Crime and culture

The research project aimed to develop means to optimize corruption prevention in the EU. urgency of such a project was reflected in the fact that corruption holds the potential to retard seriously the process of the Community’s enlargement and integration, even to the extent of threatening the very core of its concept of social order. The prevention policies that have been developed by the EU and implemented so far within individual member countries have in general been characterized by legislative, administrative and police force measures. These are based on a definition of corruption prevention developed in political and administrative institutions that, for its implementation, rely on a “top-down“ procedure. The research project purported to conduct not an inquiry into the nature of corruption “as such“, but rather into the perceptions of corruption held by political and administrative decision-makers in specific regions and cultures, those held by actors representing various institutions and authorities, and above all by the citizens and the media in European societies.

Civil society in support of the public administration for more transparency, accessibility and accountability

The aim of the project was to increase the transparency, publicity and accountability of the municipal public administration through a strategic partnerships with the structures of the civil society. The project foresee: elevation of the current conditions regarding the transparency and accessibility in the work of the municipal administration; dissemination of the opportunities which the Law on Accessibility to Public Information gives to the structures of the civil society to control and monitor the work of the administration; provision of a basis for better cooperation between the municipal administration and the civil society and evaluation of best practices in the field in different EU countries. Some of the activities of the project include: 1. development and support of a web site of the association; 2. survey among civil society organizations regarding the level of transparency and accessibility of the public administration;3. development and publication of information materials concerning the project; 4. realization of educational events and round tables for the target groups – representatives of civil society organizations and experts from the municipal and regional administrations.

Promotion of Housing Maintenance and Utilities Reform in Three Cities of Luhansk Region in Cooperation with Anti-Corruption Efforts in the Housing and Utility Sector

The project represented a public awareness campaign aimed at drawing public attention to corruption in the housing and municipal sector of the local economy. The campaign focused on tariff transparency, fulfillment of housing service contracts, subsidy abuse, etc. As in many other projects, a public advocate’s office was established, through which citizens were able to receive objective information and advice, as well as legal support in ongoing court cases. These legal offices also ensured that appropriate media coverage was given to the outcomes of pending legal proceedings. Information on relevant legal issues was also
made available by the public advocate office through the publication of Housing Services in Your Building, and My House is My Castle brochures.

Access to justice: Introduction of the model “Legal assistance bureau”””

The project aimed to bring about a change in the regulation and grant people the right to receive legal assistance. Its main activities included: 1. data collection and analysis of the system for providing legal assistance by the officially appointed defense lawyers and attorneys; 2.qualitative and quantitative data accumulation and processing concerning the process of providing legal assistance in cases of defense provided by the state; 3. alternative model testing for providing legal assistance by the so-called Legal Assistance Bureau; 4. analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative methods for improving the quality of legal assistance and formulating a public policy by means of which an alternative can be applied.

Anti-Corruption Packages

The project was aimed at monitoring, archivation and presentation of the cases of corruption; and structural support of the organization.

Monitoring of Georgia’s Implementation of OECD’s Anti-Corruption Network for Transitions Economies Recommendations

The project aimed at ensuring implementation of the recommendations developed under the Anti-Corruption Action Plan by the Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies (ACN) – a regional anti-corruption program of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). To accomplish this, TI Georgia continued to monitor action taken by the government of Georgia to implement the ACN recommendations and present the respective findings to the OECD ACN and the Georgian public.

Citizens’ complaints on judicial inspection: increasing transparency and accountability of the judiciary toward the public

The project aimed at promoting the accountability and transparency of the judiciary through establishing effective ways of handling citizens’ complaints and increasing the involvement of the public in judicial inspections. The project sought to influence improvement of legislation with regard to the access of individuals to the judicial inspection process. In addition, the project was expected to increase information of the public regarding the procedures and ways of following up complaints regarding judges and courts, and in particular the public participation and cooperation during the inspection of judicial cases.

Civil Transparency Center

Anti-corruptive Patrol: The direction aimed to monitor the activities which were carried out by the Rustavi Branch of the Civil Registry Agency, by providing newsletters regarding their work. Finally the monitoring process was successfully accomplished, followed by recommendations which were delivered to the Civil Registery Agency Chairman at the Rustavi Branch. The monitoring was attended by the lawyer of Rustavi Council, NGO representatives, journalists and students. In the year of 2006, the monitoring aimed to perform the quarterly analysis of budget programs in the city of Rustavi and Gardabani district. After research completion, the Civil Development Agency (CiDA) issued the brochures which were delivered to governmental/non-governmental structures. The obtained information was also available via newspapers published by CiDA.

Detection of Corruption in the Czech Public Administration

The project consisted in watchdog activities; monitoring and mapping the corruption space in different public authorities and institutions; evaluation of the systemic risks. The staff members of the organization worked under cover in different institutions, only the director of the NGO was known.

Reducing Political Corruption

An advocacy project, this addressed the need of establishing a transparent system of political parties’ financing and an initiative, which would support the citizens’ rights to familiarize themselves with financial transactions and data regarding the political parties’ finances and management of their respective incomes and expenditures.

Anti-corruption measures at the Naturalisation Board of Latvia in the process of acquisition of citizenship

The project consisted in training seminars and an analysis report. Its goals were to: identify specific corruption risks within the process of acquisition of citizenship, evaluate their occurring probability and their level of harmful effect; develop probable solutions and propose short and long term recommendations; sensitize and train the staff of the Naturalisation Board on the issues of corruption risks and their minimization.

Transparency and Civil Participation in Budget Policy of the Self-Governed City of Rustavi

The project was designed to raise public awareness on 2008’s budget of Rustavi in publicly comprehensive language; also to assist interest groups in knowing how to involve into decision-making (media, civil society and youth) and then how to take action with decision-making itself (local government). Program goal: the project aims to encourage transparency, civil participation and enlarged governmental accountability in budget policy. Program objectives:
• Informing interest groups on 2008’s budget of Rustavi;
• Providing platform to 2008’s budget-financed programs for interest groups;
• Improving the civil service agencies of Rustavi self-government;
• Providing skills and knowledge for interest groups and local government on the issues of participation in budget formation process;
• Providing skills and knowledge for local government related with public opinion research and the designs of PR campaign.