Past and present UK technical assistance in the area of Public Administration Reform

Performance Indicators – an effective tool  to improve the capacity of Romanian public administration

Purpose: To introduce to local and central public administrations the practice of benchmarking/performance management. It provides public authorities with the management tools to take rational policy decision and help them improve the public services.
Outputs: A set of performance indicators (measures of the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of local governments service delivery in key areas) compiled in a database that will help develop a more practical model of formulation of priorities of regional development policies across the 8 development regions in Romania.
Timeline: July 2005 – September 2007Main partners: Public Policy Institute (website in Romanian), Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform
Value: £109,245

Specialised County Council Units for increasing absorption capacity of small administrative structures

Purpose: To provide expertise to specialised departments at county level, to help them give more effective support to small administrative structures in creating strong public partnerships, developing forward planning systems, identifying priority projects that will attract funding.
Outputs: The project provides support for the development of real project applications, including the establishment of implementation and control structures. In a national campaign, the project will also collect and disseminate the practical experience of setting up County Council Units to enable all County Council to adopt and implement similar models.
Timeline: May 2006 – December 2007
Main partners: Strategic Planning & Development Ltd.
Value: £140,000

Building Regional Assessment Capacity in Line with the Lisbon Agenda

Purpose: To promote the goals set up by the Lisbon Agenda and help Romania reduce major economic disparities compared to the EU average.
Outputs: Build regional assessment capacity, consisting of calculating regional Lisbon indicators, designing a matrix for regional assessment to identify the most competitive sectors and lead to the implementation of several business pilot projects in those sectors.
Timeline: September 2006 – November 2007
Main partners: Group for Applied Economics (website in Romanian)
Value: £65,470

Improve public policy making in central government ministries

Purpose: To improve impact assessment practices in Romanian line ministries by means of proposing standard forms for monitoring and evaluating public policies.
Outputs: A number of 30 Government officials from Public Policy Units within line ministries will receive training from UK experts in impact assessment, policy planning, monitoring and evaluation and at least 150 public servants will be fully aware of impact assessment procedures, policy documents circulation and ministerial co-ordination.
Timeline: May 2007 – April 2008
Main partners: Centre for Institutional Analysis and Development, General Secretariat of the Government
Value: £43,000

Create a solid base for coherent local strategic planning and implementation

Purpose: To strengthen the capacity of local public authorities at town level to conduct coherent strategic planning processes and constant public consultations in view of a proper absorption of Structural Funds.
Outputs: The practical approach of the project will lead to increasing the absorption capacity of the Urban Priority of the Regional Operational Programme by mono-industrial towns and provide a model of sustainable development that will reduce development discrepancies and address important development needs in urban areas.
Timeline: May 2007 – May 2008
Main partners: Strategic Planning & Development Ltd.
Value: £87,455

Empowering the Romanian media to facilitate social integration

Purpose: To harness the potential of the regional media in Romania to act as a catalyst for social integration by improving the coverage of marginalised groups and better representing their concerns on the national stage.
Outputs: The project involves 40 regional journalists from Romania in a sustained training cycle which will result in the production of programmes and articles focusing on issues of social marginalisation and gender equality. The training combines face-to-face workshops, distance learning and mentoring techniques as well as a series of co-production initiatives.
Timeline: July 2007 – July 2008
Main partners: BBC World Trust
Value: £127,611

Building capacity of local government to act as 'community leader' in the context of EU accession

Purpose: To improve the strategic leadership capacity of the targeted local authorities and help them manage the adjustment to EU integration and maximise access to EU Structural Funds.
Outputs: Through a series of training sessions, the project will provide an awareness of good practice and innovative approaches to local administrations on practices developed outside Romania in areas such as: local economic development/regeneration, local strategic partnership working and management of EU cohesion funds.
Timeline: July 2007 – July 2008
Main partners: Leeds City Council
Value: £101,181

 

Past and present UK technical assistance in the area of Justice and Home Affairs

Improvement of the management and of the transparency of the Romanian justice system

Purpose: To improve the management and media skills of judges and prosecutors.
Outputs: Over 200 judges and prosecutors have been trained. Over 4,000 handbooks covering management and media issues have been distributed to all courts and prosecutors’ offices.
Timeline: April 2006 – November 2007
Main partners: Alternative Sociale, Ministry of Justice (websites in Romanian)
Value: £94,925

Promotion of magistrates’ integrity and development of the public trust in the justice system

Purpose: To strengthen the professional accountability of magistrates in order to reduce corruption within the justice system.
Outputs: Ethics training for over 200 magistrates. Production of handbook on judicial ethics, anti corruption awareness campaign within the judicial system. Action plan to reduce corruption within the judicial system.  
Timeline: May 2007 – May 2008
Main partners: Alternative Sociale (website in Romanian), Superior Council of Magistracy, Ministry of Justice (website in Romanian)
Value: £89,922

Strengthening the institution of probation in Romania

Purpose: To help develop and implement a probation excellence model, and raise awareness among the public and those working in criminal justice of the institution of probation.
Outputs: Probation excellence model implemented. Through regional conferences, over 200 judges, court officials, and community workers informed about the benefits of probation and community sentencing.
Timeline: July 2005 - September 2007
Main partners: Romanian Probation Service (website in Romanian), Probation Service
Value: £166,840

Assistance to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO)

Purpose: To assist the anti-money laundering regulatory environment
Outputs: A proposed regulatory framework to detect, report, freeze and seize the proceeds of criminal activity. A policy paper on implementation of EU Regulations on money-laundering.
Timeline: June 2006 – January 2008
Main partners: Transparency International (website in Romanian), Anti-Money Laundering Office
Value: £58,290

Court Management

2 HM Court Service experts were seconded to the Ministry of Justice earlier this year and produced a report recommending that the position of administrative court manager be introduced. This would improve the efficiency of the Romanian courts and relieve the judiciary of a significant burden (they are also responsible for administering their courts). We are awaiting comments on the recommendations from the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court of Magistracy.  

Enhancing the monitoring role of civil society

Purpose: To increase political transparency and accountability by increasing civil society scrutiny of potential conflict of interests
Outputs: Policy proposals to the Government and the National Integrity Agency to help improve the monitoring and tackling of conflicts of interest and incompatibilities. Training of NGO workers and investigative journalists in monitoring conflicts of interests. An online interface whereby investigative journalists, NGOs and citizens can monitor the integrity of elected and appointed local officials.
Timeline: May 2007 – October 2008
Main partners: Romanian Academic Society (Romanian language website)
Value: £58,500

Reducing bureaucratic barriers resulting in corruption in Romanian customs administration

Purpose: To reduce corruption within the Customs Administration
Outputs: A comprehensive survey of patterns of corruption within Customs. Regular meetings between business representatives and customs officials to discuss ways to reduce corruption. Plan of action presented to the Customs Administration, including simplification of customs procedures.    
Timeline: June 2006 – July 2007
Main partners: Centre for Institutional Analysis and Development (website in Romanian), Customs Administration
Value: £35,162

Regulating informal payments in the Romanian health sector

Purpose: To reduce corruption within the Health Sector by supporting the Ministry of Health in implementing voluntary private health insurance and user charges.
Outputs: Policy proposal to the Ministry of Health on the introduction of user charges, non-substitutive health insurance and hospitals accreditation and quality management systems. Key stakeholders trained in how to reduce informal payments.
Timeline: May 2007 - April 2008
Main partners: Centre for Institutional Analysis and Development (Romanian Internet page), Ministry of Health
Value: £39,000

Improving transparency and accountability of local governments

Purpose: To reduce corruption within local government by increasing scrutiny of local budgets through the formation of Local Transparency Councils (LTCs)
Outputs: Formation of LTCs in 40 councils.  Regular LTC meetings to scrutinise local budgets, which receive good local publicity.
Timeline: December 2006 – March 2008
Main partners: Association for Implementing Democracy (website in Romanian), 40 County Councils
Value: £90,050

Establishment of the National Integrity Centre

Purpose: To establish and publicise an effective new mechanism in handling citizens’ anti-corruption complaints and improve inter-agency co-ordination in tackling corruption at the regional level.
Outputs: Establishment of regional Anti-Corruption Action Groups. Training of over 200 student volunteers to monitor the progress of corruption complaints. Media campaign to promote the anti-corruption hotline.
Timeline: December 2006 – March 2008  
Main partners: Association for Implementing Democracy, Ministry of Interior (websites in Romanian)
Value: £75,770

Developing Romanian Police Authority institution through support for the Delivery of Territorial Public Order Authorities

Purpose: To increase the public profile of the ATOPs, as well as strengthen its capacity to effectively fulfil its responsibilities (training of staff in strategic planning, citizens participation, complaints and performance system).
Outputs: Establish a profile amongst the community of the role of the Territorial Public Order Authorities and ensure information is being produced and distributed to local community groups.
Timeline: June 2005 – December 2007  
Main partners: Community Safety and Mediation Centre, Territorial Public Order Authorities (websites in Romanian)
Value: £199,973

Transparency and integrity in the justice system

Purpose: To raise the transparency, integrity and responsibility of magistrates and prospective magistrates and actively engage them in participating in the reform of the Romanian justice system.
Outputs: A number of over 500 magistrates will benefit from training on ethics and participate in debates focused at assessing the integrity and transparency problems of the justice system. A guide for future young magistrates, promoting their integrity and independence and informing on tools available will be published and distributed.
Timeline: December 2006 – March 2008  
Main partners: Association for Implementing Democracy, Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform (websites in Romanian)
Value: £59,940

The Romanian judge, an European judge

Purpose: To support the development of a judicial system capable of enforcing Community law.
Outputs: The project will produce a set of training materials detailing the role of Romanian judge in applying Community law. A study visit to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg will be organised for the 10 trainees that will participate in the trainer of trainers session.
Timeline: December 2006 – March 2008  
Main partners: Centre for Legal Resources (Romanian language website), National Institute for Magistracy
Value: £69,100

Regional training on tackling child sexual exploitation in SE Europe

Purpose: To build investigative and enforcement capacity across the region by engaging with, and delivering specialist training to, law enforcement, judiciary and NGO’s.
Outputs: A regional conference on combating sexual exploitation of children that would help build regional capacity for tackling sexual exploitation of children, as well as raise public awareness to this menace. The event involved over 70 representatives from the law enforcement and judicial sector, as well as from civil society, from 14 regional countries in the region.
Timeline: June 2007 – March 2008  
Main partners: Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
Value: £79,948