Newsletter no.9

Newsletter Dldp aims through this newsletter to share to the readers the main achievements of each quarter as well as the main activities planned for the next quarter.

This format further enriches the ways of transmitting information through our website www.dldp.al CONTENT 1

Dldp first Steering Committee for 2017

2

A complicated political system which functions perfectly

2

“Budget Transparency” – the latest project in Shkodra Municipality

3 One network, multiple effects 4 Dldp starts the local

government national trainings program

4 Meeting of dldp Centre of

Competence on urban waste management New functions and

4 monitoring of performance indicators for LGUs Integrating Midterm Budget

4 Plan into General Local Plan 4 Budget preparation –

Supplementary Instruction to assist Local Government Units in 2018

IX-th edition JANUARY - MARCH 2016

Dldp first Steering Committee for 2017 The Program for Decentralisation and Local Development – dldp – which operates in Albania since 2016, implemented by Helvetas and financed

by SDC, has organised in Tirana the first Steering Committee for 2017, on the 15th of March.

I n t h i s i m p o r ta nt m e et i n g participated mayors from 11 partner municipalities, as well as other representatives from the Ministries of lines, Public Agencies, donors and other partner programs.

In the opening speech Mrs Dhuka, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Ministers appreciated the dldp's effort in supporting the municipalities and the national level, stressing out the contribution of dldp in service delivery to citizens, interaction with other programs, the development in urban waste management, capacity development of LGUs, etc. She considered dldp as a very serious program, which with all the work and experienced gathered throughout the ye a rs i n I - O S S H a n d Wa ste Management has demonstrated that the sustainable models of management go even beyond the visible investments.

The Swiss Ambassador, Mr Graf as the co-chair of the meeting, pointed out some important elements which made 2016 a very important year for the country. He mentioned the important of TAR implementation, the Local Finance Law approval, the establishment of the Consultative council between central and local level, the progress of regional development.

The mission of Switzerland is to strengthen democracy and the belief in consultation and in bottom up approach. He also informed about the dldp prolongation for the next one and a half year and the forthcoming new program in all the country.

Dldp presented to the participants the activities and the achievements for the year 2016, which were focused along program indicators. The main achievements summarized and presented by each dldp line office are: 1. New line of intervention in General Local Plans with additional budget by SDC.

2. Increase by 17% of the territory covered with service in 6 municipalities directly assisted, whereas the fee collection rate increased by 5%.

3. Dldp supported 15 projects in 12 municipalities, including social cohesion projects.

4. There were achieved 109 digitalized administrative services and more than 24.000 citizens were served in 2016.

5. Gender initiatives impacted local budgets in Shkodër and Klos.

6. Dldp played the role of a knowledge-broker, putting confidence on its products, serving to Policy influence, which peaked with dldp contribution (jointly with Ministry of Finance and PLGP/USAID) to the draft Law on Local Finances.

The discussions from participants highlighted the challenges brought up by the reforms and the contribution of dldp to properly address them. Mayors considered important that the sustainability should be taken more seriously in the next period, the fiscal decentralization should be enhanced in the frame of Local Finance Law and a more comprehensive picture of dldp results per municipality is necessary, focusing on what has been really done in municipalities, and what are the tangible and visible results.

The meeting continued with the introduction of dldp planned activities for 2017, which encompass all thematic lines, such as: Proceeding to phase out of e-governance and fund access components; PFM and Waste

Management will shift towards implementation phase; A Waste project will be identified and realized through a careful feasibility analysis; Special attention will be put to capitalization of dldp experience and reporting of the End of Phase.

Dldp 2017 plan was found very relevant from the local and national level representatives in the meeting.

The mayors stressed the need to address responsibilities deriving from new Law on Local Finances, with special attention to the Financial Planning Tool (FPT). The continuation of capacity building and further development of knowledge were also perceived as very important from the local level. The models developed by dldp can be used by other municipalities (through institutions and Programs) and the training curricula should address regulatory changes.

M r s D e b o ra K e r n o f S D C , underlined the need to focus on impact assessment activities.

Mrs Oriana Arapi, from Department of Coordination for Foreign Aid (GoA), appreciated dldp role in creating bridges between institutions, which is considered important to increase the cooperation at local, national and regional level.

In the closing speech, the Swiss Ambassador, Mr Christoph Graf th an ked all th e stakeh o ld ers' remarkable results that have been achieved so far. He expressed his personal appreciation for the constructive debate and positive exchange atmosphere.

A complicated political system which functions perfectly A high-level delegation led by the State Minister for Local Issues, Mr Bledar Çuçi, including a group of Albanian Parliament members and staff of the ministry, attended an official visit in Switzerland from 5 – 9 February 2017.

This visit was organized in the frame of Swiss Government support (through Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation - SDC) to Albania in the fields of decentralisation, local finances and good governance, provided by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation implemented by the Programme for Decentralization and Local Development – dldp.

During three days of the visit, Mr Çuçi and the delegation had the opportunity to get introduced and exchange with the Swiss authorities on the issues of local finance, fighting corruption and relationship between the three levels of Swiss institutions: federal, cantonal and municipal. This experience was exchanged through meetings and substantial exchanges with high-level representatives in Federal Department of Finance, Federal Department of Justice and Police, Federal

Department for Foreign Affairs, as well as with cantonal level in the Canton of Bern during the meeting with Director (Minister) of Justice, Communes and Churches, or with the local level in the meeting with the Mayor of Interlaken.

The participation of four Albanian parliamentary members part of Commission on Legal Issues and senior staff of Minister Çuçi, aimed to engage the MPs and the Ministry in discussing and preparing a new law on local finances. Meeting with the Federal Department of Finance and the exchanges with Swiss experts of fiscal decentralisation, contributed in this regard.

In this frame it was organized the.

The Delegation visited the Federal Parliament where the Swiss political and legislative system was introduced by Ambassador Claudio Fischer, whilst Mrs Elisabeth von Capeller, Assistant of Director General of Swiss Development Cooperation, Head of the Department for

Cooperation with Eastern Europe had the opportunity to share and discuss her thoughts and opinions during an official dinner that she organised for the distinguished guests.

The implementation of the principle of subsidiarity, direct democracy, fiscal equalization, collegiality or consultative and consensus processes with stakeholders were some of the points that members of the delegation appreciated as "key lessons" from the presentations with political and legislative Swiss system, a special and complex system, but that works perfectly.

The delegation was accompanied during its visit by Mr Ilir Gjoni, Ambassador of Albania in Switzerland and by SDC, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and dldp officials.

“Budget Transparency” – the latest project in Shkodra Municipality In the framework of dldp support to the Municipality of Shkodra, it was organised by Shkodra Municipality an open meeting on March 27th, to present and inform the citizens with the newest and the only one of its project kind in Albania, for the year 2017.

At the opening of this informative meeting the dldp expert, Mr Elvin Hoxha, stressed that transparency during the budget preparations and reporting process of its implementation is one of the main pillars for the establishment of an open and developed society.

The project of “Budget transparency” enables citizens' active participation not only in budget policy preparation, but also in its implementation.

Considering the technical nature of the budget, it is essential that information that is part of the budget to be prepared and distributed in a simplified manner so that the public can understand and be able to make comments or ask for additional information.

Furthermore, in her speech, the Mayor of Shkodra Municipality, Mrs Voltana Ademi,

underlined that through this project, it is enabled for the first time in the country an online transparency of the budget for its citizens. Through this instrument citizens can be informed in real time with every detail and work that occurs at the local level, as well as becoming part of the online suggestions.

The online platform was explained with concrete demonstrations by Ms Helga Sallaku, Responsible of technology and information systems, at the Municipality of Shkodra, who explained to the public the set up and the functioning of this online platform as part of the citizens' communication. This instrument is divided into three main modules: the Income and Expenses module, in My Taxes module and mapping module, based on Google Maps platform, for the Municipality of Shkodra as per administrative units.

Budget transparency is designed and structured as an instrument for monitoring the municipal public expenses by citizens and civil society organizations. Thereby increases the public's access to information and sensitizes them to increase

participation in the process of drafting strategic financial documents of the municipality.

This instrument shows too how people are contributing to the income of the municipality, providing information on each of taxes and tariffs, but at the same time how each of administrative units contributes to such income.

At the same time it aims to raise citizens' awareness to pay taxes, increasing the sense of ownership and more accountability for municipal property and investments.

Dldp work through this process aims to support the municipality in a more effective planning, wider participation and proper budget distribution.

ONE NETWORK, MULTIPLE EFFECTS Since 2011, the Decentralization and Local Development Programme (dldp) has supported the Network “Women in Politics� (WiPN). The Network was established with the initiative of the women local councilors of the Regions of Shkodra and Lezha and since 2015, has been expanded to the regions of Durres, Kukes and Diber comprising from 400 in 2015 to 468 members today.

The WiP is an informal network of women whom are part of political party's structures and represent them in decision making bodies such as Local Councils. Meanwhile, some of the members have been elected even on the national Parliament serving as drivers of change countrywide.

The WiPN was born in a difficult context, taking into consideration the fierce conflict between

political parties in Albania. Furthermore, the mentality regarding gender roles in society, kept women away from politics. Few women were elected in governance bodies such as municipal councils.With the introduction of 50% quotas for women in the Electoral Code in 2015, this number increased from 12% to 35%, in national level. Meanwhile other challenges appeared: the Territorial Administrative Reform and a new legislative framework for local governance.

What makes the WiP notable in the series of movements to increase women's participation in politics is dldp's innovative approach with the aim to build a model, which is self-sustainable and easily replicated. Dldp chose on purpose to establish a Network in order to mainstream gender not through projects, but through actors in the system.

INPUTS TRAININGS AND COACHING During the first phase of the programme, 2011-2013, the support to the WiP Network has been focused to the strengthening of the capacities of 54 local councillors in areas such as local governance functioning, budgeting, social inclusion, etc. After the Territorial Reform in 2015, trainings- from whom benefitted 87 persons, were focused on the new legislation along with mainstreaming gender perspective in desicionmaking.

ACADEMY OF POLITICAL STUDIES Dldp has supported 18 members of the WiP so far to follow the studies at the Academy of Political Studies. The Academy is an educational program established in 2007 in the framework of the Network of the Schools of Political Studies by the Council of Europe.

REGIONAL FORUMS The second phase of the WiP Network 2013-2015 has started with the efforts to draft a common platform for women in the general elections of 2013. About 300 women and men attended 5 regional forums held in Shkoder, Lezhe, Rubik, Malesi e Madhe and Puka with the main aim to increase the representation of women in the regions of Lezha and Shkodra as candidates and voters in the general elections of that year. Right after the amendments to the Electoral Code in 2015, 8 other local forums were held with a total number of 261 participants, women and men.

IMPACT Due to innovation and empowerment, the network became the place where the members felt free to flourish their full potential. By improving confidence of women on social sensitive politics and investing in their personal development career, members of the Network were able to impact national and local governance by engendering policies and public resources. Last but not least, the Network had a considerable impact on the political consensus space: 3 of 9 Women in Politics Alliances established at local level belong to WiPN.

Nowadays, The WiP is one network but with multiple effects: at the personal, local and national level. Above all, it produced a model that now can walk alone and be a factor in the reform's process.

VISIBILITY & NETWORKING Two catalogues of women candidates for local elections and NGO's active on gender issues were published and disseminated. In the eve of the local elections 2015, dldp facilitated TV debates at the biggest national channels, promoting women candidates as well as unique cases: Two women competed to lead Shkodra municipality, while giving others space in TV programs about their experience and objectives.

SMALL GRANTS At the beginning, dldp supported WiP Network with small grants for initiatives taken from women councilors. In this context, an awareness campaign for the screening of the breast cancer and cervical cancer was held in October 2013 with the initiative of the women councilors of Lezha and Rubik municipalities.

Also in Shkodra, the group of women councilors in the Commission of Education proposed enriching the libraries of 10 schools- 8 secondary and 2 high schools- with new titles. The municipality matched funds with dldp to carry out the project.

INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE The WiP has been exposed to international good practices. Cooperation initiatives took place with Kosovo elected representatives. Members of the WiP which were students at the Academy of Political Studies participated at the Global Forum for Democracy held in Strasbourg.

SHARING EXPERIENCES WiP interacted with other networks and initiatives like those supported from NDI and OSCE. Also the Ambassador of Switzerland in Albania facilitated an inspiring exchange between national MP and Ministers with WiP which concluded with concrete projects for improving employment of women at local level taken up by RISI project.

WIP IN FIGURES & ACTION (2011-2017) 468 Women in the Network 118 Women councilors 5 Regions (covering 12- 30% of the total population) 15 Municipalities 3 Alliances of Women Councilors 8 Trainings 5 Regional forums 8 Local forums

1 Catalogue for women candidates for local elections 2011 1 Catalogue for civil society organizations in Shkodra 2 Laws 2 Fiscal packages and budgets 2 Women up scaled from local to national politics 2 Joint initiatives undertaken

Dldp starts the local government national trainings program In 2016, dldp and the Albanian School of Public Administration (ASPA), as the legal authority on issuing certified trainings for local government employees, carried out for the first time long-term trainings on the management of public finances and waste management. This cooperation was widened further on 2017 with the Local

Administrative Services Program. Continuing the good experience of cooperating with dldp, there are identified and contacted the Regional Development Agencies of the country in the role of facilitators for the foreseen activities for the smooth finalizing of these trainings.

The two-day trainings were conducted in

parallel in Shkodër, Tiranë, Pogradec and Vlorë on March 27th-28th and 30th-31st for Module I on Planning of Local Waste Management. The training was followed with great interest by waste experts from all municipalities of the country.

Meeting of dldp Centre of Competence on urban waste management The next meeting of the Centre of Competence, the first for 2017, set up as a platform bringing together local experts on waste management from dldp partner municipalities and partner organizations offering technical assistance in these municipalities, was held in March 7 in Tirana.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the working group, public services departments, tax offices, law departments, and officials in charge of public information and communication from each dldp partner municipalities (Lezhë, Shijak, Dibër, Pukë and Malësi e Madhe). These municipalities have concluded the preparation of

urban waste management plans since 2016, so the dldp support is being focused in their implementation. Experts were from different sectors within the municipalities, so that they better respond to the dldp approach for the implementation of plans through monitoring, increasing the level of tariffs collection, and communication with the public.

New functions and monitoring of performance indicators for LGUs A workshop on definition of performance indicators for the new functions transferred to local governments has been organized by dldp and Ministry of Finances on January 18th, 2017. More than 30 people from Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Environment, Ministry covering Social Affairs, National Agency for Territorial Reform Implementation, Municipalities

of Shkodër, Durrës, and Lezhë, and from STAR project participated in this event.

As of January 1st, 2016, six new functions were decentralized from Ministries of Line to the local level, along with human and financial resources and assets. In 2016, dldp prepared and then implemented the methodology for the monitoring of the preparedness of LG to receive the new

functions. In 2017, national and international dldp experts have compiled a preliminary set of performance indicators based on the indicators used by Ministries of Lines to measure their performance in the frame of the Medium Term Budget document, which were presented to the participants in the event.

Integrating Midterm Budget Plan into General Local Plan In the framework of the Swiss support implemented through dldp program, a workshop regarding the process of drafting the General Local Plans (GLP) in 5 dldp partner LGUs (Malësi e Madhe, Vau i Dejës, Mat, Klos and Tropojë) was organized on the 19th of January .

The workshop was focussed in discussing the additional requirements for linking the GLPs with the Midterm Budget Plans (MTBP).

This workshop was attended by the leading experts of the consulting companies engaged to design the GLPs in 5 municipalities, working groups established in these municipalities to follow consistently the process as well as two international experts of dldp, Fred Wenger and Stefan Pfaeffli, who shared their great experience in terms of planning and implementation process.

The dldp experts on local finance introduced

the draft of midterm budget structure and highlighted the key requests regarding the format required for submission of territorial strategy document that enables the proper linkage of objectives, programmes and development projects with the MTBP.

Budget preparation – Supplementary Instruction to assist Local Government Units in 2018 In the frame of this continuous work in the field of public finance management dldp in cooperation with experts from the Ministry of Finance organized a workshop, on March 31st, on the new legal framework, specifically on Supplementary Instruction of the Ministry of Finance no 10, dated 28.02.2017, "For the preparation of the national budget".

In this activity benefited the local finance experts at the local government units from all the municipalities of the country that work on local budget preparation.

Mr Fran Brahimi, from Ministry of Finance, explained the issue of Supplementary Instruction No 10, dated 28.02.2017, "For the preparation of

the national budget," explaining fiscal legislation, innovations with impact on local governments, new functions and innovations in the instrument of the Regional Development Fund and the future challenges for these units.

The local government units, with the approval of the new Local Finance Law, will be able to draw up the budget through defined "steps".