Functional Review of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning

SECTION II: CROSS-CUTTING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In this section, we present a set of findings and resulting recommendations that concern the functioning of
the Ministry as a whole. Their purpose is to improve the performance of the MESP as an institution largely
through changes in organization as well as processes and HR management. The text does not provide a
comprehensive analysis of each country’s ministry of environment, but rather focuses on topics important
for Kosovo’s MESP. It illustrates how things are organized elsewhere, and through these examples draws
recommendations for actions in the context of Kosovo. All of these recommendations have a general
character - department specific recommendations can be found in Section III of this report.
The fundamental functions of the MESP as a representative of public administration are the following key
groups: i) policy function; ii) regulatory function; iii) executive (implementation, management) function and
iv) service delivery to clients function.
An examination of the environmental functions derived from the EU acquis, i.e. policy – law – permitting –
monitoring – inspection – enforcement – information – research – international co-operation shows that they
are compatible and consistent with the key functions mentioned above.
II. 1 Current organizational structure of the ministry
MESP consists of six major departments, each dealing with one, department of housing and construction
with two and department of environment protection with six of the major areas, with additional units for
support and cross-cutting as well as management of the Ministry. Corporate, executive and supportive
hierarchy is clearly defined. The Ministry is also responsible for four institutions in these areas – Kosovo
Environment Protection Agency (KEPA) including Institute for Nature Conservation and Kosovo
Hydrometeorological Institute (KHMI), Kosovo Cadastral Agency (KCA) and Institute for Spatial Planning
(ISP).
Scheme 1. Unveiled functional shortcomings at MESP
Political cabinet
Uncertain function - tasks,
responsibilities
Mixing of inspection and
decision making
Department for
Environment Protection
Department for Spatial
Planning
Institute for spatial
planning
Deputy Minister
Minister
Inspectorate for
environment and water
Permanent
Secretary
First of all, based on the analysis of the existing organization structure, consultants found a strong
fragmentation within the MESP – what is generally called a silo mentality, where departments dealing with
each policy field have little contact and coordination with the rest of the ministry. This creates a lack of
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Office for international
cooperation and EU
integration
PR and Information Office Internal Audit Office
Department for housing
and construction
Eko Fund
Department for Water
Not adopted yet
Office for gender and
ethnic equality
and human rights
Department of central
administration
Too large span of control problem
& decisions to handle
Institute for hydro
meteorology
Kosovo Agency for
Environment Protection
Management of National
Parks
Institute for nature
conservation
Uncertain function - tasks,
responsibilities
Mixing of decision making
and operation
Procurement