26/05/2016
Kosovo Centre for Security Studies (KCSS), today, on 26th of May 2016, has published two monitoring reports on the integrity and internal governance of the security sector in Kosovo, focusing on the Kosovo Police (KP) and the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). The key findings in the report reflect the key findings collected during the monitoring report: October 2015 – March 2016.
Integrity, internal governance and trust are the key principles that guarantee credible and sustainable functioning of the security institutions in Kosovo. This monitoring and evaluation report on integrity of in the Kosovo security institutions has been published for the first time in Kosovo.
KEY FINDINGS OF THE MONITORING REPORT ON KOSOVO POLICE
In spite the fact that the KP enjoys relatively high credibility among citizens of Kosovo, however, the findings from this research are pointing to the need to address the challenges and problems encountered in some of the key sector within the KP.
In relation to human resources in the KP, the development of human resource management and reforms have been challenged due to the decrease of the Police budget by around 4 percent in 2016 as compared to year 2015. Meanwhile, the absence of a law regulating the issue of police retirement, as well as the lack of health and life insurance makes for one of the greatest challenges in reforming the Kosovo Police. Regarding promotion within the KP, there were irregularities in the career advancement of police officers as a result of the establishment of committees for promotions without respecting legal procedures by the KP.
As for the internal control, the KP should strengthen internal disciplinary mechanisms in preventing and combating corruption within the police. The Police does not have a plan for advancing institutional integrity which would serve as a guide in preventing corruption inside this institution. The Directorate of Professional Standards within the Police is not transparent since it does not publish the cases for which it has performed internal investigation for disciplinary violations by the police personnel.
During 2015, the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo has investigated 220 Police officers in 2015. It has conducted 23 arrests, 39 recommendations for suspension of police personnel and 11 recommendations for transfer of Police officers. Regional director of the KP in Prizren, who was suspended following the recommendation of the Police Inspectorate, has returned to his working place. So far there is no information on the result of investigations that the inspectorate had developed towards him. The inspectorate has performed the integrity tests to some police officers. However, it seems that there is a tendency that the results of the integrity test and other details are being kept "secret" for the public.
Other findings for the KP indicate that there is political influence in the internal affairs of this institution. The suspension of two police officers in Prizren in July of 2015 proved that there are political interferences in the Police by high political figures, even by ministers of the government. The police, respectively police officers, are still not autonomous in carrying out their professional duties. Meanwhile, regarding the police operation during the protest on the 28th of November 2015, local and international mechanisms have raised concerns that police exceeded its powers by using excessive force.
Regarding transparency of the KP, despite a solid degree of transparency in the Kosovo Police, there is a tendency inside the institution to make it harder bureaucratically for the public to have access to unclassified information. The KP is often criticized for providing very general information and for not providing detailed statistics. In this regard, the police is quite reserved in the provision of information related to public procurement in the KP.
When it comes to procurement, it is important to mention the change of the Law on Public Procurement, which is reformulated, especially article 3 which relates to tendering for specific purchases in the field of defence and security has been further specified. Nevertheless, this article alone does not regulate in details the tendering methods for such cases, therefore it is a necessity that a Regulation is devised as derivate of this article.
KEY FINDINGS OF THE MONITORING REPORT FOR THE MINISTRY OF KOSOVO SECURITY FORCE
In relation to human resources in the KSF findings of this report indicate that the KSF has not a clear profiling and division of duties, there is no clear description of the responsibilities for the officials and the members of the KSF, as well as the performance evaluation is done in a very superficial manner as a result of incorrect descriptions of jobs. Also, the KSF is very well staffed with the civil and military low and middle management, but at the strategic level the KSF is lacking in terms of senior officers who can lead this force towards further development, and the NATO integration processes.
Financial management remains a challenge for the KSF. The findings of the report show that MKSF spends most of the budget in the end of the year, or about half of the annual payments for goods and services, and capital investments are carried out in December, which makes the oversight and control of expenditures of public funds very challenging.
Also in the field of public procurement, during 2015 the relevant institution within this ministry has developed a total of 154 public procurement activities on the value contracts such as following: small, medium, and large. As such, this Ministry has signed 119 contracts with economic operators for capital investments, goods and services. A very small number of managers are in charge of the supervision and implementation of 119 contracts signed between MKSF and various economic operators in 2015. In most cases, a manager is responsible to oversee the implementation of more than 2 contracts. During 2015, various economic operators have made six complaints to the Procurement Review Body. Two out of six complaints were resolved in favour of the economic operators of the Procurement Review Body, and both complaints were public procurement activities of great value.
Regarding the internal control, the MKSF does not have any detailed document based on which it will develop, promote and strengthen integrity within this institution. There is no concrete evaluation of the potential threats and risks that could undermine the integrity and credibility of the KSF, as well as measures to combat and prevent such threats. It is working on the preparation of the Integrity Plan for the Kosovo Security Force, which will present its objectives in terms of strengthening its credibility and integrity.
Internal audit in 2015 had only two officials working in this sector, which makes it difficult for the institution to fully exercise its mandate and the function of counselling and oversight of the expenditures of public funds in the KSF. Internal Audit Unit conducted 8 regular audits and 1 ad-hoc audit in 2015. This unit 2015 has compiled 8 inspection reports, which gave a total of 33 recommendations, from which only 11 recommendations are fully implemented, 17 recommendations are in the process of implementation, and 6 recommendations were not implemented. The low level of addressing recommendations by the MSF's impact in slowing down the reform of this institution as well as the improvement of its internal governance.
This project is financed by the Project Promotion of Democratic Society Party (DSP), funded by the Swiss Cooperation Office in Kosovo (SCO-K) and managed by Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF).
