activity report 2008.pdf

ROMANIA THE ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE REPORT on the Activity of the Romanian Intelligence Service in 2008 1/33  TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES I.1. Landmarks of the institutional modernization process I.1.1. Organizational developments I.1.2. Outcomes of measures implemented in 2008 I.2. Human resources management I.2.1. Human resources I.2.2. Training I.3. Financial and logistic resources management CHAPTER II PARAMETERS OF THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITY II.1. Intelligence activity II.2. Making use of intelligence II.2.1. Informing the decision makers II.2.2. Specific prevention measures II.2.3. Notifying law enforcement authorities II.3. Protection against terrorist risks and threats II.4. Protection of Classified information CHAPTER III NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION III.1. Inter-institutional cooperation III.2. International cooperation III.2.1 Multilateral cooperation III.2.2. Bilateral cooperation CHAPTER IV THE C OOR DINATION AND OVE R S IG HT OF S R I’S AC TIVITY IV.1. Strategic coordination of the activity by the Supreme Council for National Defence IV.2. Democratic oversight IV.2.1. Parliamentary oversight IV.2.2. Legal oversight IV,2.3. Financial oversight 2 CHAPTER V COOPERATION WITH THE CIVIL SOCIETY V.1. Civil society relations and security education V.2. Public and mass-media relations V.3. Transfer of the “Securitate” files CHAPTER VI PRIORITIES FOR 2009 3 CHAPTER I MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES In the latest Report, SRI had assumed, as a main goal for 2008, the implementation of institutional reforming measures, in order to increase the flexibility of the organization and to ensure the operational capabilities in accordance with the dynamism of risks and threats to national security. The decisions taken according to the „Strategic Perspective 2007-2010” – approved by the Decision no.00109/28th of June 2007 issued by the Supreme Council of National Defence – have aimed to build and upgrade the organizational management tools needed for the effective use of allocated human, technical, financial and logistical resources, as well as to strengthen the response capacity to challenges – and opportunities – arising from the ever-changing context of the security environment. The connection to institutional modernization at a national level has taken into consideration the role of SRI in: - efficiently managing the responsibilities related to Romania’s membership to NATO and the EU in terms of assuming the strategic goals and cooperation regarding common risks and threats and also those related to being a state situated at the eastern border; - supporting the authorities’ efforts in preventing and countering new security risks in a changing regional and international context. The SRI’s modernization process has determined a conceptual adjustment of its activity, as well as some functional restructuring measures which are briefly exposed below. I.1. Landmarks of the institutional modernization process According to the „Strategic Perspective 2007-2010”, the year 2008 marked the implementation of the measures needed for the transformation of the structural and functional dimensions of SRI. I.1.1. Organizational developments The decisions taken in the first half of 2008 – following previously initiated processes – aimed to make SRI’s activities more flexible and to strengthen the response capacity by reducing internal bureaucracy, lowering the level of decision making and, also, assuming increased responsibilities at middle management level. After the approval of the new SRI Rules of procedures, we put into practice new measures aimed at strengthening the quality of specific activities, streamline processes and management. From the structural point of view, the new organizational chart allowed grouping functional components into „pillars of activity”, according to SRI’s types of missions, institutional culture and the models used by other intelligence services within NATO and EU member states. 4 Therefore, we created the following three pillars:  „intelligence, operations, analysis and planning”: intelligence activities, conducted according to legal assignment;  „security and control” – organizational security measures for the protection of classified information, for internal and legal control, as well as the audit of SRI’s activity;  „administrative” – activities such as administrative departments, public relations, financial, logistic and human resources. Under the pillars of „intelligence, operations, analysis and planning” and „administrative”, depending on the functional duties, we defined four „authority areas”, under the coordination of the Director’s deputies. These „authority areas” are: - „intelligence-operations”, includes central operational units which carry out national security missions by using HUMINT in gathering and validating information. This area represents SRI’s main responsibility and is supported by the other „authority areas” dealing with specific operations, in order to prevent and counter risks and threats and to promote security interests; - „technical operations”, consists of central operational units with responsabilities in the execution of specific national security operations by gathering information using technical sources; development of SRI’s capacities through research-development activities and management of the material resources in fields of competence; - „analysis-planning-cooperation”, which includes central operational units: strategic planning; analysis of data gathered either from secret human sources and open sources or resulting from internal and international cooperation activities, disseminating intelligence to legal customers, according to their needs and requirements, international cooperations; - „financial-logistics”, includes units with responsibilities in the supply and management of financial and material resources as well as of health and social care services. Based on SRI’s Rules of procedures, approved by CSAT in the second half of 2008, new rules of organization and functioning of the central and territorial units were drafted and applied. Also, in view of SRI’s demilitarization, we implemented the terminology used by the public administration institutions (general directions- directions-county directions).  In terms of organizational processes, SRI’s Rules of procedures and organization chart distinguish between two areas, grouped by their responsabilities: - operational: includes command, intelligence-operations, technical operations, analysis-planning-cooperation, internal security, legal and control activities; - functional, that brings together structures carrying out specific activities in human resources management, financial-logistics, public relations, administrative structures. 5 In order to improve the tools for coordination and appropriate management of activities, SRI has developed an „Integrated Planning Approach”, based on the allocation of available resources according to the established priorities. Based on the „Integrated Planning Approach”, we initiated the implementation of a mechanism of planning – also based on SRI’s „Intelligence Strategy” – in a progressive way, which allows us an integrated approach of national security activity and resources needed and ensures predictability of multiannual costs. Also, the implementation of management programs is meant to increase the efficiency in SRI’s budget management for each area of national security activity, within clearly defined areas of responsibility, in terms of conceptual and decision- making perspective. The new organizational reform provides the necessary elements needed to strengthen the missions of SRI as national authority or authority assigned to:  preventing and countering terrorism;  protection of classified information;  collecting, transporting, distributing and safeguarding, on Romanian territory, of mailing containing classified information;  execution of interceptions and relations with communications operators;  radio counterintelligence tasks and identifying illegal electronics;  implementation of Integrated Information System;  CYBERINT;  identificating and countering informational aggresions. Also, we provided the necessary conditions for the development of capabilities assumed through national programs initiated by CSAT decisions (OSINF, GEOINT şi MONSAT). I.1.2. Outcomes of the measures implemented in 2008 The assessment on the effectiveness of activities carried out in 2008 highlighted a first set of positive effects of the institutional modernization process on the organization as a whole, as well as on specific activities. The structural reorganization based on „pillars of activity” allowed a balanced distribution of human resources – about 57% of personnel in the field of „intelligence, operations, planning and analysis”, about 12% in „security and control” and 31% in „administrative” area, a pattern used by other intelligence services within the Euro- Atlantic community. A similar process was initiated to modernize human resources management by adequate monitoring of career development, from the time of selection until the retirement. On strategic management level, we optimized the strategic management flows, in „areas of authority”, by:  assuming direct coordination by the SRI’s Director of corporate management processes (in the fields: „command”, „security, legality and control”, „administrative and public relations” and „human resources”).  transferring the coordinating tasks to the First Deputy and, also, to the Deputy Director, for the following areas of activity: „intelligence- 6  operations”, „technical-operations”, „analysis-planning-cooperation” and „financial-logistics”. In order to improve the leadership’s eficiency and the flow of information, and, also, to increase the horizontal cooperation, we quit intermediate organizational links (former inspectorates) and reduced the number of decision points within the system (the number of the of central units was diminished by 20% by merging units with related or complementary activities). Special attention was paid to developing the SRI’s analytical capacity, especially in terms of evaluation and prognosis. In addition, collecting and disseminating the intelligence obtained from open sources were improved. We also implemented a modern IT concept that will develop a reliable and effective integrated informatic infrastructure, meant to provide IT&C facilities in real time. Integrating into a single structure the activities of personnel, infrastructure and objectives security, enabled the strengthening of the organizational security. I.2. Human resources management I.2.1. Human resources parameters Despite the significant fluctuations of personnel in 2008, employment ratio recorded at the end of the year is similar to the previous year (81%). The personnel employment ratio is the following:  78% - officers (compared to 79% in 2007);  89% - petty officers (85% in 2007);  88% - warrant officers (the same as in 2007);  70% - civilian employees (compared to 66% in 2007);  81% - soldiers / degree volunteers (compared to 83%). The structure of military personnel (officers and warrant officers) is as follows:  „Mihai Viteazul” National Intelligence Academy (ANI) graduates – 25,21%;  other military educational institutions graduates – 0,83%;  direct employment – 70,41%;  transferred employees from other military institutions – 3,20%;  retread personnel – 0,35%. Personnel exit situation: retirements - 95,79% from the total amount, transferred employees from other institutions - 2,75% and deaths of personnel - 1,46%. In 2008, the average age of employees was 36 years and 4 months (36 years and 6 months for officers, 36 years and 1 month for petty officers and warrant officers), with 71% men and 29% women (similar to 2007). I.2.2. Training  Within SRI’s training centers For now, the National Intelligence Academy provides education for 200 students that have been selected (40 students for university studies and another 180 for master’s 7 degree, 30 more students comparing to last year, including the courses dedicated to training experts from other institutions and civil society). Training activities in the SRI’s centers were designed in accordance to the needs expressed by central and regional structures. In 2008, SRI’s training staff held the following forms of training: - initial training (about 70% of graduates were hired in „technical operations”, „intelligence- operations” fields); - studies to fill a „second level” position in the professional hierarchy (of which 60,6% from „intelligence-operations” field); - studies to fill a „third level” position in the professional hierarchy (of which 73% from „intelligence-operations” field); - professional training / certification courses in other specialties required by SRI.  Within other national institutions For an adequate training in some specific issues/areas that are not available within SRI, the employees attended various types of courses organized by other institutions. Thus: - 13 officers attended the courses of the National Defence College; - 19 officers graduated the Technical Military Academy; - 6 officers attended courses in management of defense resources and information, organized by the Regional Department of Defense Resources Management Studies Braşov; - SRI supported the taxes (postgraduate/master courses in different areas of interest) for 79 employees.  Courses organized by foreign partners Due to the specific responsibilities given by Euro-NATO membership, our employees attended training courses / training and experience exchanges organized by our foreign intelligence services allies and partners. During 2008, there were organized: - 17 training programs in cooperation with foreign intelligence services; - 5 „experience exchanges” on reconfiguration, restructuring and adaptation of personnel training system. I.3. Financial and logistic resources management The funds allocated to SRI from the annual budget were spent according to Public Finance Law, State Budget Law for 2008, other specific legislation on national defense, public order and national security. For 2008, SRI requested an amount of 1.936.450 thousands lei, and according to the State Budget Law nr.388/2007, first were approved fundings of 1.344.460 thousands lei (from the state budget, external loans, domestic loans and own funds). Subsequently, some budget rectifications were made and approved. 8 The total amount allocated from the annual budget was 1.349.058 thousands lei, as follows: 1.299.303 thousands lei from the state budget; 37.544 thousands lei – external loans; 11.610 thousands lei – domestic loans; 601 thousands lei – own funds from National Intelligence Academy admission taxes. The budgetary allocations were structured as follows: - personnel spendings - 641.738 thousands lei (47,57% from total amount); - assets and logistics - 148.499 thousands lei (11,01% from total amount); - rates of interest - 10.024 thousands lei (0,74% from total amount); - transfers between public administration units - 20.702 thousands lei (1,53%); - other transfers - 17 thousands lei (0,0013%); - social assistance - 247.012 thousands lei (18,31%); - other spendings - 12 thousands lei (0,0009%); - non-financial assets - 245.392 thousands lei (18,19%); - reimbursements - 35.662 thousands lei (2,64%). According to the new Integrated Planning Approach, the budget execution on major programmes was as follows:  Intelligence-Operations – 299.531 thousands lei, 297.741 thousands lei were spent by 31.12.2008 (99,4%).  Tehnical Operations – 369.565 thousands lei, 362.778 thousands lei were spent (98,16%).  Financial-Logistics – 442.197 thousands lei, 441.640 thousands lei spent (99,87%).  Administrative, analysis, planning, cooperation, security and control – 237.164 thousands lei, almost entirely spent, 237.143 thousands lei (99,99%). The funds were distributed to areas of activity as follows:  protection of Constitution – 16,43%;  counter-espionage – 14,69%;  economic security – 11,19%;  preventing and countering terrorism – 46,83%;  transnational threats – 10,86%. The budget for the current year was based on a pilot project meant to correlate the available resouces with the priorities of national security, according to the principles of the new integrated planning and activity system (the budget was structured on programs and categories of spendings). 9 CHAPTER II THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITY The varied challenges and the emergence of new forms of the security risks and threats led to complex requests that the Service had to answer in order to properly manage the matters in its responsibility. The transformation undergone by the information-operations field along with the improvement of analysis and intelligence dissemination en