Albania Progress Report 2016-2018
- Action Plan: Albania Third Action Plan 2016 – 2018
- Dates Under Review: July 2016 – June 2017
- Report Publication Year: 2018
- Researcher: Gjergji Vurmo
Albania’s third action plan addresses access to information and whistleblower protection. However, more than half of the commitments are dedicated to improved public service delivery. The next plan could focus on Albania’s EU accession priorities, such as anti-corruption, the fight against organized crime and human rights.
Highlights
| Commitment | Overview | Well-Designed? * |
| 1. Access to information portal | Facilitates Access to Information requests and, if requests go unanswered, complaints
|
No |
| 4. Public notification and consultation registry | Enable public review and submission of comments through online consultation portal |
No |
| ✪9. Implement Whistleblower Protection Law | Improves the protection of whistleblowers and, as a result, encourages the reporting of corruption |
Yes |
* Commitment is evaluated by the IRM as specific, relevant, and has a transformative potential impact
✪ Commitment is evaluated by the IRM as being specific, relevant, potentially transformative, and substantially or fully implemented
Process
The Minister of State for Innovation and Public Administration established a Technical Working Group with representatives from each participating institution based on the PM’s Order. Although this Order stipulates civil society organizations may participate in meetings, CSOs were not a part of this body in the third action plan. In March 2016, the multistakeholder forum OpenAlb was founded.
| Did not act contrary to OGP process
A country is considered to have acted contrary to process if one or more of the following occurs:
|
Performance
Many of Albania’s commitments are focused on e-government and public service delivery. While they improve the delivery of government services, they are not expanding access to information, civic participation or public accountability.
IRM Recommendations
- Ensure renewed leadership and successful transfer of institutional knowledge on OGP
- Adhere to the OGP Participation and Co-creation Standards
- Focus on more ambitious, OGP-relevant commitments on open contracting in line with EU accession framework
- Ensure effective implementation of public consultation legislation
- Prioritize public officials’ asset disclosure and public accessibility of the land register
Leave a Reply