Bridges of Cooperation: Civil Society and Public Administration Together for a Stable Civil Society
The project (2018 - 2020) responded directly to the situation in the civilian sector in Albania: an insufficient level of cooperation between non-governmental organizations and local authorities and the associated low level of participation in local decision-making. It was precisely this that was necessary for the ability of organizations to promote the interests of the citizens they represent and to maintain a transparent and healthy environment in which no corrupt practices are present. However, the Monitoring Matrix Report on Enabling Environment of CSOs in Albania showed that the CSOs in Albania had insufficient capacity to participate in and influence development processes effectively in the country.
We planned to achieve our goals through the systematic and long-term education of local CSO leaders and representatives of local governments and their networking with the aim of building partnerships and establishing cooperation. The planned trainings were focused on building the capacities and skills necessary for effective participation in decision-making and the building of sustainable partnerships with local governments.
The overall objective of the project, which followed the priorities of the Transformation Experience Transfer Program, was to:
- Support the democratization and reform process in Albania by sharing the transformational experience of the Slovak Republic in the field of building civil society and cooperation between the governmental and non-governmental sectors.
The specific objective of the project was:
- Enhanced civil society in Albania through a built-in capacity for local grassroots organizations and well-established relationships with local governments.
Outcomes
- Building the professional capacity of selected non-governmental leaders and skills acquired in the field of local participation.
- Strengthened professional capacities of selected Albanian authorities for more effective cooperation with the civilian sector.
- Enhanced cooperation among the CSO leaders and between the leaders of the CSOs and the representatives of local authorities.
- Mentoring (based on the specific needs of individual organizations).
- Lessons learned from leaders of Slovak non-governmental organizations and related partnerships
