Sonja Risteska and Ana Stojilovska in the following period will work on a study commissioned by Analytica’s partner Eko-svest, which will deal with the issue of jobs in the energy sector and is it better to work in thermal power plants or in the renwables sector? The main research question will be whether there is such employment potential in new/replacement lignite power plants and new possible lignite mines in Macedonia as the main proponents of this idea say or no? As well as the possibilities that energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors offer in terms of employment potential, while not depleting already scarce national resources and helping in achieving EU 2030 and 2050 targets. This has been an experience in some EU countries, but it should be tested whether it is true also of Macedonia.

*Компаративна анализа: работни места во термоелектрани наспроти работни места во сектори со обновливи извори и енергетска ефикасност во Македонија

*Презентација на студијата Компаративна анализа: работни места во термоелектрани наспроти работни места во сектори со обновливи извори и енергетска ефикасност во Македонија

Contacts:
Sonja Risteska This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Ana Stojilovska This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Analytica is pleased to announce for the third time has been selected to participate the TRAIN Programme (Think Tanks providing Research and Advice through Interaction and Networking) funded by the Federal Foreign Office (Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe) and run by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

The research will be conducted by our security research fellow Kaltrina Selimi. She will work on the paper “Examination of External Oversight Mechanisms of Police Forces in Macedonia”.

The aim of this policy paper is to examine the external oversight mechanisms of police forces,  in light of Macedonia’s EU integration policies and the strengthening of democratic governmental policies, it is of significant importance to further research how the lack of independent external oversight body affects the work of the police forces and whether further reforms are needed or what measures for improvement should be taken.

About Train

The TRAIN Programme (Think Tanks providing Research and Advice through Interaction and Networking) seeks to foster a fruitful policy dialogue between think tanks and political actors in the EU candidate countries and potential candidate countries of the Western Balkans.

Especially with a view to the European integration process, the voice of think tanks of the region and their impact upon national policy-making must be strengthened and their visibility and credibility vis-à-vis EU actors enhanced. In order to build the necessary institutional capacity in the countries concerned and to support networking within the region as well as in Brussels, the programme focuses on four areas:

-          Training to build upon and enhance existing capacities;

-          Regional co-operation to exchange good practices;

-          Interaction with national political actors to influence policy debates;

-          Networking with EU actors to increase visibility on the Brussels stage.

The TRAIN programme is divided into four key stages:

1. An introductory regional seminar will offer the occasion to set the research agenda, exchange good practices, and begin networking. Targeted workshops will aim to enhance existing capacities with regard to the drafting of policy papers and effective dissemination strategies.
2. A mid-term seminar in Berlin will allow for a review of the draft policy papers and discussion with relevant actors from the German policy scene on the chosen topics.
3. A wrap-up seminar in Brussels will allow the participating researchers to present their findings to EU decision-makers and thus to establish contacts with relevant Brussels actors.
4. The dissemination stage of the programme will take place at the national level and should bring together key decision-makers from the Parliament and relevant ministries. Building upon the findings in the policy papers, think tanks should establish a fruitful policy dialogue and actively feed their ideas into the policy process.

Also, in regards to the subject of oversight over security sector, previously has been carried out the research project “Mapping and monitoring security sector reform in Western Balkans”,  implemented by other Analytica’s researchers in the period 2009 - 2012 in cooperation with the Belgrade Center for Security Policy (BCSP).

Information about the TRAIN 2013 project at the website of DGAP.

*Here you can read the policy brief that was produced as part of the TRAIN Programme 2015

For more information on the project, please contact Kaltrina Selimi This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Analytica has started implementing a project on Macedonia’s civilian capacities for peace operations. The first phase of the project included working on a baseline studies of civilian capacities available for such operations in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, including mapping the practical and political challenges and opportunities in their deployment.

The second phase of the project intends to strengthen the knowledge of relevant stakeholders in the respective governments of policy options going forward to realize the ambition of deploying civilians, and support capacity development of the states to roster, train and deploy civilian capacities. This will be done through the provision of policy options, background notes, and facilitation of input by other seasoned actors in this field.

This project is conducted together with the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, the Center for Security Studies (Sarajevo), the Centre for Peace Studies (Zagreb) and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, supported by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Products:

Macedonia’s preparations for civilian contribution to peace operations – The next big thing after the withdrawal from Afganistan

- Article Journal of Regional Security

- Policy Brief  English / Macedonian

- UN Peacekeeping profile – The Republic of Macedonia

For more information about the project please contact Mr. Andreja Bogdanovski at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Analytica was granted the project “Energy efficiency in Macedonia at local level – the challenge of preparing energy efficiency programs” supported by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia. The project aims to analyze the process of preparation and implementation of municipalities’ energy efficiency programs and to offer research-based recommendations, in order to contribute to their successful realization in Macedonia. The overall aim is contribution to successful implementation of the energy efficiency policies in Macedonia envisaged in the Energy efficiency strategy.

The municipalities have gained more competences in the area of energy efficiency as they are obliged to prepare energy efficiency programs. However, by doing so they are faced with a range of obstacles both in the preparation and in the implementation of these programs such as lack of financial, human capacities, political will and similar. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis of the state of preparation of the programs, which could determine the good practices as well as the challenges and subsequently draft solutions, is missing. Since the implementation of the state energy efficiency goals depends on the actual realization of these local energy efficiency programs, therefore, Analytica continues to work in the area of energy efficiency at local level by analyzing the situation with the municipal energy efficiency programs in order to suggest solutions for their indentified challenges.  

The project will be implemented in the territory of Macedonia in a period of 6 months. The methodology will include desktop and field research.

The main project result will be a policy paper which will be promoted on a public event to all relevant stakeholders. The policy paper’s goal is to analyze the state of preparation and implementation of the energy efficiency programs of the municipalities and prepare concrete recommendation to the relevant stakeholders.

Анализа на локалните програми за енергетска ефикасност во Македонија – состојби, предизвици, решенија

The paper “Analysis of the local energy efficiency programs in Macedonia – situation, challenges, solutions” has also been published by Akademik

Project manager: Ana Stojilovska This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In the following five months Analytica will work on a developing a mechanism to ensure financial accountability of the institutions in the field of energy policy (Ministry of economy, ELEM, MEPSO, the Energy Regulatory Commission) as a platform to influence the design and implementation of future budgets, tenders and public procurement. In the longer term, the results of the project are expected to encourage democratic reforms for greater financial accountability and transparency in the energy sector and the involvement of other actors who have a role of supervision and control (Parliament, the media, other civil society organizations). This project is re-granted through the Action network for good governance (Акциска мрежа за добро владеење) which is a network of three Macedonian organisations: Metamorfozis, MCET and Reaktor. The main donor is the European Commission through its Civil Society Facility (CSF) Program.

Objectives of the project:

- Publishing a shadow report on the process of budgeting and tendering procedures for public procurement in the energy sector in the Republic Macedonia.

- Advocacy in order to improve the management of funds by the institutions in this sector.

- Improving public policy debates that will lead to an increase in the number and quality of participants debating budgetary issues in the energy sector, especially considering the liberalization of the energy market that needs to happen on January 1, 2015.

The analysis will refer to the Ministry of Economy, Energy Regulatory Commission, Energy Agency, Commission for Protection of Competition, ELEM and MEPSO. The research results will be useful for civil society organizations working to encourage accountability and transparency in budgeting, public procurement and tendering procedures, then the parliamentary committees (Committee for economic affairs, Committee for Financing and Budget and others), as well as other interested stakeholders especially the donor community, media etc. The broader target group are the citizens who in this way will be able to get information about the spending of their tax money by the energy sector.

Main activities of the project are: 1). Monitoring the budgeting process of  ELEM, MEPSO, etc., tendering and public procurement by the Ministry of Economy, as well as the companies, oversight on these processes done by the Energy Regulatory Commission and the Commission for Protection of Competition (planning, approval, execution, review) as well as the State Audit Office; 2). Writing a shadow report after the completion of monitoring and analysis; 3). Organizing two events, one for media one for experts where there will be discussions on the presented results.

The road to financial transparency and accountability of the institutions and companies in the energy sector in the Republic of Macedonia

Project leader: Sonja Zuber This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Analytica was granted the project “Research on corruption in public-private partnership at local level” supported by the Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” Skopje (IDSCS), the Ohrid Institute for Economic Strategies and International Relations (OI) and the Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM), implemented in the framework of the project “CSOs Watchdog Network to Prevent Spoils and Conflict of Interest in the Public Administration”, funded by the EU through the IPA Civil Society Facility.

Between June 2014 and May 2015 Analytica’s security fellows will be researching the extent to which citizens in Macedonia’s capital are involved in community policing.  This would be a first independent research focusing on the role that individuals play in contributing to the more general safety in the communities they live in. For this purpose two municipalities in Skopje will be selected and research activities including opinion polling, focus groups and interviews with officials will be conducted.

Even though introduced a decade ago community policing still does not mean a lot to the younger generations while the more mature identify it with the old Yugoslav policing models. Consequently there is a perception that the instruments available for greater citizens’ involvement in local policing are not utilised enough.  For this reason this policy paper will feature sound analysis and number of recommendations that should improve the overall participation in local policing.

The project is supported by the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF).

For more information please contact Mr.Andreja Bogdanovski at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Analytica was granted the project “Training Course on the Security Sector for the Media” with an aim to support and develop more informed and balanced reporting on Macedonia’s security sector through a series of awareness-raising and capacity-building activities.

For this purpose we envisage developing a specially designed security handbook for journalists innovatively explaining Macedonia’s security architecture in order to provide timely and accurate information on its actors, creation of policies, chain of command etc.

Secondly, we aim at training journalism graduates who are interested in security related topics, providing them knowledge and expertise for covering security relevant topics. Target group are journalism students in their final year of studies and recent graduates. They will be trained over a period of seven months by Analytica’s researchers and other experts. Besides classical methods of lecturing encompassing theoretical approach, there will be also interactive discussions, practical exercises (individual and group work), case-study approach, writing short articles on given topic, reading and analyzing articles that are already published ect. Trainees will be encouraged to identify problems, to think independently and to propose topics to be covered on the online platform.

In parallel to the trainings, Analytica will launch a blog as an online platform where participants will write media articles related with security and over time should evolve into a unique virtual place for posting news stories on topics that affect the security of the regular citizen of Macedonia as well as getting information about international security phenomena. The blog would enrich Macedonia’s media space and have long positive effect towards information sharing and keeping the public up to date with relevant information.

The project is funded by the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of the Armed Forces from Switzerland (DCAF).

Launch of www.bezbednosnaanaliza.com

For more information, please contact Ms. Magdalena Lembovska at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Повик за учесници на обуки за медиумско покривање на безбедносни прашања

Thirje për pjesëmarrës në trajnime për mbulimin mediatik të çështjeve të sigurisë