Context
Corruption is a complex challenge that hampers economic growth and the quality of public services. Successfully tackling this phenomenon lies at the heart of the EU’s democratic values and the stability of government.
The project focuses on building a mechanism for the implementation of the legal and institutional framework, based on objective data and analysis, to minimise corruption risk. Preventing and effectively countering corrupt practices requires clearly defined objectives and a collective, targeted effort by the public administration, business, and civil society at large.
The implementation of the project is aimed at developing a methodology for assessing and managing the risk of corruption, including a system for monitoring and evaluating planned and implemented anti-corruption policies and measures in the tax administration of the Republic of Bulgaria. The project provides capacity-building for follow-up training, including the ‘Train the Trainers’ module, for the purpose of extended and regular implementation of the methodology in all structures of the Agency, with a view to timely identification of possible increased levels of corruption risk, respectively planning, and implementation of timely and adequate countermeasures.
Objectives
The overall objective of the project is to support the tax administration of the Republic of Bulgaria in strengthening its institutional and administrative capacity to fight corruption. The specific objective is to build on the ability of the administration to plan, develop, and implement reforms.
The main result of the project implementation is the development and implementation of a methodology for corruption risk assessment, including a system for monitoring and evaluation of anti-corruption measures to compensate for the lack of a national mechanism for objective assessment.
Activities in the implementation of the project include:
- a review of the legal framework
- analysis of good practices in other Member States
- developing a methodology for identifying, assessing, and managing corruption risk
- pilot implementation
- preparing a road map and an action plan;
- training of National Risk Assessment (NRA) employees on the application of the methodology.
Implementation
The preparation of the project proposal was launched in July 2020. All the necessary application documents were developed, integrating the lessons learned from previous initiatives into the project structure. For the management and implementation of the project, a dedicated working group of NRA experts was established, including representatives of the Inspectorate, Human Resources Management, and the Project Coordination Unit. The project received full support from the senior management of the NRA, which provided the necessary resources, expertise, and technical infrastructure.
To monitor progress a steering committee was set up, which included representatives of the senior management of the NRA, DG Reforms, and the project contractor.
The project envisaged the following main products prepared and provided by the contractor: introductory report, regulatory analysis, benchmarking, methodological framework for corruption risk assessment, road map, training materials, and a final report.
A comprehensive quality assurance system provided for each result or product to be guaranteed at two levels – operational and strategic. The project objectives were intended to be met with a clear set of KPIs to ensure the quality and monitoring of services and results against these.