position themselves within wider government transformation agendas. • What collective commitments the DISPA network should pursue beyond the Irish Presidency. These are not merely operational decisions. They are strategic choices about the role our institutions play in society. This meeting creates a space for Directors to step outside immediate institutional pressures and engage with peers facing similar questions across Europe. Not to compare programmes. Not simply to showcase activity. But to examine together how the role of learning institutions may be changing and what contribution they can make to the future of government. The Dublin Meitheal The Dublin DISPA meeting has been intentionally designed as a modern Meitheal. Alongside keynote contributions, delegates will participate in learning marketplaces, facilitated dialogue, peer exchange, case studies and collaborative inquiry designed to help the community think together. The intention is not simply to exchange ideas. It is to create collective sense-making. Traditional conferences often focus on sharing expertise. The Dublin Meitheal focuses equally on generating insight. The most important questions facing public administration learning institutions do not yet have complete answers. Our task is to investigate them together. In doing so, we create a different kind of value: • Shared understanding • Collective intelligence • Stronger relationships • Future collaboration • A clearer vision of our contribution to government and society A recurring theme throughout the conference is the possibility that our institutions are undergoing a quiet but significant transition. Historically, learning institutions have often been measured by outputs: • Programmes delivered • Participants developed • Capabilities built These remain important. Increasingly, however, governments are interested in broader outcomes: • Better public services • Greater organisational effectiveness • Stronger leadership • Improved policy implementation • Public trust • Democratic resilience The challenge therefore becomes understanding how learning contributes not only to capability, but to impact. Learning institutions can no longer be judged solely by the capabilities they build, but increasingly by the public value they help governments create. This shift has implications for how we design programmes, evaluate success, position our institutions and engage with government priorities. The question is not whether learning matters. A Human Question in an Age of AI Throughout the conference we will explore technological transformation, digital government and artificial intelligence. These are essential conversations. But they are not the most important question. A deeper question sits beneath them: How do we develop learning systems, institutions and leaders that help people become more fully human? As technology becomes more capable, uniquely human qualities become more significant: • Judgement • Ethics • Creativity • Empathy • Care • Wisdom • Responsibility Democratic institutions rely on these qualities. Leadership depends on them. Public trust is built through them. The future challenge for learning institutions is therefore not simply preparing people to work with technology. It is preparing people to exercise these deeply human capabilities in ways that strengthen democracy, public service and society. Seven generations ago, communities gathered in a Meitheal because some challenges were too important to solve alone. Today, we face a similar reality. The future of public administration learning cannot be shaped by individual institutions acting independently. It requires collective reflection, shared inquiry and purposeful collaboration. The Dublin DISPA Meitheal is an opportunity to pause, reflect and think together about the future role of our institutions: • To connect capability with impact. • To connect learning with public value. • To connect democratic practice, leadership and transformation. • To connect our traditions of collective endeavour with the challenges of a rapidly changing future. • To consider what contribution public administration learning institutions can make to the generations that follow us.

Aoife Rialtas

Unforgettable Questions for Dublin Are we building capability, or creating public value? What role should learning institutions play in shaping government outcomes? How do we help leaders navigate complexity, transformation and democratic responsibility? What remains uniquely human in an AI-enabled world? What can we achieve together that none of us could achieve alone? That is the Dublin Meitheal.

Aoife Rialtas

30-22:00 Entering the Liminal: Stories from the Edge The conference opens with story, identity and reflection. Participants cross a threshold into the Meitheal, exploring how stories shape leadership, belonging and collective purpose. This establishes the human and cultural foundations for the days ahead. Jack Lynch Jackie Brown

Eric Marquette

30-10:50 Democratic Practices in Motion The conference begins its inquiry into democracy as a lived practice. Participants are invited to co-create definitions of democracy, leadership and learning through dialogue rather than receiving expert answers. Key examples explore democratic resilience, civic participation, local democracy and disinformation. IPA 11:10-12:10 European Learning Lab: From Policy Priorities to Practice Participants move from ideas to action. Through an interactive learning marketplace, they explore how European priorities are being translated into capability building, leadership development and institutional innovation across member states. The focus is on learning as the mechanism through which democratic and public value outcomes emerge. Open Call contributors Portugal Georgia Serbia Ireland 12:30-13:30 Lunch Networking and informal exchange. 13:30-14:30 Leadership in Tune The journey deepens into leadership itself. Drawing on Ciaran Casey's work, participants explore leadership as a relational, collective and societal practice rather than a set of individual competencies. Ciaran Casey 14:30-15:30 Plenary Looking to the future, the conversation turns to talent and capability development. Participants explore what current leadership systems are teaching future generations and how democratic and human-centred leadership can be cultivated. Working coffee break 15:30-16:00 Meitheal Check-In Collective reflection point. Participants connect the threads from democracy, European cooperation, leadership and learning. The guiding question: Facilitated plenary 19:30-22:00 Dinner & Céilí Community building and informal exchange. The Meitheal continues through cultural connection, conversation and shared experience. All participants 12:00-13:00 Closing Plenary: Passport Forward Participants harvest insights from the conference and identify what they will take back into their systems, institutions and learning environments. The conference closes with a collective commitment to democratic practice, leadership and learning. DISPA Community, IPA Team

Eric Marquette

The conference begins by creating a space for connection, curiosity and shared inquiry. Through storytelling, dialogue and reflection, participants are invited to leave behind the demands of their everyday institutional contexts and enter the Meitheal: a temporary community of learning, exchange and collective sense-making. Stories provide the starting point for the conference journey. They reveal how democracy, leadership and learning are lived and experienced within organisations, communities and public institutions. Through personal and professional narratives, participants explore moments of challenge, transition, service and purpose, uncovering the human experiences that sit beneath systems, policies and structures.

Eric Marquette

This opening session establishes the relational foundations for the days ahead and introduces a central proposition of the conference: that democratic capability begins not in institutions alone but in the quality of the relationships, conversations and learning environments we create together. As a means of introducing the framing title of the Meitheal, a DISPA framing question situating the historical idea of a Meitheal to its origins and extending it into a futures-thinking exercise.

Eric Marquette

a generation can be thought of as 25 years, then 7 generations ago is 175 years 2026 - 175 = 1851 – In Ireland That places us broadly in the period of the Great Famine, when Meitheal was still a living social practice in many Irish communities.

Eric Marquette

Looking forward: 2026 + 175 = 2201 So your participants could be invited to imagine a Meitheal for the year 2201.

Eric Marquette

Seven generations ago, people came together in a Meitheal to solve challenges that could not be addressed alone. If public leaders gather in a Meitheal seven generations from now, in the year 2201, what challenges will they be facing, and what will they thank us for having started today? Share one capability, institution, relationship, or way of learning that we should begin building now for future generations.

Eric Marquette

Alternative More Provocative Version A Postcard from 2201 -Imagine public leaders in the year 2201 looking back at our generation. What would they say was the most important investment we made in leadership, learning, democracy, or institutional capacity? What should we start now that future generations will inherit and build upon?

Eric Marquette

The conference's first full session explores democracy not as a static system of governance but as an ongoing practice created through participation, dialogue, trust and collective action. Rather than providing fixed definitions or expert answers, contributors offer provocations that invite participants to reflect on what democracy means within contemporary public administration and European society. Drawing on examples of democratic resilience, civic participation, local democracy, enlargement and responses to disinformation, speakers explore how democratic values are enacted, challenged and renewed in practice.

Eric Marquette

Across Europe, governments face similar challenges: managing complexity, responding to societal change and building public trust while delivering on diverse policy priorities. Learning and capability development increasingly play a critical role in helping institutions meet these challenges. Through an interactive learning marketplace, participants explore how institutes, schools of government and public-sector learning organisations are responding to contemporary European priorities through leadership development, capability-building and organisational innovation. The session highlights practical examples from across the DISPA network and beyond, demonstrating how learning acts as a bridge between policy ambition and public value. Participants are encouraged to identify transferable practices, shared challenges and opportunities for collaboration across jurisdictions.

Eric Marquette

Session Overview Building on the conference's exploration of democratic practice, this session turns attention to leadership as a collective and relational endeavour. Drawing on Ciaran Casey's Leadership in Tune perspective, participants examine leadership not as an individual attribute or collection of competencies but as a social process that creates the conditions for collaboration, trust and shared action. The session explores how leaders can work across boundaries, navigate complexity and strengthen the relationships that enable communities, organisations and systems to thrive. Participants are invited to reconsider conventional assumptions about leadership and reflect on how public-sector leadership can contribute to democratic renewal and public value creation.

Eric Marquette

If democratic institutions are to remain strong in the future, attention must be given not only to today's leaders but also to those who will inherit and shape public service in the decades ahead. Inspired by long-term thinking and intergenerational responsibility, this session invites participants to consider what forms of learning, leadership and capability development are needed for future generations. Through dialogue with students, emerging leaders and contributors from diverse backgrounds, participants explore what current systems are teaching, rewarding and reproducing. The conversation challenges participants to think beyond immediate organisational needs and consider how leadership development can support democratic resilience, ethical responsibility and human flourishing for generations to come.

Eric Marquette

Session Overview This reflective plenary provides an opportunity to pause, connect and make sense of the ideas emerging throughout the day. Participants are invited to identify moments that have shifted their thinking, challenged existing assumptions or opened new possibilities for leadership, learning and democratic practice. By sharing insights across the group, participants create a collective picture of learning while preparing for the final stage of the conference journey. The session reinforces the principle that meaningful learning often begins when familiar explanations no longer feel sufficient and new perspectives become impossible to ignore.

Eric Marquette

The conference journey pauses to engage with one of Ireland's most significant cultural and intellectual treasures. The Book of Kells offers an opportunity to reflect on continuity, stewardship, learning and identity across generations. As participants experience this shared cultural encounter, themes from the conference are viewed through a longer historical lens. Questions of knowledge transmission, collective memory, cultural resilience and responsibility to future generations become visible in new ways. The experience provides a reminder that leadership, learning and democracy are shaped not only by present challenges but also by the stories, traditions and values that societies choose to preserve and pass forward.

Eric Marquette

The Meitheal continues beyond the formal programme through conversation, hospitality and shared cultural experience. The evening creates opportunities for participants to build relationships across institutions, countries and professional traditions. Through dialogue, music and participation, the session highlights the social dimensions of learning and reinforces the collaborative spirit that underpins the DISPA network. The informal exchanges that emerge throughout the evening provide a valuable complement to the conference's formal learning activities and contribute to the strengthening of European public-sector relationships and communities of practice.

Eric Marquette

This masterclass brings the conference's central question into sharp focus: what becomes more important as technology becomes more powerful? Drawing on themes from Cyborgs of the Ecocene, participants explore how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping public institutions, learning systems and decision-making processes. The session moves beyond narratives of replacement and automation to consider what remains uniquely human and what democratic institutions should actively cultivate in an AI-enabled world. Participants examine questions of judgement, accountability, imagination, care, ethical action and collective responsibility while exploring how learning can support these capabilities. The conversation challenges participants to think not only about technological change but about the kinds of human beings, leaders and institutions required to navigate that change responsibly. The session serves as the culmination of the conference journey, bringing together democracy, leadership, learning and human capability into a shared exploration of Europe's future.

Eric Marquette

Meitheal 2201 In 1851, communities relied on the Meitheal to survive and thrive. In 2201, what form of Meitheal will public leaders need? What will bring people together? What challenges will require collective action? What capabilities will matter most? What role will public service schools play? What seed should we plant today?

Eric Marquette

The closing plenary completes the conference journey and turns attention towards application and action. Participants reflect on the insights, questions and commitments emerging from the previous two days and consider how these might influence their own institutions, learning environments and leadership systems. Through the Passport Forward process, individuals capture key learning, identify opportunities for experimentation and articulate the contribution they wish to make within their own contexts. The conference concludes with a collective commitment to strengthening democratic capability, human-centred leadership and learning across Europe. Participants leave not with a finished answer, but with an invitation to continue the conversation and carry the spirit of the Meitheal back into their own systems, organisations and communities.