Municipalities For Europe
September 2017 - September 2020
Overall Objective
To strengthen the municipal governance capacities and reach out to Albanian citizens and Albanian local administrations with information about the EU, its policies, programs and funds.
Summary of the Project
All project activities were organised around the following components: EU Integration and Donor Coordination, institutional building and training, networking and online communication, visibility and events, and crosscutting issues.
The Technical Assistance project provided support for the establishment and effective functioning of EU affairs Units in each municipality (61 EU Corners). The EU Units are of key importance for the management of internal (within municipalities) coordination processes on EU-related matters and serve as the main structure to coordinate and implement community outreach activities.
Activities
Component 1: EU Units and ASLG institutional building and training
- Organisation of EU Units
- Delivery of 24 regional training sessions together with the Albanian School of Public Administration
- Development of e-learning modules
- Assisting Albanian institutions to seek Technical Assistance
- Providing support to municipalities in conceptualising, designing and applying for EU programs and funds
- Providing support to Albanian School of Local Governance to strengthen the capacities for coordination and monitoring of the European integration process
Component 2: Networking and online communication
- Updating and promoting the website
- Identification of and coordination with partners for the production of the website
- Assisting and coordinating the mapping exercise together with Albanian School of Local Governance
- Facilitating the intranet platform for networking and dialogue together with the Albanian School of Local Governance
- Maintaining and updating the database of field contacts
Component 3: Visibility and events
- Revising and updating the Communication Plan
- Developing the EU information/visibility products
- Developing and implementing promotional campaign, including events in each municipality
- Supporting EU units to organise smaller events
- Organising 3 workshops/retreats
Expected Results
Component 1: EU Units and Albanian School of Local Governance institutional building and training
- Effective functioning of the newly established Unit for Coordination of European Integration and Foreign Assistance (‘EU Unit’ thereafter) in all municipalities, in particular via the provision of relevant training, hands on support, best practises exchange, info materials and networking opportunities.
- Delivered EU-related training curriculum on the local level
- Increased awareness and capacity of the EU units and of other relevant municipal staff, including awareness of newly elected officials about what are and how to benefit from Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) and other relevant EU funds, programs and policies
- Improved reporting system by Local Government Units on issues related to their performance on EU-related matters; increased awareness of and support to this exercise by the newly elected officials (mayors and city councils after June 2019); a database developed for data collection and analysis; increased awareness by the local population of the municipal performance
Component 2: Networking and online communication
- Increased flow of information relevant at the municipal level and interaction between the municipalities and higher levels of governance
- Empowered Albanian School of Local Governance to manage the an intranet platform for communication and information
- Improved and enhanced communication of events produced by the EU Units, including through the project website
Component 3: Visibility and events
- Increased amount of information on IPA and other relevant EU funds and programmes, as well as on EU policies, given to Albanian citizens (especially civil society and youth) directly through targeted sessions
- Increased capacity of the EU Units to create products to inform and educate citizens about EU policies and values via the provision of friendly written and audio-visual products in Albanian language
- Continued support to the EU Delegation and Europe House in the implementation of information and communication activities, including events and campaigns
Orlando Fusco
Orlando.FUSCO@eeas.europa.eu
