Work shadowing within the scope of the CEPA shows an excellent learning effect. It leads every now and then to notable success in the field of criminal investigations. It has turned out that a specialist's training of experts shows an important supplement for the enhancement of the international co-operation in certain departments (e. g. , money-laundering, profit absorption, veil search, locking criminal activity, aim search, cultural theft, drug trafficking).
Work shadowing is governed by the following rules:
- Work shadowing is in principle based upon a bilateral agreement between the member states concerned.
- Work shadowing places can be offered to those officials and officers only who are prospective participants of the CPEA Main Course, the CEPA Special Course for the border police or of professional CEPA seminars or who have already taken part in CEPA Courses, CEPA seminars or CEPA language training in the home-countries and who have a direct official relation to at least one of the CEPA member countries. In duly reasoned exceptional cases work shadowing places also can be offered to police officers who are not directly involved in other CEPA activities.
- Work shadowing should be focused on the deepening and renewal of already existing contacts with foreign departments related to the fight against organized crime, to tie contacts in the light of future course participation and co-operation within the CEPA, to determine recent developments and to get acquaint with operational methods in the area of the fight against organized crime in the respective country, and - where necessary - to provide the basis for benchmarking.
- The travel expenses for all means of transportation as well as the costs for health and accident insurance have to be borne by the sending authorities. The expenses for lodging and catering should be covered by host country.
- Based on the principle of the mutuality the respective sending authorities of guest students should also host - when requested - guest students from other CEPA countries and ensure the respective logistics.
- For the purpose of planning and preparation of work shadowing the following documents shall be transmitted at the latest 3 months before the start of an intended work shadowing by the National Contact Point of the CEPA of the sending authority to the respective National Contact Point of the CEPA in the host country:
- Requests concerning the enabling of work shadowing with a detailed explanation of the up-to-now assignments of the guest student as well as the respective fields in which s/he should co-operate.
- suggested resp. desired work shadowing office
- suggested duration of work shadowing
- CV of the guest student with an explanation concerning the language skills
- After the approval of a work shadowing by the host country, a contact person will be nominated to the guest student by the National Contact Point of the CEPA in the host country, thereby determining directly the details of the work shadowing.