More information
Description
Programme outcome the project contributes to: “Increased capacities of Bulgarian authorities to tackle economic crime and corruption”.
The project will enhance the administrative capacity of prevention and counteraction of corruption within the police. The whistle blower mechanism and the integrity within police will be improved. The technical capacity for prevention of corruption in other state institutions will be enhanced.
The project will include, inter alia, the following main activities:
- Training of employees of the Internal Security Directorate which will include practically oriented themes on: review of the anticorruption institutional and management practices, identification of the gaps; corruption in the police, including conflict of interest, new forms of corruption in police related to the trafficking of refugees, organized terrorism, illegal transfer of excise goods;
- Development of the existing whistle-blowing mechanism - Anonymous Open Line for handling of corruption cases within the police - using newly developed software;
- Developing new software for internal databases, automated analysis and monitoring;
- Elaboration of methodology and tools for the introduction of anti-corruption measures and operational tactics, including professional integrity tests, polyphysiographic studies, automated monitoring of social networks;
- Technical equipment for supporting the implementation of anti-corruption measures by Internal Security Directorate and ensuring implementation of tasks related to management, coordination, operational criminal analysis, monitoring and evaluation through IT-based technologies;
- Training of 70 officials of General Directorate National Police, exchange of experience and best practices in the field of counteraction of corruption. Delivery of IT equipment and software for GDNP.
Summary of project results
The project was aiming to increase the administrative capacity of Ministry of Interior'' (MoI) officials for prevention and counteractions of corruption in the system by developing a program for specific trainings and workshops for officials of Internal Security Directorate (ISD), for officials of all other MoI'' authorities, for newly appointed employees.
Secondly, the project aimed to address the beneficiary''s needs related to the creation of a modern mechanism for submitting and receiving reports of corruption and misconduct among police officers. This is an important element in the field of combating corrupt behaviour by employees of the MoI. An important element that the project addresses is also improving the integrity of police officers and increasing the technical capacity for prevention and counteraction of corruption by other bodies in the MoI.
The project activities were fully implemented. It can be concluded that the project contributed to the upgrading of the technical and human capacity of the beneficiary and the partner, facilitating the efficiency and objectivity of the operational-search measures and analytical activity in the line of prevention, prevention, suppression and detection of crimes committed by employees of the MoI. The project has its important place in the implementation of the government''s anti-corruption policy and in achieving high anti-corruption standards.
Another important aspect related to the implementation of the project can be identified as the established lasting connections and contacts between partner services working in the line of prevention and counteraction of corruption as a result of the activities carried out under the project.
The implementation of the training activity ensured the upgrading of the expertise of the employees directly involved in the line of anti-corruption activities. Instructions and requirements for the application of good practices in the field were also provided. The results of the project had a direct impact on the target group even after the completion of the project, which provided an opportunity to plan similar trainings in the future with the participation of trained employees as lecturers.
The results of the project correspond to the long-term goals of the Beneficiary and the partner, related to increasing operational efficiency, improving employee satisfaction and increasing technical capacity.
The project has contributed to increasing the effectiveness of the operations through effective training events focusing on key preventive measures and practical topic: review of anti-corruption institutional and management practices, identification of gaps, corruption among police officers, including conflict of interest, new forms of corruption among police officers related to migrant trafficking, organized terrorism, smuggling of excise goods. As a result, 24 trainings were conducted so 604 ISD police officers were trained.
The values in Output 4.1 are significantly exceeded due to the fact that the same employees had the opportunity to participate in trainings on various topics.
210 police officers from the “Economic Police” Department have undergone training in six courses, two of which were international, enhancing the administrative capacity of officers from Sofia Metropolitan Directorate as well as the Sofia Regional Directorate of Interior in conducting operational-investigative and procedural actions for the investigation and detection of economic crimes and countering corruption. The values in Output 4.3 are significantly exceeded due to the due to the priority topics within the planned trainings and the high interest among GDNP employees.
Three study visits to EU member states – Romania, Spain and France – were carried out that enhanced the better knowledge and skills of the officers in preventing and countering the corruption.
Another important view is that at institutional level, project activities contribute to build the capacity of MoI by introducing and implementing new anti-corruption measures within the MoI – developing methodologies for implementing anti-corruption tools and operational tactics in particular professional integrity tests (within Output 4.2.) and automated monitoring of social networks. The implementation of new tools also aims at creating transparency in MoI by building trust among citizens and forming an active civil position.
A mobile application has been created and put into exploitation in order to update the existing whistle blower mechanism in MoI system. The use of mobile application has strengthened the role of prevention in cases involving officers of MoI in cross-border smuggling channels, terrorism as well as migrant trafficking. The app has been widely promoted through a large-scale awareness campaign in Bulgaria.
The technical capacity of ISD employees in conducting specialized operations in the line of prevention and counteraction of corruption has been significantly improved. Secure and reliable channels for transmitting and receiving information have been created, built on the basis of encrypted connections through the delivered equipment, accessories and hands-free devices for portable TETRA terminals and mobile TETRA radio terminals, which correspond to the pan-European standard for radio equipment used by public safety and security services, approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. The new equipment contributed to the improvement of communication and facilitated mobility during operational-search activities, as it facilitated the establishment of a reliable connection in areas without quality GSM communication. The availability of encrypted radio links contributes to faster and more accurate positioning of ISD employees, rapid regrouping and changes in routes of movement, timely coordination of events, and thus to an increase in the detection rate of crimes related to the participation of employees of the MoI. The project partner delivered specialized software and hardware equipment for employees working in the line of corruption prevention.
Regarding Outcome 4 it can be noted that the set values were significantly exceeded. Specifically, regarding "The number of pre-trial investigations of corruption within the police launched annually," by the end of the project, they amounted to 2 392. Regarding "Number of cases with operational information processing during investigations of corruption," the achieved value was 1 638. Тhe specified values are combined for the beneficiary and partner.