Call for Proposals to Support Law Enforcement and Security Reforms in Armenia

Deadline: 29-Nov-22

The European Commission (EC) has announced the Call for Proposals to Support Law Enforcement and Security Reforms in Armenia

This Call for Proposals (CfP) is part of the AAP 2019 programme and will contribute to expediting the Law enforcement and Security reforms in Armenia. This action is designed to bring the EU Member States experience and know-how to Armenia in the following areas: establishment of the new Ministry of Internal Affairs, reform of the Armenian State Police (including the consolidation of the newly created Patrol Service), reorganization/enhancement of Unified Migration and Passport service and advise on integrated Migration, Passport and Border Police, introduction and enhancement of electronic management and modern financial, human resources management, monitoring and evaluation systems.

Objectives

• The global objective of this call for proposals is to support Armenia in its Law Enforcement and Security reforms in line with priorities as identified by the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and EU’s best practices.
• The specific objectives of this call for proposals are:
  • To support establishment and proper functioning of the new Ministry of Internal Affairs.
  • To support implementing the Police reform deriving from the 2020-2022 Police Reforms Strategy.
  • To support drafting full package of the follow-up new Strategy for the Police Reforms.
  • To support modernization of Migration, Passport and Border Management services.
  • To support putting in place relevant reporting, statistical and IT mechanisms in the framework of Law Enforcement and Security reforms.

Funding Information

• Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  • Minimum amount: EUR 2 000 000.
  • Maximum amount: EUR 2 000 000 .
• Duration: The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 24 months nor exceed 24 months.

Types of activity

• The type of activities mentioned below are indicative and only aiming at clarifying the EU’s expectation in terms of proposed description of the action including methodology, which will be at the discretion of the applicant.
• Indicatively, at least three main experts will be required to be mobilized to ensure full implementation of these activities.
• The list of activities below is indicative and non-inclusive: the applicant may add/suggest other activities given that they are eligible, relevant and in line with the objectives and the expected results.
• Support to establishment of the new Ministry of Internal Affairs, specifically:
  • Activities in this area may include:
    • Run audit on existing structures, legal framework, human resources, data bases of the Police; implement peer review of already existing audits/assessments.
    • Based on recommendations and findings, propose draft legal and policy framework for Ministry of Internal Affairs taking into account the decision to merge Ministry of Emergency Situations and State Migration Service
    • Propose draft organisational setup based on best EU/international practices
    • To support the implementation of the above mentioned legal and organisational frameworks
    • Introduction and enhancement of electronic management system ensuring the genuine synergy with the digital agenda of Government
    • Support the Ministry of Internal Affairs to improve the specialized departments’ work, such as Medical Department (institutional structure, legal framework, procedures, personnel, infrastructure) in line with Armenia’s international human rights related commitments
    • Organize study visits to at least 3 EU member states with relevant experience
• To support implementing Police reform deriving from the 2020-2022 Police Reforms Strategy, specifically:
  • Activities in this area may include:
    • Improve legal framework of the Police (e.g. including but not limited to new law on the Police, Police Service and law on Police Troops, secondary legislation, Standard Operating Procedures, human resource management procedures)
    • Support the newly created Patrol Police (including a Police Operational Management Centre) with procurement of necessary equipment for proper functioning of the units.
    • Ad-hoc support to facilitate implementation of the reforms and other possible services
• To support drafting full package of the follow-up new Strategy for the Police Reforms
  • Support the monitoring of the 2020-2022 Police reform Strategy and Action Plan monitoring
  • Support drafting the new follow-up reform strategy for the Police in light of MIA establishment
  • Implement the costing of the new reform strategy
• To support enhancement of Migration, Passport and Border Management services, specifically:
  • Activities in this area may include:
    • Support the reform in the area of integrated migration, document security and passport service through reviewing the structures in place and further establishment and well-functioning of unified system
    • Support in analysis of border management and migration issues and bringing in the best EU practice on integrated border management structures, taking into account current cooperation with Frontex
    • Support enhancement of technical and institutional capacity in order to sustain the implementation of the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements with the EU; be able to address the ever-growing challenges, in particular the number of unfounded asylum applications and illegal staying in same Member States (as well as addressing possible causes as health sector reform or development of information campaigns); increase effectiveness in preventing and striking at cross-border criminal activity, taking into account ongoing cooperation with Europol;
    • Organize exchange and study visits (at least 2) to improve cooperation between the EU MS and Armenian institutions.
• To support putting in place relevant reporting, statistical mechanisms in the framework of Law Enforcement and Security reforms, specifically:
  • Activities in this area may include:
    • Support Budget and Finance Directorates in procurement and optimal allocation of resources
    • Support to implementing a “zero tolerance” policy regarding corruption and/or misuse of funds
    • Support the capacity to elaborate statistics and improving the reporting system on the track record of selected relevant cases

The project will take into account the ongoing EU funded initiatives (EU bilateral technical assistance projects and EU/COE PGG) and will work in coordination in order to build synergies and to avoid overlapping.

Eligibility Criteria

There are three sets of eligibility criteria, relating to:

• The actors:
  • The ‘lead applicant’, i.e. the entity submitting the application form;
  • If any, its co-applicant(s) (where it is not specified otherwise the lead applicant and its coapplicant(s) are hereinafter jointly referred as ‘applicant(s)’);
  • And, if any, affiliated entity(ies) to the lead applicant and/or to a co-applicant(s);
• The actions:
  • Actions for which a grant may be awarded;
• The costs:
  • Types of cost that may be taken into account in setting the amount of the grant.
• Lead applicant
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a specific type of organisation such as: a competent Government Department, Public body, or relevant mandated body of a Government Department or public body authority of a European Union Member State in the fields related to this action and
    • be established in7 a Member State of the European Union and
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
  • In addition, co-applicant(s) must be established in a different Member State than the lead applicant; besides, if more than one co-applicant, each co-applicant may be established in a different Member State.

Ineligible Costs

• The following costs are not eligible:
  • Debts and debt service charges (interest);
  • Provisions for losses or potential future liabilities;
  • Costs declared by the beneficiary(ies) and financed by another action or work programme receiving a
  • European Union (including through EDF) grant;
  • purchases of land or buildings;
  • Currency exchange losses;
  • In kind contributions (except for volunteers’ work);
  • Bonuses included in costs of staff;
  • Negative interest charged by banks or other financial institutions;
  • Credit to third parties;
  • Salary costs of the personnel of national administrations.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3SLNbZ7