Rural Development Programme under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance of the Republic of Albania 2014-2020 (IPARD II)
IPARD is implemented by the Albanian Authorities under Indirect Management.
o Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development through the IPARD Managing Authority and the IPARD Paying Agency (ARDA/AZHBR) – for the operation functions.
o Ministry of Finance and Economy through the National Fund and NAO Support Office – for the management and control functions.
EU Contribution – 71,000,000 EUR.
Albanian national contribution – 23,337,255 EUR.
2018 - 2023
Overall Objective
The general objective of the measure is to foster employment by creation of new and maintaining the existing jobs through the development of business activities, thus raising the economic activity level of rural areas, increasing directly the farming households’ income and reversing rural depopulation and contributing to a better territorial balance, both in economic and social terms.
Summary of the Project
The combined support provided to the sectors in order to a) strengthen their competitiveness and b) meet EU standards is important to the development of the professional and commercial sub-sectors and will contribute to the increased professionalism that is required of future markets. While the selection of measures is understandable given the expected timing of accreditation and implementation, the delays envisaged make it relevant to consider the additional inclusion from 2017 of other measures from the intended stage 2 of the programme. Advisory services are needed to transfer knowledge to farmers and enterprises in rural areas; agri-environment and climate measures are relevant to farmers in remote and mountainous areas and can contribute to the development in these areas and the LEADER approach is relevant – after a period of preparation and set-up of Local Action Groups – in order to stimulate the local initiatives and to mobilise the local resources for development of the territories. The estimated expected impacts of the programme will contribute to economic development in the country and in rural areas in particular.
Activities
• Assess the completeness of the SWOT analysis
• Analyze the causes of any disparities identified
• Identify and assess the driving forces toward sustainable rural development and the preparation for the implementation and management of the Community’s agricultural policy
• Contribute to the quantification of context- and objective-related baseline indicators (common and program-related) by verifying and, where appropriate, suggesting modifications of the proposed indicators and figures
• Assess and, where appropriate, suggest revisions to the ranking of disparities and priorities assigned to identified needs and their translation into objectives and concrete priorities for action
• Assess whether targets are quantified in a meaningful and verifiable manner, allowing subsequent program monitoring and evaluation, in particular with respect to the utility and sustainability program
• Assess the correct application of common baseline indicators and the usefulness of program-specific baseline indicators, as well as program-specific impact indicators reflecting the specific objectives and circumstances of the program concerned
• Assess the expected results and impacts of measures; in this respect the ex-ante evaluation should pay particular attention to the verifiability of the results of the measures concerned
• Verify the functioning of data collection mechanisms in view of ensuring regular follow-up on the trends during different phases of the program reflected in the indicators applied
• Assess the implementing provisions for managing, monitoring, and evaluation of the program with a focus on ensuring a sound and efficient management. This will include an appraisal of risks resulting from possible bottlenecks which might impede implementation of the program and recommendations for preventive actions
• Ensure, with respect to evaluation, that targets and related indicators are applied in a meaningful manner to form an appropriate basis for monitoring and evaluation of performance
• Analyze difficulties in implementation and critical incidents in the light of experience gained during the previous programming periods (national and/or Community or other donor-assisted programs)
• Assess the quality and the extent of partnership arrangements
Expected Results
- Increased income generation;
- Better job opportunities;
- Increased scale of production;
- Increased scale of investment;
- Increased productivity;
- Increased product quality;
- Compliance with NMS and EU standards;
- An increased knowledge base;
- Improved access to research, development and innovation through the public network of advisory services, Agricultural Technology Transfer Centres (ATTCs) and research institutions;
- Development of the land market in order to overcome problems with small-scale and fragmented farming;
- The development of infrastructure, including water management (supply, wastewater, flood and drought management), electricity and roads in order to ensure effective and efficient production and permit access to the market during the winter and from mountainous areas
Official IPARD Albania webpage: https://ipard.gov.al
