Browse through all implementation phases of SCESAL, starting from January 2020 and onwards.
This page will be updated regularly as the project moves ahead, so make sure to check back from time to time to check more details.
January 2020
The RTA Tiina Koivuniemi moved to Tirana, Albania on 13 January 2020, which marked the official beginning of the project. As RTA, Tiina works as a link between the Albanian Security Academy and the project consortium and supports the implementation of the project on-site. In January and February, Tiina worked on establishing a project office at the Security Academy campus together with the newly recruited project assistant and project translator.
February 2020
The Steering Committee has nine members, representing the EU delegation and partner organizations. The Steering Committee meets every three months and approves the rolling work plans.
March 2020
The first mission weeks for two different activities with five short-term experts (STEs) from Polamk, JAMK, and EEAS took place from 9 to 15 March. Three STEs for the activity 1.1.1. began working on their goal of clarifying expectations for the project of the Academy, public safety institutions, stakeholders and Albanian society, and two STEs for 2.2.1. started mapping and analyzing the current situation in inter-institutional cooperation of the Security Academy.
March 2020
The kick-off meeting for the Twining project was planned for 11 March 2020. Only a few days before the event, the first COVID-19 cases in Albania were confirmed and in accordance with the restrictions of the Albanian government, the Security Academy suspended its training activities and the kick-off event was canceled. The five STEs that had traveled to Tirana for their first missions during the same week were able to carry out most of their planned tasks before returning home as planned on 15 March, despite the cancellation of the kick-off and the COVID-19 related restrictions. Because new STEs were no longer able to travel to Albania, preventing the implementation of activities as planned, the project was suspended on 16 March and the RTA returned to Finland.
May 2020
On 11 May, after nearly two months of suspension, the Twinning project activities were resumed again - in teleworking mode. From the beginning of June, STEs have continued their work and carried out interviews via videoconference, online questionnaires, and document analysis. Superintendent Pasi Kemppainen worked on activity 2.2.1 as an STE for 5 days in early June, conducting distant interviews together with a colleague from JAMK. He was also one of the few STEs that had the chance to work in Albania before the project was suspended.
May – July 2020
Due to Covid-19, the project was carried out remotely. All short term experts worked at home offices in Estonia and Finland. All meetings, interviews and workshops were organized online using Teams. During the summer we implemented six activities: 1) Clarifying expectations of the Academy, public safety institutions, stakeholders and Albanian society; 2) Internal regulation for the legal and operational framework (educational framework in general in Albania, gaps etc.); 3) Updated criteria for selection of academic staff and trainers; 4) Mapping and analyzing the current R&D situation; 5) Conducting a training needs analysis; 6) Mapping and analyzing the current situation in cooperation
September – October 2020
Working remotely continues. The training needs analysis completed. STEs finalized the Internal regulation for the legal and operational framework and Expectations of the Academy, public safety institutions, stakeholders, and Albanian society reports. Analyzing curriculums began.
28-29 October 2020
The results of the activities were presented in three Webinars on October 28 and 29.
November 2020
At the end of March 2020, the Director of European Commission Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations decided on flexibility arrangements regarding Twinning contracts in the context of the COVID-19 emergency. According to the decision the Contracting Authority could authorize that Short Term Experts work from their home. The RTA may be allowed to carry out tasks from his/her home Country with videoconferencing technologies. This possibility can be enabled by the Contracting Authority following a thorough analysis of whether this work from home can still support the successful implementation of the project. After careful analyze and discussions with the Project Leader and Beneficiary Country Project Leader RTA decided to return to Albania and continue her work in the project office. The Short Term Experts continue their work in Finland and Estonia.
November 2020
Decision 881 “Awarding the special status to the Security Academy, as the only public institution of higher education in the field of public security order, as well as its organization and functioning” published.
January, 2021
Benchmarking seminar with the main topic being the building up of a new type of Security Academy based on decision No. 881. Colleagues from Estonia and Finland shared their experience during this seminar with discussions on topics such as a change in police training organizations, design of a new structure, statute, etc.
April, 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic continues and the Twinning project works remotely. All activities are implemented online – seminars, workshops, meetings, etc. The project office and colleagues in the Security Academy work normally in Tirana and all Short-Term Experts are working in Finland and Estonia. All of us are waiting for a time when we can work face-to-face again.
May, 2021
SCESAL was a proud co-organizer of the sixth International Scientific Conference along with the Security Academy and other important partners. Our RTA Tiina Koivuniemi was one of the key speakers. The goal of this conference was to absorb qualified academic thinking as well as improve rapidity and efficiency in response to natural phenomena and security issues. A goal that was more than fulfilled.
June, 2021
At our June 22nd seminar on excellent cooperation, the participants were key members of various Albanian law enforcement agencies. Our key speakers were superintendent Sami Hätönen and Researcher, Ph.D. Pirjo Jukarainen from Finland and Director of Police and Border College Kalvi from Estonia. They presented study cases and best practices from their respective countries. A lively discussion ensued with Albanian attendees.
July, 2021
On the 27th of July, we held a High-Level Conference at Europe House. The participants were directors and key persons from different Albanian law enforcement agencies and institutions. During the conference, we discussed the Future vision of Law Enforcement Education, Cooperation over borders, and Law Enforcement Education reforms. The future of law enforcement in Albania was one of the key issues that were discussed. Our key speakers were Police University College Director Kimmo Himberg, RTA Tiina Koivuniemi, Superintendent Pasi Kemppainen, Director of Police and Border College Kalvi Almosen, and Component leader Kristi Kulu.
July, 2021
On the 28th of July, we held a networking seminar on law enforcement education at Europe House. We shared Early experiences of the Twinning Project in Albania, discussed Distance Education, and had Opportunities for law enforcement education in Albania-workshop. At the end of the seminar, we discussed how we can prepare for the future and shared reflections from Albania, Finland, and Estonia.
September, 2021
The ninth Steering Group meeting of the project took place in the Security Academy on 16th September 2021. The meeting was a hybrid meeting in which representatives from the Security Academy, the EUD, and RTA were together and the member states Project Leader and Component Leader attended the meeting via video connection. We expect that the next meeting could already be held so that all participants are in the same space.
September, 2021
For the first time since the Covid-pandemic began the first face-to-face activity was carried out after the summer vacation. Short Term Experts Häli Allas and Jaanis Otla from Estonia developed a fire and rescue training curriculum with Albanian colleagues. Short Term Experts will come back to Tirana at the beginning of October and work continues.
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