Albania Design Report 2018-2020 – For Public Comment

In 2020, the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM)The Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) is OGP’s accountability arm and the main means of tracking progress in participating countries. The IRM provides independent, evidence-based, and objective ... published the Design Report for Albania’s fourth action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... (2018-2020). The report covers the development of the action plan and the design of its commitments.

In Albania, the IRM’s findings are summarized below:

“The commitments in Albania’s fourth action plan address public administration reforms that are relevant to the country’s ongoing European Union (EU) integration process. Notable activities include creating an open dataBy opening up data and making it sharable and reusable, governments can enable informed debate, better decision making, and the development of innovative new services. Technical specifications: Polici... portal (CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... 2) and encouraging citizens to use online platforms for reporting corruption (Commitment 4). Civil society was largely absent from the development of the commitments, and its contribution to the final action plan was limited. For the next action plan, Albania should adhere to OGP’s Participation and Cocreation standards, and establish a dedicated multi-stakeholder forumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple... for OGP. Albania could also consider including commitments to improve transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More of public procurementTransparency in the procurement process can help combat corruption and waste that plagues a significant portion of public procurement budgets globally. Technical specifications: Commitments that aim t... and of the judiciaryWhile a majority of open government reforms occur within the executive branch, OGP members are increasingly taking on commitments to increase the openness of the judicial branch. Technical specificati... in the next action plan.”

And in Albanian:

“Angazhimet e planit të katërt të veprimit për Shqipërinë adresojnë reformat e administratës publike që janë të rëndësishme për procesin në vazhdim të integrimit të vendit në Bashkimin Evropian (BE). Aktivitete të rëndësishme përfshijnë krijimin e një portali të dhënash të hapura (Angazhimi 2) dhe inkurajimin e qytetarëve për të përdorur platforma online për raportimin e korrupsionit (Angazhimi 4). Shoqëria civile kryesisht mungonte gjatë zhvillimit të angazhimeve dhe kontributi i saj në planin e veprimit përfundimtar ishte i kufizuar. Për planin e ardhshëm të veprimit, Shqipëria duhet t’i përmbahet standardeve të Pjesëmarrjes dhe Bashkëkrijimit të PQH-së, dhe të krijojë një forum të dedikuar shumë-aktorësh për PQH-në. Shqipëria gjithashtu mund të konsiderojë në planin e ardhshëm të veprimit përfshirjen e angazhimeve të cilat lidhen me përmirësimin transparencës në prokurimin publik dhe gjyqësorit.”

The version of the report for public comment is available in English and in Albanian below. The two-week public comment period closed 22 June 2020.