The Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing (ÚNMS SR), as the coordinator of state quality policy, organised the 20th anniversary Conference on Quality and Social Responsibility. The conference took place on 25 September 2025 in the ÚNMS SR congress hall in Bratislava and confirmed that themes related to enhancing quality and social responsibility have a stable place in our society and remain current.

The record attendance is evidence of the extraordinary interest – more than 130 participants visited the conference, actively engaging in discussions and bringing many interesting impulses to the programme.

We are pleased that over these years, we have managed to create a unique platform for professional discussion, exchange of experiences, and inspiration among public administration representatives and experts on quality and social responsibility topics.

A Two-Day Marathon of Professional Topics

This year was exceptional not only for its jubilee but also for its connection to the professional conference of the State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV), which took place the day before in the same premises. Its main theme was “Quality Assurance in Education – From Strategies to Practice,” which allowed participants to gain insights and experiences from multiple areas.

Some participants took the opportunity to attend both conferences.

The The Programme of the Conference

Following the official opening of the event, participants became acquainted with current topics affecting the daily practice of public administration organisations. Discussions covered risk management, setting up effective internal reporting systems (whistleblowing), and the importance of quality as a continuous process.

The conference was opened by the Director of the Quality and Project Management Department of the ÚNMS SR.

The lecture on implementing behavioural interventions in public administration also received a strong response. As an example, the speaker cited the “Post is not for you” campaign, which supported the digitisation of services and limited the sending of paper letters, thus increasing not only the punctuality of fee payments but also citizen comfort. “Even minor adjustments can cause a big change,” was stated during the presentation.

The topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) implementation in public administration also drew significant attention. The lecturer conducted an online survey directly during her presentation, which revealed that participants are not afraid to use new technologies and modern procedures instead of established ones. This result positively demonstrates the openness of public administration organisations towards innovation and seeking more efficient ways of working.

Conference participants were highly interested in the individual topics.

Themes from the area of social responsibility and innovation formed a significant part of the programme. Participants were introduced to the Digital Future Project, which opens new opportunities for managers, representatives of self-governments, and public institutions, as well as the experiences of the City of Martin, which uses AI to increase citizen participation and improve communication with residents.

Beyond large projects, however, participants were reminded that the principles of social responsibility are also manifested in daily decisions and communication. “Even how we respond to a simple email can be a manifestation of our social responsibility,” was heard during one of the lectures.

The interactive format of the conference was also supported by the online platform Slido, through which participants could ask questions and engage in discussions in real-time.

Participants also used the option to ask questions via the online platform Slido. 

If you are interested in specific contributions and presentations, please see them in the following post.

Acknowledgement

We thank all presenters and conference participants for their contribution, inspiring discussions, and support in disseminating the principles of quality and social responsibility.

We are pleased that even after 20 years, our conference remains a place where new ideas, projects, and partnerships are born, contributing to the development of better services and modern public administration.

Updated 13.11.2025