Mozambique Police Reform Project

Commencing with Phase I in 1995, the United Nations Development Program has coordinated three successive phases of a project to enhance the capacity of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM). The three year Phase II of the Mozambique Police Reform program commenced in 2000 and was designed to consolidate and build on the achievements of Phase I. It concentrated on strengthening the PRM through retraining of existing staff and the training of new recruits and supporting the establishment of a number of model units at selected police stations, district and provisional commands through rehabilitation of premises, technical assistance and the provision of necessary support equipment. Support was also provided to commence improvements to the managerial and planning capabilities of the PRM including the Central Command. A key outcome of Phase II was the development of a PRM Strategic Plan for 2003-2012 with participation by the PRM and the Ministry of Interior (MINT) and widespread consultation with key stakeholders including donors and civil society. The development of the Strategic Plan was an important step for the PRM and the MINT, and provided a sound direction for the future as well as a mechanism for prioritising goals, budgeting to achieve these goals and the establishment of performance and impact indicators to monitor and measure outcomes and achievements.

In 2002, Global Justice Solutions Director Dr Rowan Barnsley led a mission to conduct a mid term review of the project. The review, inter alia, was established to evaluate the implementation status of the project to that point and to assess the degree to which its objectives have been met. The review also sought to assess the continuing relevance of the project in terms of its approach, objectives and implementation modality, in view of developments in the sector since the original project design was approved. Finally, the Review Team, under Dr Barnsley's directions, were also tasked to consider the necessity and viability of extending the Mozambique Police Reform Project into a third phase. Specific recommendations were made with regard to project design, its implementation approach, sustainability factors and the processes used to support capacity building in the sector. A third phase with greater emphasis on capacity building, high level project coordination of donor support across the sector, increased participation by counterparts and civil society, and more integration with broader justice sector reforms and whole of government initiatives to strengthening public administration was recommended.

The recommendations we accepted and Dr Barnsley led a subsequent mission to design Phase III of the Mozambique Police Reform Project which focussed on improving the effectiveness of the PRM through the implementation of a new strategic plan, management and organisation development, police operations and training. Under Dr Barnsley's guidance, Phase III was also designed to complement a parallel justice sector project and to assist the PRM to improve accountability and transparency consistent with the Public Sector Reform Strategy launched in 2001.

The components and primary objectives of Phase III are:

Implementation and Monitoring of the Strategic Plan
Organisational and Management Improvement
Personnel and Training
Police Operations

Phase III of the Mozambique Police Reform Project continues to make a significant contribution to the strengthening of police capacity in Mozambique.