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Description
Programe outcome the project contributes to: "Improved capacity for law enforcement agencies in crime prevention and investigation".
The project will enhance the international police cooperation capabilities and the qualification of the law enforcement officials, through specialized training of law enforcement officials for work with the existing systems and databases, methods and channels for exchange of information and international police cooperation. The specialized training is related to the upcoming integration of AFIS and facial recognition into SIS, the inclusion of the alerts on the new article 40 “unidentified suspect/offender” and the expansion of the object categories of article 38 alerts, the start of implementation of the measures provided in the alerts on article 24 “entry ban” by Bulgarian authorities, and other new SIS features, as well as the new system for smarter and stronger borders – the ETIAS.
Through training in PRINCE2 project methodology, the project will contribute to strengthening the administrative capacity for implementation of projects for enhancement of the international police cooperation and prevention of international criminal activity. In addition, the project will facilitate the exchange of experience and knowledge in the fields of SIRENE, INTERPOL and Europol information exchange with Greece.
The project will include, inter alia, the following main activities:
- Completing the training center of the project promoter and providing fully functional facility equipped with translation systems;
- Foreign language and PRINCE2 trainings;
- IT equipment for exchange of information delivered to respond to future police systems improvements;
- Training on EU and international systems for exchange of operational police information.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to increase the administrative, training and technical capacity of the beneficiary to conduct training, implement projects with international and national funding and to conduct national and international information exchange. The project also aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of national law enforcement authorities in the field of international police cooperation.
The main challenges we faced throughout the implementation period of the project were related to the administrative burden, bureaucracy, political instability as well as the lack of well trained IOCD officer in the field of project management, which we hope, is resolved now as a specific training was conducted within the project.
There were some adjustments made during the project related to the Training center. Some relocations to the budget were made, since the beneficiary proposed to reallocate funds foreseen for the implementation of Activity 2 and to merge the two envisaged procurement procedures into one single procurement procedure, since the results of the successful implementation of the activity would have a more comprehensive and long-term effect.
In general, by completing all the activities above, the specific objective of the project - improvement of the methods for fighting and preventing international criminal activity, has been achieved.
The projects activities and outputs can be categorized in two main points, trainings for law enforcement officers and delivery of equipment, both contributing to the project’s outputs and goals.
The project management and foreign language trainings have strengthened and enhanced the administrative and educational capacity of the IOCD officers, which allows them to exchange information and communicate with foreign partners in different languages and to be able to implement projects.
Specialized trainings for 900 law enforcement officers and border guards of the Ministry of Interior were successfully organized and conducted. The focus of the trainings was on the new functionalities and methods for international police co-operation. A total of 871 participants (723 men and 148 women) and 60 lecturers took part in the trainings. Trainings for police officers of the International Operational Co-operation Directorate were successfully organized and conducted. The trainings were based on Prince2 methodology to improve the administrative capacity in the field of implementing projects. Also, bilateral trainings between the Bulgarian and Greek police officers, responsible for the international police co-operation was successfully organized and conducted. The training focused on the international police co-operation and aimed to strengthen the bilateral co-operation between Bulgaria and Greece.
IT and office equipment for the police officers of the International Operational Co-operation Directorate was successfully delivered. The equipment improved the working environment of the police officers, responsible for the international police co-operation within IOCD. A training center, built during the previous programme period was successfully upgraded with a digital multimedia discussion system and a multimedia videoconference system. The systems expanded the scope and the functionalities of the training center.
The target group of the project were officers of the State Border Police implementing operational police cooperation, as well as officers from the border and regional structures of the Ministry of Interior.
The main objective of the project was to achieve a high level of international police cooperation on a global scale by enhancing the training and technical capacity of Bulgarian law enforcement agencies.
To achieve the objectives of the project there were conducting project management trainings for the officers of the directly involved in the implementation of projects with international and national funding in the field of international police cooperation. Also, seminars were conducted to enhance the knowledge of border police officers in the country on the methods and systems of international police cooperation and the international crime situation. Language trainings for officers also improved the administrative capacity.
he technical capacity of the IOCD was upgraded by purchasing IT and technical equipment, which has turned the Training center of IOCD into multifunctional ground for various type of trainings (online and on the spot).
Additional IT equipment was supplied to reach the full capacity of the training and equipment for staff directly involved in international information exchange.