TWINNING LIGHT
Training of the police officers of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia in the field of bomb investigations and EOD/IED (Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Improvised Explosive Devices) Techniques and Tactics
Twinning Light Number: HR/2005/IB/JH/01-TL
Funding programme: Phare 2005
Beneficiary Institution: Ministry of Interior, Croatia
Maximum budget: 250,000 EUR
TWINNING LIGHT PROJECT FICHE
1 Background
The responsibilities, competences and tasks of the Counter Explosives Department (CED) are partially regulated by the Police Act, by the Ordinance on Police Proceeding, and by the Book of rules on Proceeding in cases such as Bomb Threats, Locating and Explosion of the Explosive Devices.
According to the Opinion on the application of Croatia for membership of the European Union (EU), Chapter 24 Co-operation in the field of justice and home affairs, European Partnership with Croatia (Co-operation in justice and home affairs) and National Program for the Adoption of the Acquis Communitaire (NPAA), Chapter IV Strengthen Administrational Capability Article 4.2.24 Justice and Home Affairs, it is necessary to strengthen administrative capabilities within organizational units of the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, and the Counter Explosives Department has a significant role in this area.
According to Croatia 2006 Progress Report, Chapter 24: Justice, Freedom and Security, paragraph on the fight against terrorism, direct cooperation and exchange of information with EU instances needs to increase.
Croatian MoI has included in its Program Guidelines for the period 2004 – 2007, adopted in April 2004, fight against terrorism and organized crime as one of the strategic goals in the field of security. But foremost, it requires elevating the professional and educational level of the CED staff, by providing necessary training and the provision of adequate equipment/means for work.
Among number of factors that impede and render difficult terrorist attacks prevention, we will mention most important ones. Republic of Croatia (RoC) is transit and tourist country, with long border line (in total 3 332 km) which is extremely difficult to control. Besides that, it has 1001,2 km state border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, where were fought fighters from Arab countries during war in 1990’s. Some of them stayed there. In Croatia, there are still a substantial amount of weapons and military explosive devices illegally kept by citizens. Some weapons are homemade for self-protection during the war, but most of the weapons are industrially made for military proposes. Furthermore, within the border of the RoC, there are many areas of different sizes still under mines. There is real danger of using these mines and weapons for terrorist purposes.
Police officers of the CED have experience in procedures related to military (formational) explosive devices (hand-grenades, mines etc.), which they gained during the war. Although in procedures related to improvised explosive devices, which is a significant part of modern terrorist acts, the lack of experience is evident.
Consequently, in case of explosions caused by non-formational explosive devices, increasing of capacities of explosion crime scene investigations are needed. Also, capacities of bomb incident management, especially in cases of serious incident/explosions, are insufficient.
Because of global and regional terrorism and importance of countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, MoI, Ministry of Defense and Customs officers attended courses of US Department of Defense “International Conterproliferation Program”. A few CED officers were involved in this programme.
It’s important to mention that Republic of Croatia is actively involved in fight against terrorism and its military and police forces are taking part in peacekeeping missions (Afghanistan, Jordan, Timor…).
2 Description of the assignment
2.1 Institutional Framework
The Counter Explosives Department, established in the Police Directorate within the Ministry of the Interior, has responsibility to handle the bomb threats/alerts, to render safe improvised explosive devices, to conduct post explosion investigations and to provide VIP security. Among other duties, CED officers are participating in securing embassies of EU countries, USA and other countries, according to agreements between Republic of Croatia and these countries. Also, CED officers are involved in safeguarding of highest level political conferences, with attendance of state officials from EU countries.
Also, the CED collects all kinds of explosive devices and military ordnance (hand grenades, mortar grenades, military explosive and mines), which were found on the territory of the RoC after the Homeland War.
2.2 Beneficiary
The main beneficiaries of this project are Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, Police Directorate, and Border Police Directorate. Project will implement General Police Directorate with Police Academy in Zagreb. The Department for European Integration and Peacekeeping Missions is involved in its role as EU Coordinator within the Ministry of the Interior.
Project leader will be Head of CED Mr. Neven Juričić, phone: ++385 1 61 21 260, fax: ++ 385 1 61 22 358, e-mail: and from Police Academy side, Head of Department for Professional Development and Specialization Mr. Silvio Bratković, phone: ++385 1 23 91 302, fax: ++ 385 1 23 91 418, e-mail: .
2.3 Overall and specific objectives
The overall objective of the project is to support the MoI in strengthening its capacity in the field of combating the terrorism.
Specific objectives of the project are primarily to enhance the professional, educational and technical level of the CED staff (on national, regional and local level) to perform adequate fight against terrorism according to best EU practices, and secondly to enhance the capability of counter explosive staff within Border Police on the airports, which are also included in the fight against terrorism.
2.4 Mandatory results
1. Increased capability of the police officers of the MoI in procedures related to improvised explosive devices. 134 MoI Staff trained in nine three week seminars.
2. Improvised explosives devices guidelines involving the methods and procedures for police officers of the CED created, and adopted by MoI.
3. General guidelines for terrorism and explosives drafted and adopted by MoI.
- Analyses in the area of the counter explosives protection and final assessment of the project made in order to create recommendations for development of the CED, MoI of the RoC, including determination of the needs for technical equipment. CED Terrorism Policy Paper drafted and adopted by MoI. MoI Logistics Strategy revised in applicable parts.
2.5 Planned activities
The planned activities are as follows:
Activities related to Result 1:
- To organize and to hold 9 seminars for 112 police officers of the CED and 22 counter explosive Border Police officers.
• Duration of one seminar is three weeks (15 working days).
• First two weeks of the seminar shall be theoretical and the last week shall be practical
exercises.
• Location of seminars - Police Academy, Zagreb, Avenija Gojka Šuška 1 and an
adequate military camp in Croatia.
Activities related to Result 2. and 3:
- Study visits to an EU Member State or member state experts coming on roadshow to Croatia (the option which gives the best value for money in terms of quality/quantity should be chosen) which has well established improvised explosive devices procedures.
- To recommend solutions and best practices from EU MS that could be implemented in RoC.
- To create manual, handbook or the guidelines in order to establish best practice procedures in the field of counter explosive protection.
Activities related to Result 4:
- To prepare a Report on effectiveness and efficiency of new methodology for police work in improvised explosive devices procedures.
- To create the Policy Paper for the CED of the MoI, in the area of the fight against the terrorism including recommendations for further projects and necessary technical equipment.
2.6 Work Schedule
Date/Duration / Activity / Output/InputMonth 1 / Under result 2 and 3:
Study visits to an EU Member State which has well established improvised explosive devices procedures OR road show in CRO by EU MS. / Study visits/Roadshow performed
5 working days
Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the 1st seminar for the 15 police officers. First two weeks of the seminar shall be theoretical with topics related to:
- types of explosives used by modern terrorists,
- bomb incident management (prevention; security planning; bomb threat; evacuation; searching building, vehicles, ships and aircrafts; the use of Explosive Detector Dogs), / Seminar organized and held
5 working days
- improvised explosive devices – types, constructions and detection,
- current trends in explosive devices,
- render safe procedures of improvised explosives devices,
- technical equipment for bomb disposal units,
- post-blast scene investigation. / 5 working days
Last week of the seminar shall be practical exercises with topics related to:
- case studies,
- practical training/exercises (searching buildings, premises, public area, searching vehicles, deactivation procedures, explosion crime scene investigation),
- coordination of activities on the location, cooperation between explosive detector dog teams and explosive technicians – exercise. / Seminar held
5 working days
Assessment of project/ Inception period / Inception report Delivered
Month 2 / Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the 2nd seminar. / Seminar organized and held
15 working days
Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the first week of the 3rd seminar. / Seminar organized and held
5 working days
Month 3 / Under Result 1:
To hold the second and the third week of the 3rd seminar. / Seminar organized and held
10 working days
Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the first and the second week of the 4th seminar. / Seminar organized and held
10 working days
Month 4 / Under Result 1:
To hold the third week of the 4th seminar. / Seminar organized and held
5 working days
Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the 5th seminar. / Seminar organized and held
15 working days
Interim Report
Month 5 / Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the 6th seminar. / Seminar organized and held
15 working days
Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the first week of the 7th seminar. / 5 working days
Month 6 / Under Result 1:
To hold the second and the third week of the 7th seminar. / 10 working days
Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the first and the second week of the 8th seminar. / Seminar organized and held
10 working days
Month 7 / Under Result 1:
To hold the third week of the 8th seminar. / Seminar organized and held
5 working days
Under Result 1:
To organize and to hold the 9th seminar. / Seminars organized and held
15 working days
Month 8 / Under Results 2 and 3:
- to recommend solutions and best practices from the EU MS, which could be implemented in RoC,
- to create manual, handbook or the guidelines in order to establish best practice procedures in the field of counter explosive protection. / Manual created
10 working days
Under Result 4:
- To prepare a Report on effectiveness and efficiency of new methodology for police work in improvised explosive devices procedures.
- To create the Policy Paper for the CED of the MoI, in the area of the fight against the terrorism including recommendations for further projects and necessary technical equipment. / Report prepared
Policy Paper for the ECD created
10 working days
After activities end / Final report is submitted. Ministerial adoption of drafted documents.
TOTAL working days / Minimum 160 working days
2.7 Related programmes and other donor activities
Not applicable.
3 Experts profile
The experts required should be civil/public officials of the relevant MS administration or permanent staff of its authorized mandated bodies. One expert among the 3 will act as Team leader. The project implementation requires participation of minimum three experts (MS can offer more experts if it is justified) with the following profiles:
Expert 1
- Higher education or university degree,
- At least 15 years of experience of the work on explosion crime scene investigations,
- Fluency in written and spoken English,
- Basic tutorial experience;
Expert 2
- Higher education or university degree,
- In depth knowledge of bomb incident management (prevention, security planning, evacuation, coordination of activities, search, removal, detonation),
- At least 15 years of relevant experience,
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Basic tutorial experience;
Expert 3
- Higher education or university degree,
- In depth knowledge about explosives, construction of the improvised explosive devices and checking of suspicious object,
- At least 15 years of relevant experience,
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Basic tutorial experience.
PL ensures necessary translation and interpretation services, and is responsible for other organizational and logistic matters.
Working language
Activities involving EC staff or other persons different from BC personnel and MS experts will have to be carried out in English.
4 Location and duration
Duration of contract: ……………… 8 calendar months/160 Working Days
Starting date: ……….……………… 2 Quarter 2007
Finishing date: ……………………. 1 Quarter 2008
Location of assignment
The MoI – Police Academy in Zagreb, and adequate military camp in Republic of Croatia.
5 Reporting
Under each of Activities, at the beginning of his/her assignment, the expert(s) will prepare a work program, which have to be approved by team leader and PL.
Start-up report
A start-up report will be submitted 1 month after the commencement date of the Project (as defined in the Notification letter) and will:
· define clearly the aims and objectives of the assistance to be provided,
· detail any changes agreed with the Beneficiary institution,
· provide a detailed description of the content of the individual components of the project,
· set out a detailed work plan and time schedule for the project duration, and
· contain an overall plan for action for the whole project duration.
Mid-Term Report
A Mid-Term Report will be submitted after month 4 and will include:
· comparison of achievements against planned activities and overall progress against the initial timetable,
· review of problems encountered during the implementation of project activities and the corrective measures taken,