Functional Review of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning

II.5 Co-ordination function
Inter-administrative coordination and interaction is essential for an effective, efficient and smooth
functioning of the public administration. It critically depends on the readiness to communicate in a proactive
way. For the environmental sector administration both horizontal and vertical coordination are of
vital importance.
Examples of particular areas to improve coordination include transport (management of air quality in
relation to transport); agriculture (obligation under the new Common Agricultural Policy in the EU to take in
consideration of environmental sustainability in farming); and energy (introduction of renewable energy
sources that contribute significantly to environmental qualityand has a high priority in the EU). Apart from
ad hoc consultations, such a mechanism does not exist yet in Kosovo.
Recommendation II.8: Designate and fully operate the Advisory Board for Protection of Environment in
Government as an official decision-facilitating inter-ministerial body. The goal of inter-ministerial
coordination is to integrate the environmental considerations into the agriculture, industry, transport and
energy sectors to achieve environmental sustainability.
II.6 International cooperation function
Good management requires a national strategy for international environmental cooperation, setting of
priorities in view of the obligations, the estimation of the expected costs of implementation through the years,
a cost-benefit analysis prior to entering the international obligation, clarification of internal institutional
responsibilities, and due reporting to the decision-making and supervisory state and entity bodies.
Kosovo is neither a direct signatory of any environmental Conventions or Protocols nor up to date ratified
any of them.
Recommendation II.9: Develop Kosovo’s national strategy for international co-operation; commencing the
active co-operation with the European Environment Agency (EEA) through regular transmission of
environmental data to EIONET (European Environment Information and Observation Network). Similar
activities should be undertaken in spatial planning through active participation in ESPON (European Spatial
Planning Observation Network) and taking the advantage to develop the international project from EURICUR
(European Institute for Comparative Urban Research). KEPA and Institute for Spatial Planning should be
appointed as the focal points in Kosovo.
II.7 Human Resources
The Personnel Office seems to have sufficient capacity including a special coordinator for HR development and
an annual HR development plan, but line managers indicate that responsiveness to their needs or a strategic
approach are both very limited. The expectations of the senior ministry management towards the Personnel
Office would need to change as well, moving towards a more strategic approach in assessing the Ministry HR
needs and filling the gaps through a combination of recruitment and existing staff development.
The current set of skills appears broadly adequate for the current set of functions but is weak on the
policy-making side. If the Ministry’s policy side is strengthened then a real skills gap will emerge.
Looking at human resources two elements become apparent:
the relatively high number of directors and heads of sectors compared to more junior staff – resulting
in an inverted pyramid effect;
the significant gap between the number of posts established (297) and the number of posts actually
filled (281). For the time being it is understandable that there is a vacant position in nuclear radiation
and noise but other vacant positions at the environmental departments significantly reduce the
performance capacity of the whole ministry.
The first element is typical for underdeveloped administrations who are also understaffed (an important
factor in this is the current rigid salary system). The second phenomenon is simply a lack of finances.
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