Description
The project addresses the challenges faced by the security and intelligence sector in Bulgaria due to the inefficient regulatory framework and delayed reforms. The project aims at developing and implementing a mechanism promoting active citizen involvement and monitoring of the decision-making process in the security sector. First, a civil monitoring methodology will be developed. Second, the previous and the ongoing reforms will be analyzed and evaluated and monitoring of law application via monitoring reports will be considered. Third, expert meetings and discussions with NGOs, institutions from the security sector and parliamentarians will be held and interviews with 30 representatives of national institutions and NGOs will be conducted. Finally, an expert blog will be set up on the applicant’s website. The project will benefit the 3 target groups of decision-makers, NGOs and independent experts as well as the media and investigative journalists.
Summary of project results
The project addressed several issues: (1) the need of legislative regulation; (2) the lack of preliminary assessment of the parameters of restructuring the security sector; (3) the need of a broad discussion of the legislative framework of the sector; (4) the lack of an established practice of exercising citizen control; (5) the need of encouraging and supporting active citizen control. The first-of-its kind monitoring of the overall security sector was carried out under the project. Encouraging civic involvement in the process of reforming the security sector and creating conditions for systematic citizen control in the area of national security helped provide preconditions for breaking the closed circle of management in this area. The project helped raise public awareness and understanding of the issues related to security and also assisted the state institutions in building public trust towards their work by engaging in a dialogue with the stakeholders. The following project outputs were achieved: (1) a general analytical report including 7 separate thematic reports devoted to the security sector, 27 conclusions from the monitoring carried out and the evaluation of the management of the security sector in 7 thematic areas and 35 recommendations in 7 areas; (2) published collection with the minutes from the discussions; (3) printed and online publication of the discussion with experts in “Capital +”; (4) two thematic discussions and a final conference organized. For more information, visit:
http://www.riskmonitor.bg/bg/projects/granitsite-na-sekretnostta-regula….
Summary of bilateral results