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Strategic management in security sector institutions

Through its Strategic Management in Security Sector Programme, DCAF works to enhance the capacities of national governance bodies and security sector institutions for developing and implementing key strategic and policy documents, and to strengthen awareness, legal and institutional frameworks, and capacities of security sector agencies in strategic areas of institutional management and reform. 


 

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Photo: DCAF
 
Moldova is at an important juncture in its history. It is now an EU candidate country and has embarked on a path of modernisation of its normative frameworks and institutions. Achieving the European Union membership will require significant structural reforms, including when it comes to the security sector.
Nathalie Chuard, Director, DCAF

Workstreams/Projects

With funding from Sweden, DCAF is implementing the project “Strengthening Security Sector Governance in Moldova” (2023-2025).
The project engages the Moldovan security sector and its oversight institutions to promote good security sector governance in Moldova, through nationally owned, inclusive, participatory reforms based on EU norms and good practices, and to support the country’s alignment with the European acquis and system of values, in its EU accession process.
Drawing on DCAF’s expertise and past experiences, the project provides guidance, expert support, and training to its Moldovan partners, aimed at enhancing their organisational and operational reform capacities, while promoting the application of international standards and good practices in all project areas. The project implements activities that focus on enhancing the professionalism and performance in the public sector, on fostering partnerships between the legislative and executive institutions, civil society, and the citizens, and on promoting trust and increasing democratic resilience. 
Learn more in the Project Factsheet
Read about the main achievements of the project in the bi-annual newsletter published by DCAF.
 

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DCAF provides support to the Parliament and the Secretariat of the Supreme Security Council, to enhance national security governance.

This includes efforts to increase the executive and legislative capacities of those institutions, to contribute to the development of security sector strategies and policies, to advance the legislative and regulatory development of the security sector in a responsive manner, and to engage in meaningful coordination and oversight of security sector agencies. The project provides expert support in ongoing legislative processes, and offers opportunities for the members of parliament and staff from national governance bodies to attend trainings, workshops, or conferences on topics of relevance for security sector governance and reform, to enhance their expertise and knowledge.

Examples of project activities/processes:

 

 

 

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The project works on building and strengthening the strategic and operational management capacities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the General Police Inspectorate (GPI).

DCAF helps the MIA and the GPI in strengthening their internal communications, in enhancing their capacities for integrity planning and for the prevention and reduction of corruption or other integrity violations, in developing legislative proposals and internal regulations, and in mainstreaming gender sensitivity within their policies, action plans, and curricula. The project offers training opportunities to MIA and GPI staff to increase their skills and knowledge, and offers a platform for exchange and learning from international good practices.

Examples of project activities/processes:

  • Workshop on strategic planning and training design for the MIA
    March 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Workshop on integrity planning within the MIA and its subordinated institutions
    April 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Regional conference on standard operating procedures for the use of body-worn cameras in law enforcement agencies
    June 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Hybrid conference on strategic planning and management linked to the EU accession process
    June 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Functional analysis of strategic planning within the MIA and its subordinated institutions
    June-December 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Support to the MIA on developing indicators for measuring gender equality in Moldova security and defense institutions
    August 2023-June 2024, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Train-the-trainers (Facilitator’s Course) for building integrity in the MIA
    October and December 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Workshop on risk management
    December 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Development of studies on human resource management and institutional integrity in terms of recruitment and promotion
    July 2023 – January 2024, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • High-level knowledge exchange between European police inspectorates
    December 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Train-the-trainers (Facilitator’s Course) for internal communications in the MIA
    March 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Support for designating a training room for the Internal Protection and Anti-corruption Service (IPAS) in the MIA
    March 2023, Chisinau, Moldova
     

 

 

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DCAF aims to enhance public trust and awareness of security sector reforms through engagement with state security sector institutions, civil society organisations, and media.

On one side, the project supports state institutions in their external communication about reform processes. This is achieved through support to the institutions in their outreach activities and their efforts in establishing strategic communication plans. On the other side, the project aims to enhance civil society’s ability to contribute to an informed debate on security and rule of law topics. This is done through the steering of learning and knowledge production processes involving local civil society organisations and participants with non-governmental backgrounds, on topics of relevance for democratic governance of the security sector.

Examples of project activities/processes:

  • Development of a Cartography on International Assistance in Moldova
    May 2023 - January 2024, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Development of an Independant Report on Security Sector Governance in Moldova
    June 2023 - March 2024, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Roundtable on Security Sector Governance in Moldova
    June 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Women for Security Day
    June 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • “MIA for integrity – Integrity Cup” football competition for raising awareness on anti-corruption and integrity
    December 2023, Chisinau, Moldova.
  • Public Information Campaign on security policies and reforms in Moldova
    March-August 2024, Chisinau, Moldova.
     

 

 

 

moldova-tab-banner4.jpg DCAF facilitates multi-stakeholder dialogue and promotes multi-stakeholder engagement between state and non-state actors, to enhance trust and develop models of cooperation, while discussing current trends and challenges of security sector reform in the country.

The multi-stakeholder roundtables are organised once or twice a year.

Read about our SSGM launching conference on the 9-10 March 2023 in Chisinau, Moldova 

Other roundtables organised within the project:

  •  Building  Resilience in Moldova, 10-11 October 2023 in Chisinau, Moldova
  • Launch event for the Independent Report on Security Sector Governance in Moldova, 12 March 2024 in Chisinau, Moldova

 

 

 

CybersecurityTab5.jpgThe project contributes to more informed cybersecurity policy discussions, both at the regional and national levels, by encouraging parliamentary staff and civil society organisations to play a more effective role in cybersecurity sector oversight and research.
 

Examples of recent activities

  • Seminar on Cybersecurity Good Governance for Parliamentary Staffers from the Western Balkans. Tirana, Albania, March 2022.

Knowledge Products

 

 

 

 

 

Cybersecurity7.jpgDCAF supports civil society and young leaders in their efforts to play a more active role in cybersecurity.

To contribute to informed regional cybersecurity policy discussions, the project has supported the establishment of a Western Balkans Cybersecurity Research Network, composed of civil society researchers from the region. The network research aspects covering cybersecurity and human rights, cybersecurity needs of vulnerable groups, gender, and cybersecurity, in their respective national contexts.

This effort produces more comparative research and information on the progress in cybersecurity governance in the region and supports Western Balkans civil society to engage more in cybersecurity issues and to develop, research, and draft recommendations that promote an approach to cybersecurity taking into account the security needs of all, for governments to integrate a more human-centric approach in their legal and policy frameworks.

Following the 2022 six-chapter book on Human Rights and Cybersecurity in the Western Balkans, the research network has prepared a publication on gender and cybersecurity, ready to be published in late October 2023.

Through our ‘Young Faces’ programme, we work on promoting cybersecurity policy research and knowledge sharing among young professionals across the Central and Eastern Europe region, aiming to involve young leaders to explore and engage in cybersecurity network and expertise. The programme champions the development of young professionals from the region, from the public and private sector, at the start of their careers to raise their awareness on important cybersecurity governance challenges. Over the course of six months and through a winter and summer schools, the participants can familiarise themselves with the topics, learn from international experts, share experiences with their peers, and play an active role in research of cybersecurity by producing policy papers under the mentorship of experts.

Spotlight: papers from DCAF’s Young Faces 2023
Promising cybersecurity ideas from emerging Western Balkans civil society leaders
DCAF’s Young Faces 2023 brought together over 30 young scholars and leaders for enriching seminars on cybersecurity, in the context of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) supported-project, ‘Good Governance in Cybersecurity in the Western Balkans’. 17 out of this group wrote policy papers. These covered a range of issues of increasing importance in the six Western Balkans economies of the project: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

DCAF spotlights three among all of the thoughtfully written papers:
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect DCAF positions.

Papers from DCAF’s Young Faces 2022

 

Examples of recent activities

  • Young Faces Winter School Webinars. Online, January 2022.
  • Young Faces Summer School and participation in the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG). Trieste, Italy, June 2022.
  • Workshop on Gender and Cybersecurity for the Western Balkans Cybersecurity Research Network. Durrës, Albania, July 2022.
  • Advocacy campaign by the Western Balkans Cybersecurity Research Network. Western Balkans, Summer 2022.
     

Knowledge Products

 

CybersecurityTab7.jpgDCAF promotes cybersecurity capacity building in the Western Balkans to improve cyber-readiness of the societies through the strategic training of cybersecurity experts and the development of educational program in cybersecurity. The programme supports the inclusion of cybersecurity capacity building in national cybersecurity strategies, and the further development of cybersecurity education at all levels.

Key Resources 

 


The publication is a comprehensive analysis of the curren...

Contacts

Paulo Costa, Principal Programme Manager, (p.costa@dcaf.ch)

Teodora Fuior, Principal Programme Manager, (t.fuior@dcaf.ch)