Participants of the workshop at Vanadzor JVA (correctional facility), at the speaker’s table (from left to right): senior civil servant Heiko Oberle, deputy governor of the Mannheim JVA; senior government director Thomas Müller, governor of the Karlsruhe JVA Armenia
Armenia is restructuring the penitentiary system into a prison plan system. As part of these reforms, IRZ conducted a workshop for the employees of the Vanadzor correctional facility (JVA). The main topics were holistic concepts, individual prison planning and the introduction of efficient administrative structures.
The participants included the head of the Vanadzor JVA and the head of the Social and Psychological Work Department in the Penal System Department of the Republic of Armenia, Tzovinar Tadevosyan, along with 23 employees, including psychologists, social workers and employees of the operational security department.
The project was supported by IRZ expert Thomas Müller, Senior Government Director and Director of the Karlsruhe JVA and other colleagues, who has provided consultancy services in the penal system for several years. Heiko Oberle, Deputy Governor of Mannheim JVA therefore also took part in this workshop. Both experts conducted the interactive training directly on site.
On the first working day, both German experts visited the Vanadzor facility to design the workshop around the circumstances at the facility.
The following topics were then discussed on the first day of training:
Summary of the legal situation and restructuring of the quarantine station into a prison plan system (diagnosis with reference to the planned working group at the training centre, treatment measures, security measures and regime)
Introduction of treatment measures (presentation of the modular program)
Creation of work and leisure opportunities for prisoners
Management structures in prisons
Working groups were then created and the following work assignments were formulated:
How can the quarantine station be transformed into an access department, where an examination is carried out to determine the problems that require treatment, and how can individual rehabilitation measures be defined in a conference? What personnel and material equipment would be required for this?
If you look at the prisoners in your institution, what are the problems that need to be treated and what approaches could be adopted to treat the problems?
What work and leisure opportunities could be created in your institution? What personnel and material requirements would be required to do this? For which products would a sales outlet exist? Are the appropriate rooms/premises available?
What opportunities do you see in terms of structural changes in the institution to improve motivation and recognition for staff? What would be required to achieve this?
One representative from each working group presented the results, which were then discussed intensively with the participants and the German experts.
Work assignments to create practical concepts were formulated at the end of the workshop based on the results of the working groups, which the participants should compile for the next session, which is likely to be held in spring 2023.
Haykuhi Harutyunyan, BC Project Leader, Chairperson of the Corruption Prevention Commission of Armenia; H.E. Mr. Viktor Richter, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Armenia; Silja Kasmann, Deputy head of Cooperation , EU Delegation to Armenia; Edgar Mkrtchyan, Head of Deputy Prime Minister’s office; Nvard Vardanyan, Deputy Secretary General, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia; Klāvs Sniedze, Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Latvia to Georgia and Armenia (from left to right) Armenien
IRZ, together with its junior partner, the Latvian Ministry of Justice, held a Kick-Off meeting on October 4, 2022 in Yerevan to present the Twinning project "Fostering integrity and preventing corruption in the public sector in Armenia". The main beneficiaries of the project are the Corruption Prevention Commission and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia.
The Kick-Off event was opened by the Head of the Deputy Prime Minister’s office of Armenia, the Deputy Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Armenia, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Armenia, the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Latvia to Georgia and Armenia, and the Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia.
The project leaders from Armenia, Germany and Latvia as well as experts from the Armenian, German and Latvian project partners presented the project components:
In order to improve the environment for corruption prevention in the Republic of Armenia, this project aims develop anticorruption (integrity) education and public awareness programmes and related institutional capacities, and assist in their implementation. This target will be pursued in close cooperation with the main beneficiary of the project, the Corruption Prevention Commission of Armenia, established in 2020. The implementation has the full support of the Armenian Ministry of Justice and the Armenian Prime Minister behind it. The Twinning project works closely with other international actors in Armenia, such as the Council of Europe, Transparency International and the United States Agency for International Development.
The Twinning Project aims to advance the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy, in particular by strengthening the monitoring capacity of the Anti-Corruption Policy Development and Monitoring Department of the Armenian Ministry of Justice.
Corruption entails profound social problems, posing a serious threat to the rule of law and democracy. Inequalities are exacerbated, social justice dwindles, good governance and citizens' trust in public institutions are systematically undermined. Corruption also has a negative impact on the prosperity and economic growth of any country by unsettling businesses, lowering investment levels and hindering fair competition. Therefore, the EU underlines the urgent need to focus on the prevention of corruption at a global level.
This Twinning Project aims to support the ongoing efforts of Armenian public institutions, civil society and people to prevent corruption and strengthen integrity in the country.
Persons in Photograph (left to right): German Ambassador to Armenia Viktor Richter, European Commission DG NEAR Team Leader Bella Nestorova, Head of Anti-corruption policy elaboration and monitoring department at Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Hasmik Tigranyan, Beneficiary Project Leader and Chairwoman of the Corruption Prevention Commission Haykuhi Harutyunyan, European Union Ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin, Project Leader Ingo Sorgatz, Resident Twinning Adviser Diana Stepina Armenia
The “Fostering integrity and preventing corruption in the public sector in Armenia” Twinning Project will run for 24 months, starting in June 2022, and has a budget of EUR 1 million. The project is being implemented by the IRZ in lead, together with the Latvian Ministry of Justice – in co-operation with the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau – as a junior partner.
In the last five years, Armenia has made significant strides towards tackling corruption in the country. The establishment of the Corruption Prevention Commission in 2020 and the adoption of the Anti-Corruption Strategy for the period 2019-2022 are just a few examples that highlight the progress that has been made in the field of corruption prevention policy.
However, despite this progress, these efforts have only had a limited impact thus far and corruption remains a significant problem in critical areas of public administration.
This Twinning Project aims to support and enhance the reform process and ensure the effective functioning of the anti-corruption measures in place.
The overall objective of this project is, as the name states, to foster integrity and prevent corruption in the public sector in Armenia. Specifically, the project aims to develop and assist the implementation of anti-corruption education and public awareness programmes targeted at government officials as well as the general public. The project further aims to advance the implementation of Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Strategy, in particular by enhancing the monitoring capacity of the Anti-Corruption Policy Development and Monitoring Department of the Ministry of Justice.
The main project beneficiary is the Corruption Prevention Commission.
An Opening Event was organised on 13.06.2022 in Yerevan, with the participation of representatives of the Beneficiaries as well as the German Ambassador and the IRZ project team. An official Kick-Off event for the project is planned for fall 2022.
The project has four components:
First component: Build the institutional capacity of the Corruption Prevention Commission to develop and assist in the implementation of anti-corruption (integrity) education and public awareness programmes
The first component of the project focuses on enhancing the capacity of the Corruption Prevention Commission to develop integrity education programmes and/or training courses. It will do so by improving the existing infrastructure and by developing and publishing materials for such courses which can be introduced in the general and higher education systems. It will also put in place a professional development system for government officials in the field of integrity, and develop and publish related materials and a code of conduct.
Second component: Establish strategic communication and collaboration mechanisms
The second component is concerned with improving the communication channels and collaboration mechanisms between the Corruption Prevention Commission, the civil service and media, so that the general public has a better understanding and a greater awareness of the mandate and functioning of the Commission. The aim is to put in place mechanisms that allow the Corruption Prevention Commission to effectively cooperate with external stakeholders, including anti-corruption state institutions.
Third component: Support the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy by building the capacity of the Ministry of Justice to monitor
The third component of the project focuses on the Anti-Corruption Strategy and its implementation. Activities under this component aim to improve the legal framework around the Anti-Corruption Policy, to increase public awareness about anti-corruption measures in Armenia, and to develop and introduce an effective methodology for monitoring the measures put in place. Finally, the component also aims to enhance the implementation of international anti-corruption commitments generally.
Fourth component: Improve business integrity
The fourth component looks at anti-corruption measures in state-owned enterprises. It will conduct an assessment of the existing anti-corruption measures in such enterprises, and will develop and introduce additional anti-corruption measures in state-owned and public enterprises.
