Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TIRANA394
2008-05-22 15:36:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tirana
Cable title:
CONTINUING PROBLEMS WITH TIMS DATACOM SYSTEM IN ALBANIA
how-toVZCZCXRO1077 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBW RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTI #0394 1431536 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 221536Z MAY 08 FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7105 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
UNCLAS TIRANA 000394
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR ICITAP, OPDAT
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KCRM PREL PGOV AL
SUBJECT: CONTINUING PROBLEMS WITH TIMS DATACOM SYSTEM IN ALBANIA
-------
Summary
-------
UNCLAS TIRANA 000394
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR ICITAP, OPDAT
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KCRM PREL PGOV AL
SUBJECT: CONTINUING PROBLEMS WITH TIMS DATACOM SYSTEM IN ALBANIA
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) As part of the combined donor effort to improve rule of law
in Albania, the Department of Justice's International Criminal
Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) in Albania has
worked with the Albanian State Police (ASP) to install Total
Information Management System (TIMS),a computer system linking all
border entry points, police stations, prosecutors -- essentially,
all of Albania's law enforcement community. In 2003, the European
Commission (EC) agreed to install the TIMS Datacom backbone that
would allow interconnectivity between points, and committed to a 10
million euro investment. The Datacom project has completely stalled
and no work has been completed. This situation ensures that the
USG-donated systems, which now total close to 10 million dollars, do
not fully function. End Summary.
--------------
Negative Impact of Unfilled Promises
--------------
2. (U) The EC DataCom involves the installation of a series
microwave towers and dishes across Albania to provide the primary
communication network by which TIMS will function. TIMS is
currently operating on landline, satellite, and limited microwave
systems, which the USG is paying for although the Albanian
government is taking over some of these costs. The effect of the
non-completion of the Datacom Backbone has been profound on the TIMS
system and the overall development of Albania's rule of law. The
Datacom system was planned to serve as the primary communications
backbone for the entire TIMS system. It was to provide stable,
affordable connectivity country-wide. In its absence, many of the
planned benefits of the TIMS system for the Albanian State Police
cannot be realized.
3. (U) Although TIMS is fully functional at nearly all border
points and a few police commissariats, more than 60 police
commissariats around the country are not connected to the TIMS
architecture. This deprives them of internet connectivity, VOIP
telephone service, and access to the Event Report system for filing
crime reports. There are financial impacts as well. With the
absence of the VOIP function, the ASP must continue to pay for
commercial telephone service for its communications. Our ICITAP
program must fund alternate means of communications, including
satellite connectivity for remote border crossings, leased
landlines, and microwave communications equipment for the Tirana
area commissariats. These expenses reduce funding available for
other needs.
4. (SBU) At one point, the GOA and OSCE planned to use TIMS as the
core of the civil registry system Albania is seeking to develop.
This is part of the effort we have collectively urged on Albania to
regularize not only its data collection and storage, its system of
passports and id cards, but also the conduct of normal elections.
However, OSCE has told us they had to abandon the idea of working
through TIMS because they saw no hope that the EC DataCom project
would function. OSCE has launched its own tender for a parallel
system. Unfortunately, this is not an option for TIMS.
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The ECD has more than adequately funded the
DataCom project. The performance of SAGEM - the contractor - has
been marginal at best and completely ineffective at worst. Some of
the blame lies with the GOA and its inability to secure agreements
and/or access to mountaintop sites for microwave installation. But
even with that, it should not have taken five years to get DataCom
up and running. These delays have postponed full implementation of
TIMS, thus increasing USG costs. Additionally, the lack of the
Datacom backbone has had a direct effect on the quality of policing
in Albania. Non-existent or substandard communications have reduced
the ability of border posts, commissariats, and investigative units
to coordinate activity, identify criminals, and take timely action.
The lack of the Datacom system also affected the cost of development
of an effective civil registry. It has had profound, negative
implications for the quality of the rule of law in Albania.
WITHERS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR ICITAP, OPDAT
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KCRM PREL PGOV AL
SUBJECT: CONTINUING PROBLEMS WITH TIMS DATACOM SYSTEM IN ALBANIA
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) As part of the combined donor effort to improve rule of law
in Albania, the Department of Justice's International Criminal
Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) in Albania has
worked with the Albanian State Police (ASP) to install Total
Information Management System (TIMS),a computer system linking all
border entry points, police stations, prosecutors -- essentially,
all of Albania's law enforcement community. In 2003, the European
Commission (EC) agreed to install the TIMS Datacom backbone that
would allow interconnectivity between points, and committed to a 10
million euro investment. The Datacom project has completely stalled
and no work has been completed. This situation ensures that the
USG-donated systems, which now total close to 10 million dollars, do
not fully function. End Summary.
--------------
Negative Impact of Unfilled Promises
--------------
2. (U) The EC DataCom involves the installation of a series
microwave towers and dishes across Albania to provide the primary
communication network by which TIMS will function. TIMS is
currently operating on landline, satellite, and limited microwave
systems, which the USG is paying for although the Albanian
government is taking over some of these costs. The effect of the
non-completion of the Datacom Backbone has been profound on the TIMS
system and the overall development of Albania's rule of law. The
Datacom system was planned to serve as the primary communications
backbone for the entire TIMS system. It was to provide stable,
affordable connectivity country-wide. In its absence, many of the
planned benefits of the TIMS system for the Albanian State Police
cannot be realized.
3. (U) Although TIMS is fully functional at nearly all border
points and a few police commissariats, more than 60 police
commissariats around the country are not connected to the TIMS
architecture. This deprives them of internet connectivity, VOIP
telephone service, and access to the Event Report system for filing
crime reports. There are financial impacts as well. With the
absence of the VOIP function, the ASP must continue to pay for
commercial telephone service for its communications. Our ICITAP
program must fund alternate means of communications, including
satellite connectivity for remote border crossings, leased
landlines, and microwave communications equipment for the Tirana
area commissariats. These expenses reduce funding available for
other needs.
4. (SBU) At one point, the GOA and OSCE planned to use TIMS as the
core of the civil registry system Albania is seeking to develop.
This is part of the effort we have collectively urged on Albania to
regularize not only its data collection and storage, its system of
passports and id cards, but also the conduct of normal elections.
However, OSCE has told us they had to abandon the idea of working
through TIMS because they saw no hope that the EC DataCom project
would function. OSCE has launched its own tender for a parallel
system. Unfortunately, this is not an option for TIMS.
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The ECD has more than adequately funded the
DataCom project. The performance of SAGEM - the contractor - has
been marginal at best and completely ineffective at worst. Some of
the blame lies with the GOA and its inability to secure agreements
and/or access to mountaintop sites for microwave installation. But
even with that, it should not have taken five years to get DataCom
up and running. These delays have postponed full implementation of
TIMS, thus increasing USG costs. Additionally, the lack of the
Datacom backbone has had a direct effect on the quality of policing
in Albania. Non-existent or substandard communications have reduced
the ability of border posts, commissariats, and investigative units
to coordinate activity, identify criminals, and take timely action.
The lack of the Datacom system also affected the cost of development
of an effective civil registry. It has had profound, negative
implications for the quality of the rule of law in Albania.
WITHERS