FACT SHEET: Demand Change

CURRENT PROJECT

The U.S. foreign assistance program, implemented primarily by USAID, is helping Albania move on a path toward European Integration through strengthened democratic institutions and inclusive economic growth. The Mission’s democracy and governance portfolio consists of 11 active projects. USAID’s democracy programs strengthen Albania’s democratic institutions while increasing citizen engagement in governance, focusing primarily on the areas of rule of law, good governance, and civil society. 

The purpose of the USAID/Albania “Demand Change” activity is to develop and implement thematic public awareness campaigns to amplify the development impact of USAID’s work in Albania. Albanian public relations and design firms will produce and disseminate thematic public awareness campaigns to amplify the development impact of USAID’s work in Albania. These campaigns will raise awareness about the challenges faced by Albanian citizens, and encourage civil and government action for change. Each campaign is complementary to other programs in our portfolio and directly addresses the Mission’s overall development objectives.

PROGRAM AREAS

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC SPENDING (FEBRUARY-APRIL 2017)

USAID is supporting Government of Albania efforts to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of government operations, particularly how the government manages and oversees public spending, and uses public funds to provide services in line with EU standards. Utilizing the publicly available national budget figures for 2016, this nationwide campaign aims to raise citizen awareness on public spending. Through this campaign, USAID aims to increase national dialogue on how Albania’s public spending impacts various segments of society.

WOMEN AS AGENTS FOR CHANGE (MARCH-MAY 2017)

Women are playing an ever greater role in Albanian society be it by holding high-level positions in government, owning and operating businesses, or raising their voices as civil society leaders in their communities. These developments are transformative and should have greater visibility to inspire Albania’s young women and girls and to advocate for further efforts towards gender parity. This campaign will amplify the voice and participation of women in Albania, in particular in communities outside of Tirana. A cross-section of USAID activities will feature ways in which women are empowered to become leaders of positive change in their communities and in their professions.

YOUR VOTE MATTERS (MAY-JULY 2017)

Public confidence in Albania’s electoral process remains low with pre-election vote buying, misuse of administrative resources, and voter intimidation, affect electoral legitimacy. A concrete and genuine commitment from political parties to condemn vote-buying practices could be made. Vote buying should be clearly defined in the law and subject to proportionate and effective sanctions. Also of significance was the observation that that the Roma community and other minorities in particular remain vulnerable. This thematic campaign will focus on encouraging voter participation in the election and increasing citizen knowledge and confidence in electoral processes for the 2017 Parliamentary elections. For this theme, the firm will design a national voter education campaign that1) addresses vote-buying, 2) family voting, and 3) encourages voter participation, particularly among youth and first-time voters.