Actiris – the regional PES for Brussels – has used the collective knowledge and experience of the European PES Network to inspire and inform its own digital transformation process.

© Shutterstock / Phakawan Wongpetanan

At the conclusion of two workshops of the Mutual Assistance Project (MAP) in support of its digital transformation, colleagues from Actiris were very enthusiastic about the benefits it had brought.

Benoît Miller, Actiris’s Head of Digital Transformation explains: “We had a lot of questions when we started this MAP. We only had the vision of Actiris approved by the Direction Committee to become more data driven. In that regard, the MAP was probably the best solution for us – not only to find the best answers to our questions, but also to help us to ask the right questions in the first place.”

“We have learned that there is no perfect ‘toolkit’ to start this process. It is a long path with no miracle solution. We will need perseverance in developing the skills and infrastructure to successfully have a more data-driven approach. It really needs to become part of the culture of Actiris and we need to engage our colleagues and potential partner organisations in the change.”

Jenna Gailly, Actiris’s International Relations Officer highlights: “A slogan of the two workshops has been ‘to just do it’ – and this is what Benoît did with this mutual assistance project. We had an idea of a project in mind for a while, but it had never come to fruition. Then Benoît came with the enthusiasm to make it happen through the PES Network MAP.”

The MAP enabled Actiris to hear and ask questions about peer practices from the PES in the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Slovenia, France and Germany. “I want to thank all the PES colleagues for sharing their experiences!” continues Ms Gailly. “For many in our organisation it is the first time they have participated in an activity with colleagues from peer PES in other countries.”

“We are proud that we can share what the PES Network is capable of. It’s the first time that we can exchange being accompanied by such brilliant thinkers and thematic experts who really push our discussions to another level. We hope that we will be able to continue to do this in the future.”