Innovative practices in Bulgaria
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Mass Passportization
Varna Municipality
Background
In accordance with the changes in the Identity Documents Act, a campaign for mass passportization or for issuing new identity documents will begin. A key moment in the process of issuing the new ids will be the processing of the citizens documents. In case of discrepancies between the data registered in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the data in the municipality registers, the information from the municipality registers will be accounted for correct as requested by the MIA. Therefore, the number of citizens who will be sent by the police to the municipality for additional specification of some of the data, could create a problem for the municipality. In a 4 pages statement, containing good enough quantity of information, mistakes and data differences may appear. It is expected, according experts opinion, that about 30% of the citizens will return for specifications. The expected stream in the Regional Police Departments is about 1000 citizens per day for a three years period (for the Identity Cards, this period is two years). It means that the average number of citizens who will address the municipality for clarifications of their citizens status will be roughly 300 citizens a day.
In accordance with the changes in the Identity Documents Act, a campaign for mass passportization or for issuing new identity documents will begin. A key moment in the process of issuing the new ids will be the processing of the citizens documents. In case of discrepancies between the data registered in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the data in the municipality registers, the information from the municipality registers will be accounted for correct as requested by the MIA. Therefore, the number of citizens who will be sent by the police to the municipality for additional specification of some of the data, could create a problem for the municipality. In a 4 pages statement, containing good enough quantity of information, mistakes and data differences may appear. It is expected, according experts opinion, that about 30% of the citizens will return for specifications. The expected stream in the Regional Police Departments is about 1000 citizens per day for a three years period (for the Identity Cards, this period is two years). It means that the average number of citizens who will address the municipality for clarifications of their citizens status will be roughly 300 citizens a day.
Practice
In order to solve this anticipated problem, the Municipality of Varna signs a triple agreement with the Regional Headquarters of Internal Affairs and "Information Services" Ltd. for the processing of citizens applications at the relevant regional police departments. This preliminary processing shows the wrong data in the application and the citizens are able to correct those mistakes on time.
If any problems arise, citizens may turn to municipal or district representatives, who have remote access to the ESGRAON database and are able to correct the name, addresses and other filled information.
These elements which require examination in the citizens status registers, are about one forth of the total number of returned cases and they have to go through the Citizens Status Service departments of the relevant municipality. Based on the triple contract, the municipality builds these Citizens Status Services departments in every regional police department without investing funds from the municipal budget. The money comes from the application fees and the working stations are built by "Information Services" Ltd. The municipality share in this endeavor is calculated so that it could cover the expenditures of the created remote working places.
The applications themselves resemble a standard inquiry card with special places for filling in various data. That is why they could be viewed as a way to interview the citizens, which leads to the necessity to particularize data of the citizen-applicant. Some of the data that has to be filled in (education data or relatives) has not been collected up to this moment or the databases containing such data has not been updated at all. This means that the number of mistakes in these specific databases is expected to be enormous.
Difficulties at the realization:
The realization of this practice does not go without difficulties. Some of them are the determination of the places where these services should be provided; technical details in the realization; convincing of the managing bodies of the necessity for such practice; the coordination of the efforts of three institutions in the realization of a whole system.
In order to solve this anticipated problem, the Municipality of Varna signs a triple agreement with the Regional Headquarters of Internal Affairs and "Information Services" Ltd. for the processing of citizens applications at the relevant regional police departments. This preliminary processing shows the wrong data in the application and the citizens are able to correct those mistakes on time.
If any problems arise, citizens may turn to municipal or district representatives, who have remote access to the ESGRAON database and are able to correct the name, addresses and other filled information.
These elements which require examination in the citizens status registers, are about one forth of the total number of returned cases and they have to go through the Citizens Status Service departments of the relevant municipality. Based on the triple contract, the municipality builds these Citizens Status Services departments in every regional police department without investing funds from the municipal budget. The money comes from the application fees and the working stations are built by "Information Services" Ltd. The municipality share in this endeavor is calculated so that it could cover the expenditures of the created remote working places.
The applications themselves resemble a standard inquiry card with special places for filling in various data. That is why they could be viewed as a way to interview the citizens, which leads to the necessity to particularize data of the citizen-applicant. Some of the data that has to be filled in (education data or relatives) has not been collected up to this moment or the databases containing such data has not been updated at all. This means that the number of mistakes in these specific databases is expected to be enormous.
Difficulties at the realization:
The realization of this practice does not go without difficulties. Some of them are the determination of the places where these services should be provided; technical details in the realization; convincing of the managing bodies of the necessity for such practice; the coordination of the efforts of three institutions in the realization of a whole system.
Results
The most significant result is the creation of a system for preliminary processing of application data used for issuing new identity documents and the removing the mistakes while filling the cards in. The real results are still to be reported, since the process of mass passportization will begin on August 1st, 1999. It could be said, though, that the lines in front of the municipality will be short. The bigger part of the citizens will be served in the departments. Another part would address the relevant specialized municipality services. A very small part will have to address the Court for changes of facts and data in their Citizen Status Certificates/Acts.
The most significant result is the creation of a system for preliminary processing of application data used for issuing new identity documents and the removing the mistakes while filling the cards in. The real results are still to be reported, since the process of mass passportization will begin on August 1st, 1999. It could be said, though, that the lines in front of the municipality will be short. The bigger part of the citizens will be served in the departments. Another part would address the relevant specialized municipality services. A very small part will have to address the Court for changes of facts and data in their Citizen Status Certificates/Acts.
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