Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance

Albania has made many notable improvements in rule of law and governance in the last twenty years but work remains to be done for the country to develop the momentum required to introduce strong and sustainable democratic institutions that form the bedrock of representative, stable, prosperous, and equitable societies. Corruption continues to be a complex and pervasive challenge in Albania, impeding economic growth and damaging the faith of citizens in government. Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index ranked Albania as the most corrupt country in Europe yet again in 2019 While the legal framework and inter-agency structures to reduce corruption are in place, implementation remains uneven.

USAID is committed to help governments, civil society, and the private sector become more self-reliant by supporting them to plan, finance, and implement solutions to their own development challenges on their Journey to Self-Reliance. Despite the obstacles that remain, Albania ranks among USAID’s most reliant partners of more than 100 countries around the world. As the partnership between Albania and the United States transitions beyond the traditional donor-beneficiary model alone, USAID will continue to advance development progress on Albania’s most urgent issues. USAID/Albania projects will continue to strengthen systems of accountability in public administration and the judiciary and through increased transparency. We work in partnership with institutions, media, and civil society organizations to support transparent systems that limit the opportunities for corruption (such as bribery, conflict of interest, nepotism, and undue political influence) in administrative, judicial, and financial sectors and hold public officials accountable to citizens.

CURRENT PROJECTS:

Planning and Local Governance Project
Tetra Tech ARD
January 2012 – September 2019

USAID is supporting efforts to successfully implement decentralization legislation, policies, and reforms. The program aims to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of local government operations; to improve local government management and oversight of Public Utilities in order to provide services in line with EU standards; and to strengthen the capabilities of the government to plan and manage urban and regional growth.

Justice for All
East West Management Institute
March 2016 – March 2021

USAID is working with Albanian courts to improve their performance through increased court efficiency, transparency, and accountability. USAID simultaneously works with civil society and investigative journalists to highlight citizen’s demands for fair and equal application of the law.

Accelerated Civic Development and Cooperation
Albanian National Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center
January 2017 – July 2020

USAID will support civil society organizations working in the democracy and governance sector to strengthen their efforts to fight corruption in Albania by supporting avenues for meaningful public participation and oversight, improving efficiency and effectiveness in governance and government services, and supporting public-private partnerships. The project will also assist Government of Albania institutions to improve their performance by making them more efficient and accountable to the civil society and citizens.

Transparency in Health Engagement
University Research Co.
March 2017 – March 2019

USAID till improve health services for Albanian citizens by focusing on corruption and encouraging cooperation among selected independent government institutions, civil society organizations, and media to urge for more responsible governance in the health sector.

Sustainable Water Sector Capacity Development
Water Supply and Sewerage Association of Albania (SHUKALB)
August 2014 – September 2018

This program promotes effective governance and operational efficiency of water sewerage sector by building technical and professional capacities of its workforce. This will be done through the creation of an inventory of training courses and training of national trainers capable of delivering the courses. The association will advocate and support the establishment of a test based certification for sector operators as a precondition for employment in the sector.

Promoting Transparency in Party Finance
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
October 2016 – September 2018

The project will assist political parties to strengthen and sustain internal practices for financial accountability and transparency.  It will also advance party finance reform through cross-party dialogue and independent monitoring.

Economic Empowerment of People with Disabilities
Albanian Disability Rights Foundation
September 2010 – November 2019

This program stimulates employment opportunities and full participation in the society for people with disabilities in Albania by raising public and GoA awareness of international human rights and labor integration policies. The program promotes improvement and implementation of relevant legislation. Through education, training, and pilot initiatives, the project improves the access to employment for the disabled.

Demand Change IDIQ-media literacy
Kube Studios
March 2018 – July 2018

This campaign will increase media literacy among the broad Albanian public, but most targeted to influencers of youth, in order to support critical thinking skills that allow audiences to develop independent judgements about media content related to good governance, anti-corruption, and transparency issues. The campaign will serve as a call to action for Albanian media consumers, youth activists, and influencers to advocate for independent and fact-checked media and reporting.

G2G with Patos Municipality-One Stop Shop
Patos Municipality
July 2017 – July 2018

Increase citizen participation in and access to municipal services of Patos Municipality by building a new meeting space for the Municipal Council and establishing a one-stop-shop with sufficient infrastructure to make standardized services accessible to the public. The new meeting space will increase the transparency in the governance of Patos Municipality and the one-stop-shop will streamline procedures to provide timely services its citizens.