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This conference was held this past May 15th, 2015. Its aim was to debate on tourism governance in the city of Barcelona and to analyse the challenges associated to its management as well as the role the public and private sectors play and how to manage their collaborative efforts. The conference was co-organised by the Sant Ignasi School of Tourism. Participants included Sònia Recasens, from Convergència i Unió party, Sara Jaurrieta, from Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya, Xavier Mulleras, from Partit Popular, Janet Sanz, from Barcelona En Comú, and Oriol Illa, from Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. 

The PARTNERS Program, together with the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) and the Catalan Government’s Centre for Telecommunications and information Technologies (CTTI), held an international conference entitled “New Models and Practices of ICT Innovation and Management in the Public Sector” on 23rd and 24th March 2015. The conference brought together more than 120 public-sector representatives from 11 countries for the first ICT Summit held in Barcelona. During the conference, speakers described experiences that illustrated ways in which the common good of society can be favoured through greater efficiency and efficacy, simplified procedures, and the development of integrated, strategic and coherent approaches to introducing an electronic public administration. The conference also featured the participation of renowned experts from Catalonia’s academic, public and private worlds. Over the course of two days, participants created synergies and shared models and practices for innovation, ICT management in the public sector, and virtual governance. 

As you know, the PARTNERS Program of Esade’s Institute for Public Governance and Management, together with La Unió, presented the fourth edition of the Observatory on Public-Private Partnerships in Health and Social Policies on 19th March 2015. The event featured excellent contributions by Manel Jovells, President of La Unió; Jordi Torrades, Manager of the Barcelona Municipal Institute of Markets; Maria Teresa Faixedas, Planning Director of the Girona Healthcare Region; Eduard Riera, Nuclear Medicine Coordinator at CETIR; Joan Martí, General Manager of Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí; Xavier Mate, Regional Director of QuirónSalud; and Helena Ris, General Manager of La Unió. We would like to reiterate our gratitude to all of them. 

You can watch a video summary of the event or download the Observatory on Public-Private Partnerships in Health and Social Policies. 

The information technologies are essential to improve the supply of services and modernize the public administration, but also to promote basic democratic regeneration and create wealth and employment. This is the main conclusion of the study of technologies of information and communication as a transformation of the public sphere: challenges and opportunities that the PARTNERS Program of the Institute of Public Governance and Management, Esade has developed and Mónica Reig, associate director of program, presented last April 3, 2014 in Esade Madrid, Kunio Suzuki, director of Fujitsu Spain by the Public Sector and Industry, María Jesús Paniagua , Director of Public Health Management and Indra, José Aracil Gallardo, director of Public Sector Informática El Corte Inglés and Marta Cano, Director of Public Sector, responsible Observatory Procurement of Everis. 

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On 31st October 2013, the PARTNERS Program invited representatives of healthcare, education and culture cooperatives to discuss their experiences with public-private partnerships. In their opening remarks, Francisco Longo, Secretary General of Esade, and Albert Serra, Director of the Institute for Public Governance and Management and the PARTNERS Program, agreed that collaborative management is an indispensable tool for the future of administration. Mónica Reig, Associate Director of the PARTNERS Program, moderated the panel discussion, which focused on the areas of healthcare, education and culture. 

The closing remarks were delivered by Felip Puig, Catalan Minister of Economy and Employment. Mr. Puig highlighted the social commitment of the region’s cooperatives and their ability to efficiently create public-private management jobs.    

Video-summary 

On 3rd October 2013, the PARTNERS Program, invited Juan Soler, mayor of Getafe; Ramón Solé, general manager of CGI; and Eulalio Ávila, president of COSITAL, to participate in a panel discussion on public-private cooperation models in municipal tax management.  

Albert Serra, director of the PARTNERS Program, hosted the session, which drew a large audience and concluded with a lively open debate. 

Mónica Reig, associate director of the PARTNERS Program, acted as moderator. The first speaker, Mr. Soler, noted that the economic crisis has forced all local governments – regardless of party affiliation – to make improving the management of public resources a top priority. Collaboration with the private sector, he explained, has proved to be an essential source of support as well as knowledge of new, more effective governance methods. 

The next speaker, Mr. Solé, discussed possibilities for improving tax-collection options in public administrations and mentioned taxable items that are not currently being taxed. According to Mr. Solé, collaboration between public administrations, companies and third-sector organisations can help to create a fairer, more efficient society. 

The last speaker, Mr. Ávila, observed that the economic crisis has allowed public managers to evaluate the average effects of public policies. He urged public managers to pay as much attention to spending as they do to revenues and costs. 

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The PARTNERS Program held the first edition of the "Observatory of Public-Private in Elderly Care". Presented at the event, the "Economic report of the dependent care sector for elderly people in Catalonia: residential and day care services" was described as a study that collects and structures all the information in the field of dependence.   

The presentation, which took place in the EsadeFORUM amphitheatre on May 30th 2013, was delivered by Neus Munté, Generalitat de Catalunya Minister of Social Welfare and Family. Also speaking at the event were Cinta Pascual, President of ACRA, Albert Serra, Director of the Esade Institute of Public Governance and Management and of the PARTNERS Program and Mónica Reig, Associate Director of the PARTNERS Program, who presented the two selected experiences as models of public-private partnership in the field of dependence. 

The winning experiences illustrate the success cases of the local home telecare service in the province of Barcelona and of the teams from residential care homes for the elderly in Barcelona. 

Video-summary  |  Download Report 

On February 15th 2013, Esade’s PARTNERS Program at the Institute for Public Governance and Management hosted a discussion that analysed the profound structural changes taking place in the healthcare system. 

The discussion focused on a study sponsored by the Catalan Hospitals Union (UCH), that examines three innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors and proposes a model of efficient, high-quality healthcare. 

A panel of healthcare professionals debated cases such as the comprehensive management of healthcare and social-services resources in the county of Pla de l’Estany, the purchase of goods and services through a multi-organisation alliance for the creation of a multi-centre oncology service, and a partnership between the automotive industry and the healthcare sector. 

Esade Academic Vice-Dean Manel Peiró hosted the session and UCH Chairman, Manel Jovells and UCH General Manager Helena Ris presented the study. During the discussion, the speakers fielded numerous questions from the audience. 

Video-summary 

On October 15th 2012, the PARTNERS Program within Esade’s Institute of Public Governance and Management held the presentation of the PARTNERS Yearbook 2011. 

We were honoured by the presence of Hon. Mr. Boi Ruiz, Minister of Health for the Catalan Government, who gave an excellent talk on public-private co-operation in the health sector, and who commented on several of the articles featured in the Yearbook. Also participating was Manel Peiró, Esade Vice-Dean of Faculty, and Albert Serra, Director of the Institute of Public Governance and Management as well as the PARTNERS Program. 

Video-summary