RESISTANCE TO CHALLENGES IS THE KEY TO THE STABLE GROWTH OF NABU'S EFFICIENCY
The current NABU's agenda includes the selection of staff, strengthening the institutional capacity, increasing the pace of investigations, and preparing for the audit.
Internal challenges
Expanding the staff while maintaining the efficiency, preparing for the audit, implementing the recommendations of international experts to improve the work of NABU, and digitizing internal processes.
The first and key challenge facing NABU is the personnel competition. A rapid increase in staff by 15% is an extremely difficult task for any institution. The Bureau's task is to select honest and worthy candidates while maintaining the quality and efficiency of work.
NABU should proceed with prioritization policy in its investigations. Security, defense, and the country's recovery are the focus of attention. We seek to detect offenses not after they are committed but in the process. After all, preventing theft is also an important result.
Another challenge is work optimization. We continue to implement the recommendations of international experts based on the results of the NABU technical assessment at the end of last year. We consider the implementation of these recommendations in particular through the prism of preparation for the NABU efficiency audit.
The National Bureau will proceed with digitalization. The plans include, in particular, the further development of the eCase innovative electronic criminal proceedings system as well as the introduction of AI technologies, neural networks, and various analytical tools. Anything that helps investigate faster and frees up detectives' resources to fight corruption will be implemented.
External challenges
Resistance to political pressure, institutional strengthening, and independent audit
Maintaining the Bureau's independence is a challenge. There will always be attempts at politicization, searching for tools of influence, and discrediting the work of NABU. We will always resist this, relying on the law, the team, Ukrainian society, and our iron will. We will continue to stick to equidistance from all subjects of the political process in the state.
Institutional strengthening is impossible without providing NABU with the entire range of resources and tools that law enforcement agencies possess in Ukraine. The Bureau still does not have its own forensic institution and cannot independently retrieve information from telecommunication networks (eavesdropping). The practical implementation of this is becoming more and more urgent.
Another external challenge is related to NABU's efficiency audit. It should be transparent and open, otherwise its conclusions may be questioned by Ukrainian society and international partners. Conducting a transparent and independent audit of NABU is a task with an asterisk both for the Bureau and for key stakeholders of the anti-corruption process.
