Democracy Network Program
Tirana, Albania
i III Quarterly Report January - March 1998
C.A. No. DHR-0032-A-OO-5024-00
American ORT 2025 1St., NW Suite 320 Washington, D.C. 20006 USA Tel: (202) 293-2560 I Fax: (202) 293-2577 E-mail: [email protected] ..i ORTALBAMADEMOCRACYNETWORKPROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report January - March 1998
GRANTS PROGRAM .••..•.••••.•...... •....•.•...... •...•••••.•..•••. 1
NGO Service and Networking Centers Democracy Sector Social Safety Nets Economic Growth Sector Environment
GRAi'lTS AWARDED TIDS QUARTER •.....•..•...•.•...•.•.•..•••••••..•••.• 12
FUTURE GRANTS •...•...•..••....••••••••.•...•.•.•.••..•..••••.•.••.••••• 12
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING .••..••...... •.••.•••...... ••• 12
FUTURE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ..•....••..•.....••...... 15
NGO LEGAL FRAlYlEWORK ...... •...... ••..•.••..•••••. 16
PROGRAM Ai'lD ADMINISTRATIVE CIIAL'IGES .••...... •..•••••..•.•••. 18
Profile of DeMeTra Board Members .•...... •....•...... ••••.... Annex 1
National Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center Board of Directors Retreat Agenda ...... •....•..••...... ••....••. Annex 2
Strategic Plans for DeMeTRa Board of Directors ....•..•...•...... ••. Annex 3
Job Descriptions for DeMeTra Executive Staff .•.•••....•...•..••.••••••••. Annex 4
Bylaws for DeMeTra Board of Directors and Elected Officers. . • • . • ...... Annex 5
DeMeTra Executive Board Committees and Chairpersons...... • • . • . . •• Annex 6
Focused Discussion Groups on Legislative Powers Report to the Parliamentary Commission...... • . • • • • • • ...... • . • ...... • • • . . •. Annex 7
Democracy Network Program Grants by Sector ••.•••.•.•...••.•••••••..••. Annex 8 ORT ALBAi'llA DEMOCRACY NETWORK PROGRAM: Quarterly Progress Report • January - March 1998 .. GRANTS PROGRAM
NGO Service and Networking Centers
The ORT Democracy Network Program provides funding, technical assistance, and training to existing resource centers to strengthen networking, information and resource sharing, and third sector partnerships with government, media, and business. During this quarter, ongoing DemNet grants have supported policy development on youth issues, regional outreach, promotion ofwomen's policies, training curriculum to strengthen NGOs, and key government - NGO partnerships.
In 1996, the majority of youth associations operated only in Tirana and Shkodra and few young people engaged in organized associative life, social action or volunteerism in other cities or towns. At the same time, Albania's youth have faced many problems: unemployment; lack of access to information on social issues, including how to deal with an increase in drugs, alcohol, and sexually transmitted diseases; lack of support for youth activities, such as art, cultural, and sport activities; conflicts and how to resolve them; and generally the lack of representation in setting local and national policies affecting themselves and their communities. Through a DemNet institutional development grant, the Albanian Youth Council established regional coordination centers in five university cities: Korca, Gjirokaster, Elbasan, Vlora, and Tirana (the Shkodra center was already established). Through training courses and information sessions, the A YC encouraged young people to take on new roles and responsibilities in social action; develop their skills and interest in cornmunity projects; increase networking, information and resource sharing with youth NGOs in other cities; strengthen collaboration and communication between youth NGOs and local government to address local problems; and coordinate youth input into policies affecting them. The opening ofthe coordination centers and initial training workshops in each city spawned the creation of new local NGOs and new branches of national youth NGOs; five in Korca, four in Gjirokaster, and three in Vlora. The training provided members with an understanding of the role and achievements of youth NGOs, the legal and organizational structures of NGOs, ways to attract members and volunteers, and the purpose and function of the AYC coordinating center. Trainees also developed skills in project proposal writing and in fundraising through local sources.
NGO representatives demonstrated theirnew skills / knowledge in A YC-sponsored roundtables \vith local government. As a result, the new local NGOs succeeded in obtaining funding from, and developing partnerships with local government and in implementing local projects to raise youth involvement in society. For example, in Gjirokaster, the local government agreed to fund a household survey on city preservation under the UNESCO program; NGOs also succeeded in raising funds from local businesses to a concert to promote peace in the city entitled: "Life Sounds or Bullets". In Korca, roundtables resulted in several cases oflocal government funding to NGOs and, more importantly, an ongoing working partnership, now over a year old. The Korea municipality
1 funded the A YC's HIV Awareness Day and worked in partnership on the last two annual Youth Day celebrations in a mountain village outside of Korca with the A YC Korca Coordination Center and its member NGOs. The A YC's interest and ability to raise funds locally instead of seeking foreign donors shows a maturity and understanding oflong-term sustainability and enconrages forging local partnerships. ....
All ofthe new regional coordination centers involved local NGOs in the A YC's national project "All Different - All Albanians," designed to promote tolerance, friendship, cooperation, democracy, and acceptance. The AYC centers in Elbasan and Vlore, created after the civil unrest, promoted NGO development and activities such as one where the featured speaker was President Mejdani. These activities proved a new productive outlet for youth, serving to improve civic education in districts outside Tirana.
The ORT grant also helped the A YC strengthen its Regional Coordination Center in Tirana. Because the A YC trainers were from six Tirana-based youth NGOs, the training provided an excellent regional exchange of ideas and skills and a new mentoring relationship between Tirana based NGOs and new NGOs in the otherregions. Furthermore, some Tirana-based NGOs were able to establish branches in other cities and have a more national impact on youth issues. The AYC's National Assembly this year was very meaningful for attendees, as many of the new NGOs created throughout the region gained their official status as members. In addition, the A YC agreed to reorganize the Council to exclude political youth associations and allow only active NGOs to keep their membership status, thus creating synergy in the development of social change and civic organizations.
Through a second ORT grant, the AYC held a "Youth Policies in Development" Conference with members from all regions of Albania. The two-day conference provided a forum for NGOs and government to discuss priority issues, such as creating a policy platform for youth at the local and national levels; designating government representatives at local and national levels responsible for youth issues; increasing youth activity and projects in rnral areas; developing training conrses to build the capacity ofyouth NGOs outside Tirana; creating sport and activities complexes; improving NGO coordination of activities; and developing youth activities with foreign youth organizations. The conference strengthened the AYC's role as an umbrella organization and increased networking. As a result of the conference, the Youth Department of the Ministry of Cultnre, Youth, and Sport invited the A YC to co-sponsor "Youth Days", a ten-day series of activities in Tirana, Gjirokaster, Burrel, and Kruje. Later, fulfilling the recommendations ofparticipants, A YC organized a meeting with youth from Kosova, and scheduled a workshop with youth NGO representatives from neighboring countries. The most significant result of the A YC conference was the creation of a commission with representatives from the Ministry and youth NGOs, represented by the A YC, to draft a Law for Youth and a Youth Strategy. The A YC is also working with the Ministry to create a youth identification card. Looking ahead, the A YC has included in its annual plan for 1998, another National Conference which will evaluate the year's activities based on the plan of action adopted at the first conference.
2 - III • Through its regional networking project and its "Youth Policies in Development Conference", the A YC has improved its reputation with local and national government and donors as a formidable partner in youth activities. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Labor and Social Assistance, and the Ministry of Education have agreed to sign an agreement of collaboration ... with the Albanian Youth Council to support activity centers. The A YC succeeded in securing a large grant ($800,000) from the Italian government to fund further development of existing regional coordination centers and build several more. Local municipalities also entered into collaborative .. agreements to work with the A YC to further develop these centers and youth activities in general. Thus, through the ORT grant, A YC has had a demonstrated effect on increasing youth responsibility and involvement in social action, and as a result has gained overwhelming support from national and local government and donors.
Through a DemNet institutional development grant, The Women's Center, serves as a resource center on women's issues and in support of women's NGOs. It collects, catalogues, and disseminates information on women issues to government, media, NGOs, and individuals. It currently has more thanl 000 publications, including important articles published by foreign writers, research data on gender issues that has been translated into Albanian, and articles by Albanian writers that are published and disseminated in the Women's Center's monthly bulletin.
The Center has designed a special outreach program for women outside of Tirana and in the rural areas on timely subjects such as public safety, weapons consignment, and long-term social issues such as sexual education. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Order, local governmental bodies, and 17 women's NGO's, the Center continued to organize seminars on the "number one" issue in Tirana -- public safety and ways to promote the voluntary consignment of weapons. During this quarter the Women's Center worked in the districts of Elbasan, Rreshen, Vlore and Puka and led a public discussion with 160 participants on problems of public safety in their districts and steps to disarm the population. Participants agreed that increased efforts should be placed on persuading the public to give up its arms; that police, local authorities and NGOs should collaborate in order to reduce crime and publicize the reduction; and that women's groups should work with youth NGOs to target youth in the disarming efforts. The activities organized in the regions also provided a great networking opportunity for women's NGOs.
As a result of the regional seminars on public safety, the Women's Center organized a national debate on increasing women's participation in conflict resolution, in which a strategy was developed for women's NGOs to playa role in reducing conflict in their cornmunities. The Center also organized courses on sexual education in Tirana, Shkodra, Rreshen, and Vlora and in the villages ofDajc, Starova, Orikum, and Karnza. The organizers found that due to a lack of education, there was very little public awareness of sexually transmitted diseases, especially among young women living in rural areas. Holding the initial round seminars only demonstrated that more should be .... organized, with a wider audience, especially in schools, and that men should be invited to participate in such training.
3 In addition, the Women's Center is increasing women's participation in the policy implementation processes in Albania. It has improved relationships and opened up cornmunication between women's NGOs and the government, the media, and the pUblic. The Women's Center, in conjunction with several women's NGOs, participated in the Inter-Balkan Conference on Legal Strategies to Combat ... Violence on Women as a part of their ongoing project against violence. At the conference, Albanian women learned comparative law approaches from other countries in the region. Following the conference, the Women's Center organized a press conference in Tirana on the International Day .... Against Violence on Women and provided the media with articles about domestic violence and ways to address it. A smaller coalition offive women's groups is working on draft legislation to provide legal protection for victims of family violence. Most recently, an NGO-government drafting group was established to develop amendments to the penal and civil codes. Unfortunately, these groups failed to collaborate with another ORT grantee, Law and Rural Women's Rights, which drafted its own legal provisions making domestic violence a crime and obligating the government to work with NGOs over the next year to provide infrastructure, including safe houses for the victims and rehabilitation services for the abusers. Law and Rural Women's Rights also mobilized the support of 40 other NGOs and citizens, especially villagers, in support of the proposed law (6000 signatures supporting the law were collected over one week). The failure ofthe Women's Center and Law and Rural Women's Rights to work together on such an important issue shows that collaboration among Albanian NGOs still needs to be improved. ORT continues to mediate and bridge such partnerships, especially in this particularly challenging area.
The Women's Center also encourages writing and discussion on women's issues, and the use of its Resource Center materials. Government and NGO representatives, journalists, professors, students, and individuals frequently use the Resource Center's growing collections. The Center's videos on women's problems were also shown in university classes. The Republic Guard Cornmandant used materials on the drug problem in formulating a policy framework for Albania. Journalists and students used the research materials for articles and publications. The Women's Center held an important seminar entitled, 'The Women's Movement Must Not Degenerate into a Political Dogma" where women leaders spoke about resolving real problems and not politicizing the issues.
The Health sector in Albania is woefully inadequate. Hospitals and medical professionals do not have the medicines and equipment needed to serve patients. According to data collected from the ORT National Research Project, there is an alanningly high incidence of bribery of medical professionals in exchange for services. In addition, there is an acute lack of public health information. Health NGOs are attempting to improve and supplement state health institutions and their services to the public. Through an ORT grant, the Health NGO Forum supports networking and- information and resource sharing among NGOs, and strengthens the impact of their work through training courses and joint projects. The Health NGO Forum offers facilities and assistance to its NGO members in preparing proj ect proposals, fund-raising, gathering information on donors, and strategizing to increase program impact. They organized meetings between representatives of health NGOs and the government to build stronger working relationships. Government health institutes often complain of not having enough information about NGOs and their programs; these meetings provide the opportunity for a constructive dialogue. In a follow-up board meeting, the Forum coordinator was instructed to make contact with the Ministries to share information, and to increase information dissemination to donors about NGO activities, organize press conferences more
4 .... regularly (starting with the Health for All Foundation's press conference on the International Health Day), and solicit more media coverage ofNGO activities to boost their public image. During this quarter, the Health NGO Forum finished designing a questionnaire for health NGOs in order to collect up-to-date information on membership, programs and activities, and the needs and issues important to them. The results ofthe questionnaire will be used to prepare a Health Sector Handbook ... and to improve ways in which the Forum can meet the needs of its members. In the last quarter, following the reopening of the Health NGO Forum offices, four new health NGOs were registered with the Forum, increasing membership to 24 NGO members.
Local NGO training capacity has grown immensely over the past few years in Albania; one example is the work of the NGO training organization, DeMeTra. Based on a July 1997 NGO assessment that rated DeMeTra as the only professional local training organization in Albania, and its preexisting working relationship with ORT, DeMeTra was selected by ORT as a partner in its five year organizational development and sustainability strategy. This quarter, DeMeTra completed its project, funded by an ORT micro-grant to develop an Albanian Training Manual for NGO Communication. The curriculum contains a trainers' guide, methodology, hand-outs, and transparencies for overhead displays and offers the necessary information and materials for new trainers on critical issues ofNGO organizational development and sustainability, as well as policy advocacy. The manual is divided in two main parts: internal communication within NGOs, for stronger organizational and decision-making capacity, and NGO communication outside the organization, with the public, media, and govemment. The manual and the accompanying resource materials collected for DeMeTra's resource library had increased the institutional and resource capacity of DeMeTra and have become a part of its training program for NGOs. DeMeTra has designed several possible forums to introduce and test the training materials, such as an NGO roundtable / sample training; small working groups with communication specialists to discuss different parts of the manual, and demonstrations with new DeMeTra trainers.
The Albanian NGO Forum has played an active role in representing NGOs in legislative drafting, in building linkages with local and national govemment, and in developing and disseminating information to NGOs on development issues and on public perception ofNGOs. During the last quarter, the NGO Forum published the results of its recent survey on the "Knowledge and Opinions About Non-governmental and Governmental Organizations." Results ofthe survey ofll 00 citizens in Tirana showed that a majority of citizens (97%) were familiar with at least a few existing NGOs (63.4% knew of humanitarian NGOs, 69.6% - environment, 86.4% - cultural NGOs, 79.4% - women's NGOs, and 82% - health NGOs.) Of those that had knowledge of NGOs, survey respondents differed greatly in their opinions ofNGOs from different sectors. Generally, a majority ofTirana residents had a positive (32.6%) or neutral (25.9%) opinion ofNGOs, while 12.9% did not know enough to evaluate their activities and 25.8% had a negative opinion. While a majority of the citizens viewed humanitarian and cultural organizations positively, approximately one-third of the respondents had a negative opinion of environmental NGOs and trade unions. The NGO Forum has 1M not yet announced how it will use the data, but has endorsed the study as a way to make NGOs more aware of their public image. The Forum published the results in English and Albanian and distributed them to NGOs, government, and the media.
5 Through an ORT grant, the NGO Forum publishes its activities and accomplishments in its monthly NGO Forum Bulletin, which is distributed throughout the NGO community. The Bulletin keeps NGOs up-to-date on relevant legislative initiatives, the input provided to the law drafting group, and - meetings between the NGO Forum and the govemment. By publishing the Bulletin and conducting its research and informational activities, the NGO Forum has proven to be an invaluable resource for the non-governmental sector.
Democracy Sector
Uponjoining the Council of Europe, the Albanian government ratified the European Convention on Human Rights and thus agreed to meet international standards for human rights. The Albanian ... Helsinki Committee, operating under an ORT institutional development grant, conducts monitoring missions to prisons, jails, and ethnic minority communities, and responds to reports of individual and systematic violations of human rights. A critical component of its work is to have Committee lawyers review legislation and its implementation, and petition the state in instances where laws are considered unjust or are being implemented inequitably. During the last quarter, the Helsinki Committee petitioned the Constitutional Court on three occasions to request the abrogation oflaws and provisions ofthe 1995 Penal Code, Penal Procedure Code and Civil Code. The Constitutional Court repealed two laws amending the Penal Procedure Code and the Civil Procedure Code which allowed prosecutors to request review on criminal charges by higher courts after a final decision was made by a lower court. The Court ruled that the law did not comply with international human rights standards on finality of judgements or the duties of a prosecutors' office.. On petition of the Helsinki Committee, the Constitutional Court also repealed a provision of a law which created sufficient ambiguity to allow for the detention of suspects or arrested persons beyond a 48-hour period without appropriate review by a court. The Helsinki Committee had learned about this problem through the complaints of many detainees who had not received appropriate court review of warrants and were detained for long periods of time. The Court ruled in favor of the Helsinki Committee's petition striking down the law, arguing that flagrant violations of both Albanian constitutional law and the European Convention on Human Rights could result from the ambiguous procedures in the law. A third petition to the Constitutional Court by the Helsinki Committee led to the repeal of penal code provisions which fixed mandatory sentencing for crimes, leaving no discretion to judges. As a result, Parliament recently passed new amendments to the penal code establishing an appropriate range ofpenalties for serious crimes, although sentencing guidelines have not yet been established.
Impact reports from other ORT grantees awarded recent democracy sector grants were not due within the last quarter. However, the following ORT grantees were active in their ORT-funded projects: the Society for Democratic Culture (media monitoring project), the Foundation for Reconciliation of Disputes (roundtables I mediator training in the districts), and the Albanian Human Rights Group (improvements to the Bailiffs Office and procedures for enforcing jUdgments.)
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.... Social Safety Nets
Drug trafficking and abuse have steadily been on the rise over the last several years, peaking during the crisis and coinciding with the breakdown of internal order. Under a DemNet institutional development grant, the association, Useful to Albanian Women created the Monitoring Center ... for Drug and Alcohol Abuse by Young Persons. The Center provides the only national collection ofdata on the issue ofdrug abuse, works in partnership with two high schools, and offers counseling services through its hotline. Once the Center completed its objectives under the first Demi'let grant, ORT awarded it a second grant to support its NGO-government task force to develop anti-drug legislation and a drug prevention policy framework. The new grant will also provide the infrastructure to continue to offer counseling services, collect data, and expand its public education and model school program to other high schools. During this quarter, Useful to Albanian Women published a compilation of data collected under the first grant, including its survey on drug use conducted at its two partner high schools, information gathered from the hotline and counseling services, and other statistics compiled by state health officials. Results showed an increase in drug abuse and an increase in people seeking assistance in emergency and non-emergency cases resulting from drug use. Results from the high school survey showed that 9.4% (or 121 students at Sami Frasheri High School) of students aged 14-18 and 11.9% (74 students at Patizani high school) had tried or were currently using drugs. Students identified the primary reasons for trying drugs as curiosity, peer pressure, and a desire to try something to make them feel good. The alarming results came in response to the question of "do you know anyone that uses drugs": forty-one percent ofthe respondents know someone who uses marijuana or hashish, 25.6% heroin; 12.2% cocaine, and 8.0% morphine and pethidine. In contrast, 66.5% at Partizani school and 73.8% at Sami Frasheri school consider drug use a nationwide social problem for the country, while 50% of the interviewees supported the prohibition of all kinds of drugs. These results, combined with information on drug abusers using the services of the Center and the services of the toxification Centers at the Army Hospital and the Mental Hospital, produce a more accurate depiction of the drug problem and the reasons behind it, and what services are needed to help combat drug abuse.
Using the information collected and the contacts with government and NGO counterparts working on drug issues, and with the help of two ORT-trained legislative drafters, the Drug Monitoring Center composed a preliminary draft law to address the needs of the community and young people to combat drug trade and the harmful effects of drug use. This quarter, the Center formed a working group composed ofhealth officials, police, teachers, representatives from the Ministry ofHealth, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Public Order, to review the draft and prepare a package of legislation to send to Parliament. During the next quarter, this group will work with an ORT foreign legal expert to look at comparative law models and incorporate successful approaches used ... in other countries into its draft.
Current Albanian laws discriminate against certain categories of disabled persons. Furthermore, a ... significant number of disability categories are omitted from the law, especially in reference to the granting ofspecific rights and benefits. At the same time, there are general law provisions governing access to public buildings and services, and requiring employment of disabled persons in the larger state and private enterprises that are not being complied with. Individual associations have been unsuccessful in persuading the government to change the existing law and its implementation. In
7 September 1997, a working group of seven disability NGOs was created to collect information, discuss improvements to the existing legal framework and how it is imp lemented, and formulate and .... advocate new solutions. The working group, through an ORT grant administered by the Albanian Paraplegic Association, organized a national seminar with government representatives, NGOs, and disabled persons to address current issues. In preparation for the national meeting, the working group members held individual meetings with their own members to conduct an assessment ofthe problems their members faced, prepared a short report to present at the national meeting, and prepared a list of questions and recornmendations for the government. However, despite the hard work invested in planning the event, including hand-delivering and confirming the participation of government representatives, only one government representative attended the conference with the .... 130 disabled persons. Nevertheless, the media covered the national meeting, and, to the credit of the state television agency, the media showed the empty seats of the government officials, held interviews with disappointed disabled persons, and commented that had the government been ... present, attendees could have made important achievements in improving the conditions ofdisabled persons in Albania. Although the meeting did not meet its objectives, it did have many interim results. The working group of seven NGOs collaborated for the first time to gather input and present it in an official forum to the government. They also generated broad media coverage to support their efforts. Finally, the working group has contacted all the relevant government officials again to provide the results of the national meeting and solicit their support to attend an upcoming second national meeting. The poor showing by Albanian officials at the first national meeting tended to confirm the perception that disabled persons and their problems are not being adequately addressed by the Albanian government. However, thanks in part to positive media coverage oftheir work, and despite a lack of government concern, the NGOs have persisted in their efforts to raise the government and the public's awareness of disability issues through follow-up meetings. They have served as a capable lobbying group on behalf of the disabled in Albania
Final project reports are being prepared and are due in the next quarter for the following DemNet social safety net sector grantees: The Albanian Hemophiliac Association, and the Law and Rural Women's Rights Association.
Economic Growth Sector
Privatization in Albania occurred in two stages: the first stage began in 1991 with legislation on privatization of small and medium enterprises; the second stage began in August 1995 and focused on privatization of the large and medium-scale enterprises. By the end of 1996, approximately 62% of industrial enterprises and 42% of the labor force was privatized. Although quantitatively the privatization of state enterprises progressed swiftly, the qualitative aspect of privatization has been much slower as evidenced by business practices and behavior in the private sector and the limited growth of an efficient national economy. Control over the private enterprises is spread out over a large number of small shareholders -- mainly employees. Consequently, there is insider control and the interests of the employee-shareholders are often merely the maintenance ofpositions and salary increases. A lack of capital and know-how, combined with the predominance of insider interests, tends to work against enterprise efficiency and profitability. Furthermore, as 80% ofindustrial assets are not yet privatized, there is a serious risk that the national economy will experience further decline in efficiency and growth. Through an ORT grant, the Center for Economic and Social Studies is 8 ... - conducting a survey ofl20 privatized enterprises, private and public (small and medium) enterprises in Tirana, Elbasan, Korca, Shkodra, and Gjirokaster to collect data on structural organization, management, and performance. During the last quarter, the Center administered the survey to 40 public enterprises, and it is currently administering the survey to private enterprises. Based on the survey results, the Center will hold roundtables at the district level to discuss findings with enterprises and government and then develop policy recommendations for government on which elements ofprivatization have been more successful and which should be encouraged through legal reform. One of the key results ofthe past quarter is the strong partnership created with the Minister of Public Economy and Privatization. In an unprecedented act of openness and collaboration on behalf of the Albanian government, the Ministry provided open access to all of its materials and documentation related to privatization for use by the Center and offered Ministry assistance in support of the survey and future roundtables. Based on government documents and statistics, the Center was able to identify additional private and public enterprises, better define the focus of the survey questions, and come up with a list ofcrucial issues to be treated in their study. Such openness and sharing ofstatistics is unprecedented for the Albanian government, and it is a significant step in the democratic functioning ofgovernment. The Minister himself showed great interest in the survey results and local roundtables in hope that policy alternatives that may further improve privatization will come from within the enterprises themselves. The Center also provided some early recommendations and alternatives to the Ministry in its recent preparation of a new government strategy of privatization and published five articles in independent newspapers and NGO print media, in Albanian and English.
The Albanian market economy and its main agents, private businesses, have developed over the last few years in a free, albeit haphazard, process. As small businesses gain experience, it is an ideal time to develop a continuing strategy for private business, as well as human resources development in the private sector. The Institute for Contemporary Studies used an ORT microgrant to create a Mobile Business School to offer training in management, policy formulation by business associations, and existing legal requirements for businesses. The Institute operated the Mobile Business School, first in Elbasan, an area ofhigh unemployment, but one with a vibrant community of small business owners and managers. The Institute's trainers used innovative and participatory training materials, !LO training exercises combined with local case studies, to train established business persons in improving their business, and instruct entrepreneurs on how to start a business. The training is designed to achieve the following long-term results: improve formation ofbusiness plans, provide a better understanding of market tools and risks, increase knowledge of legal requirements, and build an understanding of the role of business associations as a representative voice for policies affecting business development.
Through the ORT grant, the Institute created the Mobile Business School and established a five person trainer groups. The pilot proj ect strengthened trainers' skills, their ability to design practical case studies relevant to local conditions, and their understanding of problems faced by business people. The first training program achieved important results for the Institute, and also focused on lessons learned. For example, because of the practical nature of the training, business persons changed their view of training in general and expressed interest in attending future courses, even if fee-based.One-on-one solicitation oftraining participants using a detailed description ofthe format and expected results proved to be more successful in increasing the participation ofbusiness persons.
9 The flexibility of the Mobile Business School to offer training at a time of day which minimized time away from work also positively affected attendance. Lastly, the Institute established a solid - working relationship with the Regional Business Agency in Elbasan for future business training and development.
The Institute reported its results at a roundtable at the end of the pilot project. In the roundtable, participants (business persons, representatives from NGOs and government) identified the barriers encountered by small and medium-sized businesses and appropriate ways to diminish or eliminate them. The barriers identified included: institutional barriers (judicial system, information on laws), lack of managerial skills and professional skills' appropriate to a market economy; inadequate banking and credit systems; a lack of legal guarantees for property and commercial rights (patents, trademarks, etc.); infrastructural barriers to development, such as electricity and water shortages; low levels of export accompanied by high imports and a loss of consumers for domestic products; and technological barriers. To address these concems, participants made constructive proposals on improving the institutional and legal framework, such as access to credit; improving marketing information collection; consolidating or enlarging the network of consulting firms providing technical assistance to business; promoting business associations as a voice for business; formulating new laws to insure and protect business property; supporting NGOs offering technical assistance and vocational training; further promotion of economic incentives for importing advanced technologies in the industrial sector; and facilitating tax payments through a "one stop center." The Institute will - continue to work on developing the Mobile Business School to strengthen human resources and business development in Albania and will design further projects on the policy issues raised in the roundtable.
Albania is a largely agrarian society deriving a large portion of its gross domestic product from agricultural production. Thus, agricultural development is crucial to the economic welfare of Albania .. The privatization oflarge farms early in the transition to democracy has left this production in the hands offarmers, most ofwhom have no business experience. The National Farmers Union of Albania has been working with farmers since 1994 to help them develop into successful private producers, and at the same time, provide a collective voice in legislative matters affecting them. Over the last year, ORT provided the Albanian Farmers Union with an institutional development grant to support member training, restructure and strengthen the association, financially support association leaders and members to attend government meetings for policy advocacy purposes, and improve public relations. In one year, the Albanian Farmers Union's membership has increased from 20,000 to 25,000. At the same time, membership dues increased from 2600 to 9000 leke, a significant step in building NGO sustainability and improving service delivery to members. NGO activity expanded to 25 districts, compared to 20 districts only a year ago. Through monthly steering committee meetings and local membership meetings, farmers voiced their concerns on priority issues. The local branches received training organized by the National Steering Committee on issues in policy advocacy, modem farming techniques, and existing contract law. Local groups used these skills to solve local problems and to improve business. At the same time, the National Steering Committee served as a voice in lobbying on the most significant issues.
..., 10 - In the past year, the Albanian Fanners Union worked in three main areas: improving the land tax law, fanners' pensions, and improved access to agricultural inputs. The Fanners Union worked closely with an ORT-trained legislative drafter to prepare draft a bill which would create different taxation structures for different types ofland. The Fanners Union worked closely with the Ministry of Agriculture on a new land tax law, and as a result, the Ministry has presented a final draft law to the Council ofMinisters incorporating the fanners' concerns. After participating in ORT's advocacy training, members ofthe Steering Committee organized meetings with Gramoz Pashko, Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister, and Minister ofFinance Arben Malaj, to lobby on behalf of the new draft law. These high-level advisors have promised to support the draft when it reaches the Council of Ministers. The second priority policy issue for the Fanners' Union involved fanners' pensions. The NGO drafted a new law on pensions in cooperation with some local NGOs and with legal assistance from ORT. Ironically, they were not successful in achieving the special increases according to type of pensions, because the draft law was negated by a decision of the government to increase all pensions by 20%. Nevertheless, the Fanners Union continues to lobby deputies of Parliament for a new law which would bring equity to pensions of different types of agricultural workers. The third priority policy issue addressed by the Fanners Union this year was access to agricultural inputs (especially seeds) and equipment. The Fanners' Union was instrumental in raising awareness of farmers' needs among businessmen and vendors ofinputs and equipment and ensuring that inputs reached the farmers at the appropriate times during the planting and harvesting seasons.
Environment
Roughly 70% of the Albanian terrain is mountainous. This land formation, combined with a close proximity to the sea, has made Albania a rich source for minerals, oil, and fossils. Over the past six years, several scientists (speleologists, geologists, and biologists) have worked within their NGO, the Albanian Scientific-Didactic Association of Speleologists, to explore more than 20 karstic zones. Through their work, they have registered approximately 1000 caves that contain rare species, both living and in fossil form. In one exploration, the association discovered skeletons ofbears that are believed to have lived 400,000 to 100,000 years ago, and archeological remains dating from the time of the later Panaloid in the early Middle Ages. Currently, there is no legislation protecting the caves and their contents other than an executive order by the Council of Ministers. Despite the scientific, ecological, and cultural value of the caves, these sites are not yet protected as natural heritages, and no administrative authority has been assigned responsibility for their preservation. Through an ORT microgrant, the Speleologists Association is creating a draft law and a policy framework for the legal status and management ofkarstic caves according to scientific and didactic values. In a previous quarter, the association members participated in an ORT training and technical assistance initiative. Working with an ORT-trained local lawyer and ORT policy advocacy consultants, the association drafted a law which would designate protective measures for caves based on their geological and biological characteristics and a adopted a lobbying action plan to introduce the law. During the last quarter, the Association prepared for its upcoming international scientific seminar to build the basis of Albanian speleology and to get local and foreign input and support for its draft law. The international seminar will provide the necessary scientific and policy arguments to support the legislation on the status and management of caves. The Speleologists Association's project will hopefully lead to urgently needed legislation to protect the caves from destruction and to recognize them as national treasures.
II NEW GRANTS AWARDED THIS QUARTER
ORT awarded a microgrant to The Albanian Institute for Contemporary Studies for its project entitled, "An Ombudsman Institution in Albania." In the post-communist era, the government of Albania has enacted new laws and international conventions relating to human rights, most notably the European Convention on Human Rights. As Albania develops into a stronger democracy, NGOs must raise public and government awareness of the implementation of these laws, including the .... Council of Europe's recommendation that each member state consider the possibility of appointing an ombudsman at the national, regional or local level; or for specific areas of public administration to receive citizen complaints and oversee the consideration of human rights by the state. The Institute will use its ORT grant (US$2950) to implement phase one of its project: an Assessment of the Creation of an Ombudsman Institution in Albania. During later phases ofthe project, the NGO will advocate the drafting of a law to establish an ombudsman's office, if deemed appropriate. Current sub grant funds will support comparative law research on ombudsman institutions; a public - opinion poll to identify receptivity to such an institution, a roundtable between members of Parliament, government, NGOs, and local and foreign experts on the general strategy for the development of an ombudsman institution in Albania, and publication ofthe study paper and results.
FUTURE GRANTS
No future grant rounds are scheduled for Phase I of the Democracy Network Program. However, ORT will continue to accept project proposals for microgrants on a rolling basis and approve those meeting eligibility criteria and in accordance with remaining budget funds.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING
Board Development and Strategic Planning ofthe National Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center
The primary component ofORT's DemNet Phase II strategy is to develop a National NGO Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center. With ORT's assistance, DeMeTra, a Tirana-based NGO with an existing mission to provide training, consultancy, and other technical assistance to Albanian NGOs, government, and individuals, will evolve into this Resource Center. ORT's strategy enables DeMeTra to further develop its capacity as a nationally-focused training and technical assistance institute offering expertise to the Albanian NGO, government, and business communities. By design, the Resource Center will be able to support overall development and sustainability of Albanian NGOs throughout this initiative and thereafter.
Since its creation in 1995, DeMeTra has been active in the NGO community and is widely respected as a training provider. However, like most NGOs in Albania, DeMeTra suffered organizational weaknesses which limited its program capacity and compromised its long-term goals; it possessed a dysfunctional board of directors, no internal governance policy other than a broad statute, no sustainability plan, and operated with only one full-time staff member and three part-time trainer /
12 consultants. During the previous quarter, ORT provided on-site technical assistance to DeMeTra to restructure the organization according to international standards. ORT will provide financial .. assistance in the fonn of an institutional development grant to support the restructuring.
With ORT's assistance, the current staff carefully selected and recruited 20 people to serve as an independent Board ofDirectors to govern the organization. The Board members represent all sectors of society: business, government, the media, and NOOs. [see Annex 1, Profile of De MeTra Board Members]. In addition, five ofthe members were selected from outside Tirana, two ofwhom have extensive experience in rural development. This diverse board composition ensures that the National Resource Center will be more likely to build linkages between NOOs and the other sectors, and will recognize and serve the training and institutional development needs ofrural as well as urban NGOs. Furthennore, creation of an independent Board of Directors for DeMeTra serves as a crucial first step in establishing an identified, acceptable NOO structure and will serve as a model of international organizational development and sustainability standards for Albanian NGOs.
Through an intensive seven-day Board of Directors' Development and Strategic Planning Retreat, ORT provided direct technical assistance and training on the role ofmembership and in development of the Board of Directors' Strategic Plan, policies and procedures, and short and mid-tenn goals. The Retreat also encouraged teamwork and cohesion among the Board's members, most of whom were meeting for the first time. As a result, the Board met all of the objectives of the Retreat [see Retreat Agenda, Annex 2]. The members gained an understanding of international standards for NOO organizational governance and sustainability and developed a strategy to meet those standards. The members learned the basic principles of governance, and became familiar with their responsibilities as a board, including their role in public relations, strategic planning, recruiting, hiring and managing executive staff, monitoring and evaluating the perfonnance of the NOO, and in overseeing financial management, fundraising, and revenue-generating activities. Based on these principles and an increased understanding of their role, the members developed strategic plans in four areas: public relations, recruitment of the executive staff and trainers, financial management and fundraising, and government-NOO relations and NOO law [see Strategic Plans, Annex 3]. The members developed job descriptions, recruitment and hiring criteria, and procedures for the executive staff and trainers [see Job Descriptions, Annex 4]. They developed the first bylaws for internal governance of the organization and elected officers [see Bylaws Annex 5]. The bylaws defme a clear governance relationship between paid staff and the Board, outline the responsibilities of the officers, set forth financial policies, establish conflict-of-interest rules, and determine voting and other decision-making processes. To date, most Albanian NOOs, including DeMeTra, have not dealt with these issues in their organizational documents. Thus, the work accomplished by the new Board of Directors serves as a critical component of institutional capacity building and NGO governance at a level meeting international standards.
At the end of the Retreat, the Board elected a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary and treasurer. Building upon the teamwork developed in strategic planning sessions, the Board established five committees and elected committee chairs for implementation of the strategy [see Annex 7]. The committees immediately began work at the Retreat. The Public Relations Committee members prepared a news documentary of the Retreat to be aired on television and a brief news article for release to the electronic wire services to publish the early successes of DeMeTra and its strategy.
13 NGO and Public Participation in the Constitutional Drafting Process
A Parliamentary Commission on Drafting the Constitution is currently drafting the first few chapters of the constitution. ORT is assisting NGOs in providing input to the constitutional drafting process and in educating citizens on important constitutional issues in advance of the draft and for an upcoming constitutional referendum. On January 21, 1998, ORT sponsored an NGO Forum on Legislative Powers in which a group of 37 NGO representatives identified and ranked the most ... important legislative power issues which they felt should be included in the constitutional draft. The list of issues was presented with a short report to the Parliamentary Commission. In addition, these results served as a starting point for a more detailed discussion by constitutional experts, NGOs, and .... politicians in a subsequent forum hosted by ORT. ORT joined with local partners, the University ofTirana Law Faculty, the Center for Economic and Social Studies, and the Foundation for Juridical Culture, to sponsor .Foc!lsed Discussion Groups on Legislative Powers in March. The discussion groups consisted of two three-hour discussion meetings guided by two lawyer/moderators in which NGO representatives presented issues identified in NGO forums to local and foreign experts, and politicians. Participants analyzed how the Albanian Constitution should reconcile these issues. The discussion was recorded and presented by summary report to the Parliamentary Commission [see Report, Annex 7]. Building upon these discussion groups, regional discussion groups will be held in order to include the general population and regional politicians. ORT will sponsor one of the regional discussions in southern Albania.
The support of ORT, other donors, and especially the work of the Administrative Center for the Coordination of Aid and Public Participation in the Constitution in organizing some of the initial public discussions on the constitution has led a number ofNGOs to design their own activities to educate the public and to provide input. At least 11 NGOs (one-third of them ORT grantees) have submitted individual written recommendations to the Parliamentary Commission for consideration in the drafting of the constitution. In addition, two local NGO partners and the University ofTirana Law Faculty initially approached ORT to organize the focused discussion groups and contributed to their success by providing law faculty moderators and by publishing the results in a partner- NGO joumal, The Juridical Tribunal. The partners also secured media coverage of the events and distributed the results to the public and NGO members. Additionally, NGOs have presented grant proposals to ORT to host other activities related to public discussion on the constitution.
NGO National Research Initiative
During the last quarter, ORT continued work on the National Research Initiative. Sixty-five NGO I.i representatives helped to design an extensive research questionnaire to collect data on the political, social, and economic factors leading to the recent political crisis and potential solutions to resolving these issues. During October and November, ORT research consultant, Dr. Lori Jenkins, and ORT ~ staff worked with NGOs to administer the survey. Working with the Albanian Institute for Statistics (INSTAT), ORT finished the data processing stages; however, INSTAT was unable to perform sophisticated analysis of the data, compelling ORT to seek resources outside Albania.
Representatives from the joint World Bank / USAID Anti-Corruption Project showed great interest in the initial data results. ORT shared the data with project administrators in lieu of conducting their
14 own research and report. In addition, USAIDlTirana agreed to support the data analysis and publication of ORT's final report. Research results in the fonn of a comprehensive report will be available in May. ORT will provide technical assistance to the NGO partners in developing their programs based on the data. Through the research initiative, NGO partners can see the value of research and community assessments in designing appropriate programs to meet community needs.
FUTURE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Organizational Development of the National Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center
During the next quarter, ORT will provide direct on-site technical assistance to the DeMeTra Board of Directors and executive staff to restructure the organization according to international standards. ORT staff and specialists will assist the Board in recruiting highly qualified staff for the organization, including an executive director, executive-assistant, training director, and secretary. An ORT specialist will also provide technical assistance to the to draft its internal financial policies.
During May, after the executive staff is hired, twenty trainers and technical assistants demonstrating a high level of education and practical capabilities will be selected through a nationwide search. Minimum qualifications will include knowledge and experience in at least one of the NGO sector focus areas, strong educational background, teaching and/or training experience, and demonstrated commitment to the long-tenn development of Albanian NGOs. In order to maximize cultural congruency in the development and administration of training and technical assistance to NGOs in regions throughout Albania, the team of trainers will consist of individuals from various regions. Although the activities of the individual trainers will not be limited to their home regions, the composition of the training/technical assistance team will offer knowledge and experience crucial to success in those regions.
Regional Discussion Group on the Constitution
As an ongoing component ofthe program to stimulate public debate and discussion of constitutional issues, ORT will sponsor one of five regional discussion groups. Building on the results from the five NGO Forums and accompanying focused discussion groups, ORT will hold a moderated discussion in one region of Albania; other donors will sponsor discussion groups in other regions. iii The regional discussion groups will be documented by rapporteurs, and the activity will focus on increasing citizen and regional politicians' participation. ORT will document the discussion and suggestions raised, and present concerns to the Parliamentary Commission on the Drafting of the iii Constitution.
Research Publication and Technical Assistance in Using Results
The research analysis and publication of the Survey of Today's Albanian Society will report statistical results, explanations, analysis and recommendations. The report \vill include a large .... number of tables, graphs, and other visual inserts and will total approximately 450 pages. In early May, ORT will produce a final version of the publication in English, which will be translated and
IS published in Albanian by June. ORT will then conduct technical assistance workshops with the NGOs that participated in designing the survey as well as other interested NGOs. These workshops will advise the NGOs on applying the survey results to the design of programs, services, and policy recommendations.
Technical Assistance in Drafting and Advocating New Anti-drug Legislation
Through collaboration with the American Bar Association's Central and Eastern European Law Initiative, ORT has recruited a volunteer American legal expert, Mr. Thomas Lininger, to work with ORT grantee, Useful to Albanian Women, and their Drug Monitoring Center. Mr. Lininger is a federal prosecutor working with the United States Department of Justice in Oregon who has experience in narcotics cases, including prosecuting drug offenders involved with multi-state and international drug trafficking networks, and advising both the US Senate and the Oregon Legislature on anti-drug legislation. Mr. Lininger will work with the Center's Law Drafting Working Group, composed of representatives of government, police, health experts, and NGOs, to assist them in reviewing and revising their initial draft law and in mapping out a lobbying strategy for the future. Useful to Albanian Women advocates the enactment ofmore effective and comprehensive anti-drug legislation. NGOLEGALFRAMEWORK
Lobbying efforts by the NGO sector are coming to fruition; NGO involvement is being incorporated ... in several new institutional laws and practices. In accordance with their position established at the ORTIICNL preparatory meeting held one day before the Ministry of Labor' s Public Hearing on the draft licensing law, the Albanian NGO community agreed to reject a pending draft law on licensing social-service-providing NGOs. Instead, an NGO coalition of social service NGOs, working with ORTIICNL, lobbied for a broader NGO legal framework, which would include: (1) the introduction of a third legally recognized category of not-for-profit organization, the non-profit agency / institution, to be added to the present categories of associations and foundations; (2) better defined tax benefits for NGOs to support favorable treatment of income-generating activities for NGO sustainability; (3) licensing criteria for NGOs that would be comparable, or preferential, to those of other legal entities and state institutions; (4) NGO involvement in setting standards and licensing criteria for types certain of service provision.
As a result of successful NGO advocacy, the Ministry of Labor agreed to postpone the licensing initiative and form an NGO-government working group to address the broader issues encompassing the NGO law. The Ministry invited representatives of the NGO coalition and one of the NGO lawyers to join the group. In addition, the Ministry solicited the input of ORT and ICNL. Five meetings of the working group were held in which the participants presented concerns of both the government and NGO sectors, outlining some of the main principles for a new law.
The Albanian Ministry of Labor and Social Assistance has taken a progressive and historic lead in working with NGOs. Its initial plans in December included creating a formal Inter-Ministerial NGO working group on NGO law. However, these plans were delayed as a result of the lengthy
16 ....
.... process of obtaining a Council of Ministers order to set up the Inter-Ministerial group. More recently, the need for inter-ministerial collaboration became readily apparent when the Ministry of Justice was ordered to quickly draft amendments to the Civil Code to address political concerns raised by the Association ofVEFA Creditors and the pyramid schemes (all registered as NGOs.) More disturbing was the fact that initial discussions with the Ministry of Justice Codification Department revealed that they had no desire to work with the existing NGO-Government Working Group or obtain NGO input. It was not until March, after ORT and ICNL intervened by offering technical assistance and encouraging the Ministry to work in collaboration with Ministry ofLabor' s working group, that the Minister of Justice instructed his Codification Department to join efforts with the Ministry of Labor.
Summary of Law Development Achievements to Date
As a result ofDemocracy Network Program initiatives implemented through the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law and ORT, Albanian NGOs have become more aware of and have shown a growing interest in laws that directly affect them and their constituencies. Additionally, the Albanian government has demonstrated a greater willingness to create a more participatory la\vmaking IiIi process. The following recent successes have been instrumental in the development ofanNGO legal framework in Albania:
March 1997 NGOs formed a 40-member coalition to provide comment on the Ministry of Labor's draft licensing law and successfully persuaded the Minister ofLabor to delay the passing of the very restrictive draft in order to allow time for NGO review and input;
May 1997 Seven NGO coalition representatives and three Ministry of Labor legal drafters achieved consensus on significant changes to the first draft of the licensing law at a working meeting in Budapest, Hungary, with funding and technical assistance provided by ORT / ICNL;
November 1997 The Ministry ofLabor held the first-ever public hearing on the draft licensing law to solicit input on the second draft;
December 1997 The Ministry ofLabor formed the first-ever NGO-government working group to format a complete NGO legal framework, including licensing issues;
ORT's relationship with its regional partner, ICNL, has continued to broaden since 1995. In the upcoming quarter, ORT and ICNL will provide assistance to NGOs through a working / study visit to the Czech Republic at which ICNL and its Czech advisor, Dr. Petr Pajas, will provide logistical and technical assistance to forge closer collaboration among the Ministries and NGOs, exchange iii valuable comparative law and practical experience, and, most importantly, draft a new enabling legal framework with the participation of representatives of all interested parties.
17 ...,
PROGRAM AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES
This quarter, the ORT office has moved to a new location in order to have enough office space to accommodate our local partner, DeMeTra. We have also hired a new driver, and a new Finance Officer, Lilliana Dango, to replace Eliana Xhani.
ORT has also opened discussions on future strategy with donors: NGO program officers ofSNV, VNG, Albanian Civil Society Foundation, Open Society Foundation in Albania, Catholic Relief Services, UNDP, World Bank, OSCE, East-West Partnerships (UK).
18 ORT ALBANIA DEMOCRACY NETWORK PROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report Januarv - March 1998
...
Annex 1:
Profile of DeMeTra Board Members III
PROFILE OF MEMBERS Board of Directors of the "Albanian National Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center"
MURRAJ ARDIAN Journalist Albanian Television
Ardian Murraj is a journalist working with Albanian Television. Since 1992 he has been working as ajournalist in the News Department and as Director of Docwnentary Films. Adrian has developed a significant nwnber of docwnentaries, news reports and television shows on various issues such as agriculture, tourism, ecology, health, etc. He graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences and Law, Tirana University in 1987, and the Scenography and Film School in the Academy of Fine Arts and Albafilm-Study too. He has also received training in the European Film College in Ebeltoft Denmark in 1993 and received a diploma as a Senior Editor in the Broadcasting Journalism at the University ofWales College ofCardiff. His diverse journalism and media experience will contribute to public relations campaigns.
KONINIZANA Director of Rural Credits Department Albanian Development Foundation
Zana Konini is Director ofthe Rural Credits Department for the Albanian Development Foundation. She graduated in Physics atthe Faculty ofNature Sciences in 1974 and worked a Chiefof the Quality Laboratory in the Mechanical Plant in Tirana, as a professor at the Tirana University, and as Head of the Department of Foreign Relationships in the Science Committee.
She has participated in nwnerous training courses on Rural Finance, Rural Development Projects, Cooperative Banking Systems and Management and Motivation of Staff. Since 1993 Zana has been working in her position at the Albanian Development Foundation. Her work experience at ADF has contributed to her knowledge and understanding of the economic situation in rural areas and on the development strategies targeted for those areas. She also has been working with different rural NGOs and is very experienced in managing and the motivating of a large staff. ... PRODANI, EDUARD General Director ofthe National Employment Service Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Women
Eduard Prodani is a General Director of the National Employment Service in the Ministry of Labor, .... Social Affairs and Women. He graduated from the Civil Construction Faculty at Tirana University in 1989 and has worked as a Specialist in the Investment Department of the Chemical Plant in Lac. Eduard has participated in a lot of training courses on the internal operation of the World Bank, procurement, reporting and project implementation, budgeting and cost inspection, and evaluation of development projects in Western European countries and the United States. Since 1996 he has been studying for a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He has also been in charge of the Project Coordination Office at the Ministry of Labor. As a specialist working with central government he has a good knowledge on the government sector structure and experienced working with international donors.
KEKEZI, DHIMITER Co-owner and co-Director oflBS Company
Dhimiter Kekezi is co-owner and co-director ofIBS Company. This company holds exclusivity in Albania for International Hewlett-Packard Company in the telecommunication and informatics area. He graduated as an electrical engineer from Tirana University in 1975 and has been working as an ... electrical engineer for several years. He is experienced in telecommunication and informatics area and through establishing IBS in 1992, he has gained a lot of experience in business development, management and directing staff, and promoting business, and establishing contacts and working relationships with other Albanian and international businesses.
LULO,FATOS Private Legal Advisor and Attorney I..i
Fatos Lulo is a private legal advisor and licensed attorney and is presently working in his own practice. He graduated in 1982 from the Law Faculty at Tirana University, and he has worked as a lawyer at the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Women and at the Committee for Environmental Protection. As a specialist in the legal field, he has assisted in drafting different draft laws presented by the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Women to the Albanian Parliament. He has also assisted ~ in participation, discussion, and membership of Albania in different International Conventions. He has knowledge on Albanian legislation, and experience in providing legal assistance to businesses, individuals, and organizations. KITA,LIDA Project Officer for Social Education Project and Disbursement Assistant World Bank
Lida Kita is a Project Officer for Social Education Project and Disbursement Assistant at the World Bank, Resident Mission. She graduated in English, American Literature, and Language Studies, Albanian Literature and Language studies, Tirana University in 1981. Lida has been teaching for several years, and has gained experience in preparing educational texts. She also has experience ... working with international organizations such as the European Community, US Peace Corps, and the World Bank, as well as foreign radio and television stations such as the BBC and CNN. Since 1995, she has participated in training and technical assistance programs in management, budgeting, financial disbursement, and procurement.
KO<:OLLARI, ALFRED General Director Humanitarian Aid and NGO Collaboration Department Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Women
Alfred Kocollari is presently working as General Director for the Humanitarian Aid and NGO Collaboration Department in the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Women. He graduated in Language and Modern Literature, Sorbonne University, France. He has worked as a university professor in the French Department as a Foreign Relationship Officer in Tirana University. For four years Alfred worked as Program Manager with European Union Delegation in Albania in charge of justice, education programs (TEMPUS and Vocational Training), information, and shared responsibility for NGO projects funded by the European Union and restructuring ofschools and jails in Albania. He has an understanding and experience with international donors, Albanian NGOs, and various government agencies.
TO<:I, FATMIR Owner and Director of TOENA Publishing House and Printing Company
Fatmir Toci is the owner and general director of TOEN A Publishing House and Printing Company. He graduated from the Economics Faculty at Tirana University. He has worked as an economist for different government enterprises and was also general director for Clothing Production. In 1992 he established "TOENA" Publishing House, and subsequently extended his business by establishing a Printing and Distribution Department, in which 400 books in Albanian language and different regular newsletters and magazine were published. He has business experience in publishing and printing experience and in staffmanagement, as well as relationships with other publishers,journalists, writers, and artists. SHEHU, ANILA English Teacher .... High School Seit Najdeni, Peshkopi
Anila Shehu is an English teacher at the Seit Najdeni High School in Peshkopi. She graduated from English and American Language and Literature Faculty at Tirana University in 1989. Ms. Shehu is working as an English teacher in the high school of Peshkopi and is experienced in teaching techniques. She has been active in different activities organized by foteign donors in Peshkopi and has knowledge and understanding of northern rural areas.
DJALOSHI, DIANA Head of Personnel Section Education Department, Puke Diana Djaloshi is Head ofPersonnel Section ill the Education Department, Puke. She graduated from ... the Russian Language and Literature Faculty at Tirana University and she has worked as a Russian teacher and as an Education Inspector. She has received training on Lexicology and is presently studying for a Ph.D. in Lexicology. She has knowledge and understanding on the needs ofher region in Albania. She has been working for several years with local government, she has been active working with grassroots NGOs in northern Albania she has good contacts with other NGOs in the Northern Albania. She was a co-founder of a women's NGO in Puka, providing her experience in this area.
KONDILI, ARBEN President of "AGI" Construction Company in Korea
Arben Kondili is President of" AGI" Construction Company in Korea. He graduated from the Faculty of Construction Engineering at Tirana University in 1986 and he has worked as a specialist in the Reps Mining ofMirdita as a director of government enterprises in Korea. In 1994, he established his own construction business in Korea. In 1996, Arben co-founded the Construction Association of Korea, an economic development NGO. He has knowledge and experience ofthe NGO community, IIiiI business in the Korea region.
MINXHOZI, LULJETA Head of the Economics Department Economics Faculty, Tirana University
LuljetaMinxhozi is Head ofthe Economics Department in the Economics Faculty, Tirana University. She graduated from the Economics Faculty at Tirana University and received a Ph.D. from the Institute IDSE of the Catholic University of Rome in 1995. Luljeta has participated in training programs on Macroeconomics in Germany, Scotland and Greece. She has knowledge on economic issues, and experience in the higher education field. • JUKA,GENCI Local Consultant European Community
Genci Juka is Local Consultant with the European Community. He graduated from the Agronomy Faculty, Agriculture University in Tirana, in 1978 and has worked as an agronomist and later as Head Agronomist in the Agriculture Enterprise of Sukth, as well as Head of the Agriculture Department ofDurres district. He served an executive director ofthe Albanian Development Foundation for four years, designed and funded to implement the World Bank project "Avoiding Poverty in Rural Areas". He has developed and managed a staff from 10 employees to 110 people throughout Albania. Through his experience working on rural development projects, he has a good understanding of the needs in rural areas.
STEFANI, ANDREA Independent Journalist
Andrea Stefani is an independent journalist. He graduated from the Philosophy Faculty, Tirana University and later he received training onjournalism and economic issues in Denmark. Andrea is an expert on the economic issues and a very well known independent journalist. He has published his own articles on these issues in different Albanian newspapers. One thing makes him distinguished from other journalists is that by 1997 he started a new Albanian newspaper "ShekulJi" and hired the whole staff for this newspaper. He got three fIrst prizes for the best article of the year awarded by Soros Foundation.
HAMZAJ, VIRON Head of Development Department Tirana City Council
Viron is the Head of Development Department at Tirana City Council. His job focuses on development of rural areas and management of new urban areas. He graduated from Construction Engineering Faculty at Tirana University and has worked as Head ofUrbani sties Council and member of Council of Territory Regulation at Tirana Municipality and City Council. Viron participated in training developed by Harvard University on Rehabilitation and Improvement of Urban Areas. He is also a member of the Task Force of the Ministry of Construction, composed of local and central government bodies. He is experienced in working with International organizations and local and central government agencies. LIGU,ARJAN English Teacher
He is an English Teacher at the High School Asim Zeneli in Gjirokastra. He graduated from the History-Philosophy Faculty at Tirana University, Branch of English and has worked as English ... Teacher, as interpreter and guide at the Albtourism of Tirana, and as English Teacher at Gjirokastra University and Training Community Center in Gjirokastra. During August, September and October 1997, he has worked as monitor and interpreter with the European Community Monitoring Mission. Arjan knows the needs of Gjirokastra area and has contact with people of different occupations.
DRA<;:INI, SHKELQIM Credit Officer, Urban Credit Department Albanian Development Fund (ADF), Shkoder - He graduated from the Agricultural Faculty at Agricultural University ofTirana in 1992. He worked as a journalist later on as chief editor of the newspaper "Gazeta e Shkodres" and also at Radio Shkodra. Shkelqim started working for the Albanian Development Foundation in Shkodra as a consultant and now he is Credit Officer in the Urban Credit Department at the Albanian Development Foundation in Shkodra. Shkelqim has participated as a Local Development Agent in a training course funded by European Community and Local Government in Shkodra. He has had contact with the small private business and different financial agencies and banks, Regional Development Agency for Northern Albania, Center ofBusiness at Shkodra University and Chamber of Commerce in Shkodra. Shkelqim has knowledge on the needs of small and medium businesses and approaches of their development in northern Albania.
DHIMITRI, ALBANA Head of Conditioned Budget Section, Finance Department State Secretariat for Local Government
Albana works as Head of Conditioned Budget Section, Finance Department, State Secretariat for Local Government. She graduated from the Finance Branch of Economics Faculty at Tirana University in 1995 and has worked as Head of Investment and Credit Section in the Finance Department at the State Secretariat for Local Government and now Albana has the present position. She participated in a training on Municipality Finance Review and Budgeting in the United States. Albana is experienced in working with international organizations such as the World Bank, European Community, Dutch Government, etc. She has knowledge of budgeting, finance and local taxes. CABIRI, YLLI Consultant for the External Monitoring and Assessment Service for the Phare Program
YUi works as Montgomery Watson Ltd Consultant included in OMAS Consortium for the External Monitoring and Assessment Service for the Phare Programme. He graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Faculty at Tirana University in 1973, and got a diploma in Post University Diploma d'Etudes Approfondies (DEA) at INSrn Institute - Saclay (University Paris XI) France. YIli has a Doctorate in Engineering Degree from the University ofParis XI, France since 1981. He has worked as Project Director (Advisor to the Department of Economic Development and Foreign Aid Coordination) in the Albanian Council of Ministers. He has also worked with UNDP and has been responsible for the preparation of the Albanian Human Development Report. YIli has participated in drafting of several trade policies and procurement procedures. He has worked in different economic field and knows the economic issues in Albania . .. ORT ALBANIA DEMOCRACY NETWORK PROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report Januarv - March 1998 ...
Annex 2:
National Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center Board of Directors Retreat Agenda
... ALBANIAN NATIONAL NGO TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTAl'lCE RESOURCE CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS DEVELOPMENT, LEADERSHIP, AND STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT
PRELIMINARY AGENDA SATURDAY
A.M Depart Tirana for Retreat, Lunch in Pogradec P.M Arrive at Resort, Dinner
SUNDAY
A.M Introductions Overview of Retreat Agenda Goals & Objectives of Retreat Relationship-Building IdentifYing Barriers to Collaboration Improving Communications, Trust, and Cohesiveness Overview of ORTIUSAID Five-year Strategic Plan
Lunch
P.M What are Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)? Purposes and Roles ofNGOs Presentation of International Standards for NGOs Desired Capacity ofNGOs According to World Bank Review of Present Albanian NGO Sector Identification of Present Albanian NGO Sector Limitations Identification of Present Albanian NGO Strengths Goals and Objectives for Future of Albanian NGO sector
Dinner
MONDAY
A.M. Basic Principles of Policy Governance Ten Basic Responsibilities ofNGO Boards Fund-raising and The NGO Board Member The Role of the Board Chairperson The Board's Role in Public Relations and Communications The NGO Board's Role in Strategic Planning
Lunch
P.M Development of Strategic Plan • Create Vision Statement • Create Mission Statement • Identify Short- and Mid-term Goals • Identify Short- and Mid-term Objectives • Develop Action Plan(s)
Dinner TUESDAY w.' A.M Finding and Retaining Your Next Chief Executive: Making the Transition Work Board Assessment of the Chief Executive Fulfilling the Public Trust: Ten Ways for NGO Boards to Maintain Accountability Board Assessment of the Organization: How Are We Doing? Five Major Obstacles to the Board's Carrying Out its Responsibility
Lunch
P.M Understanding NGO Financial Statements • Development of Action Plan for Financial Management and Accountability System • Development of Strategic Fund-raising and Revenue-Generating Activities Plan
Dinner
WEDNESDAY
A.M NGO Bylaws: Creating a Framework for Effective Policy Governance • Development of Albanian Natl Training & Technical Assistance Resource Center's Bylaws Lunch PM Further Development of Bylaws Dinner .... THURSDAY
A.M Finalize and Present Bylaws Vote On Acceptance or Rejection of Bylaws (If Rejected, Modification of Bylaws for Acceptance) Lunch P.M Development of Organizational Operating Policies and Procedures Manual (Minimum of an Outline with Action Plan for Completion) Dinner
FRIDAY
A.M • Structuring of Organization • Identification of Organization Positions • Develop Recruitruent Plan for Exec. Staff, TrainerslTechnical Assistants, & Support Staff • Election of Board Officers • Possible Development of Board Committees Lunch P.M Additional Strategic Planning Dinner
SATURDAY
A.M Review of Week's Accomplishments Lunch P.M Group Outing Closing Dinner Ceremony .... SUNDAY
A.M Depart for Tirana, Lunch in Pogradec PM Arrive in Tirana
21 ORT ALBANIA DEMOCRACY NETWORK PROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report January - March 1998
...
•
Annex: 3
Strategic Plans for DeMeTra Board of Directors •
PLANI STRATEG)IK PER MENAXHIMIN FINANCIAR DHE GRUMBULLIMIN E FONDEVE
OBjEKTIVI NR 1: Til sigurohen bashkefinancime nga donatore te ndryshem, te huaj dhe vendas
HAPAT PERGjEG)ES BURIMET E AFATI KOHOR NEVO)SHME
I. Njohja me mundesite Ylli t;:abiri Dokumentacioni i EU Prill - Maj 1998 financuese per programet e OJQve GenciJuka Projektet ekzistuese .... nga donatore bilaterale dhe Lori Jenkins te donatoreve multilaterale
2. Njohja me proyedurat e Lori Jenkins Dokumentacioni i donatoreve Prill - Maj 1998 financimit dhe te zbatimit te Ylli t;:abiri Takime me donatoret IIIIi projekteve nga donatoret Genci Juka kryesore, Veyanerisht nga EU, Albana Dhimitri Qeveria ltaliane, UNDP, USAID, Viron Hamzaj IIIIi Qeveria Zvicerane
3. Informimi i Bordit per Lori Jenkins Informacioni i Maj 1998 .. mundesite dhe menyrat e Ylli t;:abiri pergatitur nga Grupi financimit te donatoreve Genci Juka i Punes kryesore Albana Dhimitri Lida Kita Viron Hamzaj
.. 4. Organizimi i nje Tryeze te Bordi dhe Ekzekutivi Rrumbullaket me donatoret kryesore per te prezantuar .. strategjine, objektivat dhe strukturen e organizates
.. 5. Pergatitja dhe dergimi i Ekzekutivi aplikimeve per fonde tek donatoret kryesore
6. Mbajtia e kontakteve me Ekzekutivi donatoret per financim
1
3f OBJEKTIVI NR 2: Til sigurohet mireadministrimi i fondeve te organizates HAPAT PERG)EG)ES BURIMET E AFATET KOHORE .... NEVO)SHME
1. Hartimi i Rregullores dhe Komiteti i Finances Progedurat e ORTse Prill 1998 Pro,edurave Financiare: dhe dy konsulente Sistemin e mbajtjes se llogarive afat-shkurter Kompetencat per shpenzimet Pro,edurat e shpenzimeve
2. Miratimi i Rregullores dhe Bordi i Drejtoreve Prill 1998 Pro,edurave Financiare nga Bordi
3. Krijimi i Sistemit te Komiteti i Finances Rregullorja dhe Pro,edurat Maj 1998 Menaxhimit Financiar Ekzekutivi Financiare
Paisje
4. Rekrutimi i Personelit Ekzekutivi Maj 1998 te nevojshem
5. Hartimi dhe paraqitja ne Ekzekutivi \:do muaj Bord e informacioneve periodike mbi bilancin financiar dhe shpenzimet pasardhese
6. Pergatilja e informacionit Ekzekutivi \:do muaj per donatoret pas shqyrtimit te bilancit ne Bord
7. Pergatitja e projekt-buxhetit Ekzekutivi Shtator 1998 per gjashtemujorin e ardhshem + Bordi i Drejtoreve dhe miratimi ne Bordin e Drejtoreve
2 - PLANI STRATEGJIK PER REKRUTIMIN E PERSONELIT QENDRA BURIMORE KOMBErARE ... E TRAJNIMIT DHE ASISTENCES TEKNIKE PER OJQte OBJEKTIVI NR 1: ZGJEDHJA E DREJTORIT EKZEKUTIV TE QENDREs
... HAPAT PERGJEGJES BURIMETE AFATET KOHORE NEVOJSHME
.. 1. Percaktimi i kritereve Bordi i Drejtoreve 21 - 29 Mars 1998 per Drejtorin Ekzekutiv - 2. Percaktimi i detyrave dhe Bordi+ORT 21 - 29 Mars 1998 pergjegjesive te Drejtorit Ekzekutiv ... 3. Percaktimi i pages per DE Bordi i Drejtoreve 21 - 29 Mars 1998 .. 4. Pergatitja e Ofertes se Anila Vendresha 29 Mars - 5 Prill Punesimit per DE .. 5. Reklamimi ne tre gazetat me Anila Vendresha ORTmoney 4 Prill - 30 Prill te shitura ne Shqiperi .. 6. Regjistrimi i dosjeve te CV 4 Prill - 20 Maj 1998 .. 7. Pergatitja e listes se kandidateve Komiteti i Rekrutimit + ORT 20 Maj 1998 8. Seleksionimi i pare Komiteti i Rekrutimit + ORT 21 - 30 Maj 1998 ne baze te dokumentacionit te ill dorezuar .. 9. Intervistat Komiteti i Rekrutimit + ORT 1 - 7 Qershor 1998 10. Pergatitja e listes me Ilje Komiteti i Rekrutimit + ORT 10 Qershor 1998 III numer te kufizuar te kandidateve per postin e Drejtorit Ekzekutiv ill 11. Zgjedhja e Drejtorit Ekzekutiv Bordi i Drejtoreve 12 Qershor 1998
Sizenim: .. Njoftimi ne gazete duhet te shprehe faktin qe gjate gjithe proyesit te aplikimit do te ruhet konfidencialitet i plote. iii - 3 iii 37 OB]EKTIVI NR 2: ZG]EDH]A E DRE]TORIT TE TRA]NIMIT DHE TRA]NUESVE
HAPAT PERG]EG]ES BURIMET E AFATET KOHORE .... NEVO]SHME
l. Percaktimi i kritereve Bordi i Drejtoreve 21 - 29 Mars 1998 ... per Drejtorin e Trajnimit dhe Trajnuesit
2. Perckatimi i detyrave Bordi i Drejtoreve 21- 29 Mars 1998 dhe pergjegjesive te DT dhe Trajnuesve ....
3. Percaktimi i pagave per Bordi i Drejtoreve 21-29 Mars 1998 DT dhe Trajnuesit
4. Zgjedhja e Komitetit te Bordi i Drejtoreve 21 - 29 Mars 1998 Rekrutimit te Personelit
5. Pergatiga e Ofertes se Anila Vendresha IS - 30 Pri111998 Punesimit per DT dhe Trajnuesit
6. Reklamimi ne gazetat me Anila Vendresha ORTmoney 30 Prill- 30 Maj 1998 ... te shitura ne Shqiperi
7. Regjistrimi i dosjeve te CV 30 Maj - 15 Qershor .. 1998
8. Pergatiga e !istes se 15 Qershor 1998 kandidateve per DT dhe Trajnues
9. Seleksionimi i pare ne baze Drejtori Ekzekutiv 15 - 22 Qershor 1998 te dokumentacionit te dorezuar
10. Intervistat Komiteti i Intervistimit 22 - 29 Qershor 1998 + Drejtori Ekzekutiv (Ky Komitet zgjidhet nga DE)
II. Zgjedhja e kandidateve Drejtori Ekzekutiv 5 - 20 Korrik 1998
12. Miratimi i ketyre kandidateve Bordi i Drejtoreve 22 Korrik 1998 per Drejtorin e Trajnimit dhe te Trajnuesve te Qendres
Sltenim: Njoftimi ne gazete duhet te shprehe faktin qe gjate gjithe proyesit te ap!ikimit do te ruhet konfidencialitet i plote
4
.... PLANI STRATEG)IK PER MARREDHENIET PUBLIKE DHE IMAZHIN PUBLIK QENDRA BURIMORE KOMBErARE E TRAJNIMIT DHE ASISTENCES TEKNIKE PER OJQte /til OBJEKTIVI NR 1: FUSHATE NE STACIONET RADIO-TELEVIZIVE QENDRORE E LOKALE NE TIRANE, SHKODER, GJIROKASTER, KORC;:E DHE AGJENSITE ATA, /til ENTER (LAJME DHE PROGRAM)
HAPAT PERGJEGJES BURIMET AFATET KOHORE /til E NEVOJSHME
I. Hartimi i lajmit dhe Ardian Murraj Lori Jenkins Deri ne 10 Prill 1998 ... transmetimi ne RTV . Ylli ~abiri Regjistrimi i video kasetes Eduard Prodani Alfred KOyollari /til 2. Transmetimi i njoftimit Diana Djaloshi Andrea Stefani Deri ne 20 Prill 1998 ne Radiot dhe Stacionet Ardian Murraj Ardian Murraj Televizive lokale: Gjirokaster, Shkelqim Drayini Korye dhe Shkoder Arjan Ligu - Arben Kondili iIiII Andrea Stefani
3. Program ne Radio dhe TVSH Ardian Murraj Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve Deri ne 30 Prill 1998 per 30 - 40 minuta 2 - 3 gazetare Kalia Musha • nga Radio dhe TVSH (duhet diskutuar ne Bord)
5 - OBJEKTIVI NR 2: ARTIKUJ NE GAZETAT "KOHA ..lONE", "GAZETA SHQIPTARE", . "ALBANIA", "REPUBLIKA", "ZERI ..1 POPULLIT", "RILINDJA ..... DEMOKRATIKE", liD ITA E GJIROKASTRES", "GAZETA 2000" SI DHE REVISTAT "BLIC" DHE "KLAN"
HAPAT PERGJEGJES BURIMET AFATET KOHORE E NEVOJSHME .... Pergatitja e artikujve dhe Andrea Stefani Alfred K09011ari 20 Prill 1998 botimi i tyre ne shtyp: Arjan Ligu Ylli <;abiri Gazeta dhe Revista Eduard Prodani
OBJEKTIVI NR 3: PERGATI1]A E FLETEPALOSJES
HAPAT PERGJEGJES BURIMET AFATET KOHORE ... E NEVOJSHME
Pergatitja e fletepalosjes Andrea Stefani ORT 1 Korrik 1998 .... Konsulent te ORTse Anila Vendresha Shpenzime per fotot dhe Shtypshkronjen
~
OBJEKTIVI NR 4: HAPJA E NJE ZYRE INFORMACION I DHE BASHKEPUNIMI ME . MEDIAN \oj
HAPAT PERGJEGJES BURIMET NJEREZORE AFATET KOHORE
Hapja e nje zyre informacioni Qendra Pajisje per zyren dhe personelin 1 Korrik 12998 dhe bashkepunimi me Median ne dispozicion per dhenie informacioni prane Qendres Burimore te dhe bashkepunimi me median Trajnimit dhe Asistences Teknike per OJQte
6 iii
OBjEKTIVI NR 5: KONFERENcE SHTYPI PER STRATEGjlNE E DeMeTras
HAPAT PERGjEGjES BURIMET AFATET KOHORE E NEVOjSHME .. Konference shtypi rreth Kryetari i Bordit Shpenzime per sallen e konferences 1 Korrik 1998 strategjise dhe objektivave te Drejtori Ekzekutiv dhe publikimin Qendres Burimore Kombetare .. te Trajnimit dhe Asistences Teknike per OJQte DeMeTra
iii OBjEKTIVI NR 6: PROPOGANDIMI I DeMeTras NE INTERNET
HAPAT PERGjEGjES BURIMET AFATET KOHORE .. E NEVOjSHME
Propogandimi i DeMeTras DeMeTra Shpenzime te ndryshme 1 Korrik 1998 l1li ne Internet
7 PLANI STRATEGJIK PER NDERTIMIN E MARREDHENIEVE ME QEVERINE QENDRA BURIMORE KOMBErARE E TRAJNIMIT DHE ASISTENCES TEKNIKE PER OJQtii OBJEKTIVI NR 1: PERMIRESIMI I MARREDHENIEVE ME QEVERINE ... HAPAT PERGJEGJES BURIMET AFATET KOHORE E NEVOJSHME
I. Vleresimi i nevojave per Drejtori Ekzekutiv Tre muaj gjithsej, trajnim ne administraten Drejtori i Trajnimit puna fillon pas zgjedhjes,,", pub like, qendrore dhe lokale: Lori Jenkins seDE dheDT
- hartimi i planit/projektit Dy jave - gjetja dhe kontraktimi per AT Njemuaj - zbatimi i projektit Nje muaj e gjysem
2. Takime me zyrtare ky9 te Drejtori Ekzekutiv Ne nje periudhe prej institucioneve qendrore dhe lokale: Lori Jenkins kater muajsh, duke nisur - ministra ky9 (afersisht 5) nga 1Gusht-30 Nentor ... 1998 - titullare te pushtetit lokal (10) [prezantimi i DeMeTras, planeve per trajnimin e administrates, ndihma dhe bashkepunimi per vleresimin e nevojave per trajnim dhe zbatimin e projektit]
3. Pergatitja e trajnuesve qe Drejtori i Trajnimit 16 Gusht-30 Nentor • 1998 do te bejne kualifikimin e Lori Jenkins administrates pub like qendrore e lokale: - percaktimi i temave (fushave) 16 Gusht-1 Shatator I. 1998 te trajnimit - perzgjedhja Shtator-16 Shtator W 1998 - trajnimi 16 Shtator-30 Nentor 1998
4. Hartimi i nje plani trajnimi Drejtori i Trajnimit 1 Tetor - 30 Nentor 1998 -kategorite perfituese (target) Lori Jenkins -shpemdarja gjeografike -afatet kohore -percaktimi i burimeve
5. Shpemdarja e Buletinit til DeMeTras Drejtori Ekzekutiv 1 Shtator - 30 Nentor • 1998 Slti!nim:Data e fillimitte zbatimitte planit te percaktuar perkon me daten e fillimitte punes se Drejtorit Ekzekutiv te DeMeTras. 8 - ORT ALBANIA DEMOCRACY NE1WORK PROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report Januarv - March 1998
...
Annex 4:
Job Descriptions for DeMeTra Executive Staff Employment Announcement
The National Albanian NGO Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center located in Tirana is presently recruiting an Executive Director. Applicants must meet the following criteria: .. 'University graduate 'A minimum of five (5) years employment experience
'Experience in recruitment and management of a large, diverse staff
'Experience in management of development projects and initiatives
'Knowledge of the Albanian NGO community and in working with intemational organizations & donors
'Experience in, and ability to communicate & collaborate between sectors, especially non-govemment, govemment, media, and business
'Excellent written and verbal fluency in English and Albanian (Additional foreign language skills will be beneficial); Skilled and experienced in use of various computer software programs.
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL I PERSONAL SKILLS REQUIRED: Proven team leader; Dynamic personality; Experience and interest in working with different social classes in Albania and with foreigners; Desire and dedication to extend oneself to limits required to accomplish implementation and administration of an extensive, national, long-term strategy; Flexible schedule and interest in frequent travel, both within Albania and abroad.
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE PREFERRED: Experience in proposal development and procurement of donor funds; Experience in administration of training programs or training organization; Completion of professional training programs/courses.
This position will require implementation and administration of all programs and policies and procedures defined by the 20-member, independent Board of Directors of the national training and development organization. The Executive Director will manage an initial staff of 25 persons and be accountable to and report to the Board of Directors on a regular basis.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter with a detailed curriculum vitae (cv) and a minimum of three (3) reference letters in a SEALED envelope to the following address:
Attn: Personnel Recruitment Committee National Albanian NGO Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center Rruga Mustafa Matohiti, #16 1st Floor Tirana, ALBANIA
NOTE: In order to maintain strict confidentiality and equal opportunity throughout the recruitment process, applicants MUST NOT place their names on the SEALED envelope. Applications will be reviewed by the Personnel Recruitment Committee.
Deadline for receipt of applications: May 20, 1998
Preliminary selection of priority applicants being considered, based on submitted documents, will take place from May 20-30, 1998. These applicants will be contacted for interviews with the Personnel Recruitment Committee, which will take place from June 1-7, 1998.
Expected starting date for employment position: Mid June, 1998 NOTE: Competitive salary will be based on employment experience and history Kriteret per perzgjedhjen e Drejtorit Ekzekutiv Qendra Burimore Kombetare e Trajnimit dhe Asistences Teknike per OJQte DeMeTra
Pervoja: Te kete te pakten pese vjet pune Te kete eksperience ne drejtimin e nje personeli ose stafi te gjere Te kete pervoje ne administrimin e projekteve te zhvillirnit Te kete pervoje ne punen me OJQte
Preferohen: A: te kete njohuri per organizatat nderkombetare dhe donatore te ndryshem ... B: te kete punuar me organizata trajnimi dhe te kete pervoje ne trajnim
Arsimi: Te kete arsim te larte universitar
Aftesite profesionale: Te njohe mire gjuhen angleze Te njohe edhe je gjuhe tjeter e cila do te konsiderohet si avantazh Te perdore kompjuterin si dhe Te kete marce pjese ne kurse trajnimi te ndryshme
Aftesite personale: Te jete drejtues i provuar ekipi Te kete aftesi ne komunikim dhe pe te njohur personalitetet e te tjereve Te jete kreativ dhe energjik Te dije te shprehe rrjedhshem mendimet me shkrim dhe me goje Te kete pervoje te suksesshme komunikimi me nivele te ndryshme shoqerore brenda vendit dhe me te huajt Te jete i gatshem per te udhetuar ne zona te veshtira te vendit dhe te punoje me ore te zgjatura
Vartesia: Drejtori Ekzekutiv emerohet dhe shkarkohet nga Bordi dhe raporton per gjiths:ka periodikisht dhe sa here qe e kerkon Bordi i pavarur i Drejtoreve i perbere nga 20 persona.
Permbledhja e punes: 1. Zbaton politikat per administrimin e programit dhe sherbimeve ne harmoni me qellimin e organizates 2. Organizon dhe kontrollon punen e nje organizate trajnimi me nje personel te pakten prej 25 vetesh
3. Harton program in e pergjithshem te menaxhimitte organizates dhe e paraqet per miratim para Bordit
Ui, ' 4. Eshte nje nga perfaqesuesit e organizates ne marredheniet me donatoret, median, qeverine, biznesin dhe publikun 5. Eshte pergjegjes per zbatimin rigoroz te Rregullores, Proyedurave Financiare dhe politikave te tjera te miratuara nga Bordi i Drejtoreve dhe legjislacionit shqiptar ne fuqi 6. Puneson personelin ne perputhje me strukturen dhe kriteret e miratuara nga Bordi i Drejtoreve • Kriteret per perzgjedhjen e Drejtorit te Trajnimit Qendra Burimore Kombetare e Trajnimit dhe Asistences Teknike per OJQte DeMeTra
Pervoja: Te kete te pakten 5 vjet ptUle Te kete pervoje ptUle te pakten ne trajnim ne nje nga fushat respektive Te kete pervoje ne menaxhim Te kete pervoje ne mesimdhenie dhe preferohet pervoje ne trajnim
Arsimi: Te kete arsim te larte universitar ne nje nga deget qe kane te bejne me fushat e trajnimit. Arsimi pasuniversitar perben avantazh.
Aftesite profesionale: Te njohe mire gjuhen angleze. Njohja edhe e nje gjuhe tjeter perben avantazh. Te kete njohuri·dhe aftesi ne perdorimin e kompjuterit Trajnimi jashte kufijve perben avantazh Nje titull shkencor perben avantazh
Aftesite personale: Te dije te punoje ne ekip dhe te dije te drejtoje ptUlen ne ekip Te jete kominikues dhe njohes i personalitetit te te tjereve Te kete aftesi didaktike Te jete i gatshem per te udhetuar ne zona te veshtira te vendit dhe per te ptUluar me orare te zgjatura
Vartesia: Drejtori i Trajnimit varet nga Drejtori Ekzekutiv dhe i raporton atij periodikisht, si dhe Bordit te Drejtoreve, kur Icy i fundit e sheh te nevojshme Drejtori i Trajnimit ka ne vartesi te drejtperdrejte nje personel prej 20 trajnuesish.
Permbledhje e punes: Harton programet e trajnimit ne baze te strategjise dhe objektivave imediate te percaktuara nga Bordi i Drejtoreve. Organizon dhe kontrollon punen e trajnuesve Organizon dhe drejton pros:esin e kualifikimit te trajnuesve Identifikon dhe i sugjeron Drejtorit Ekzekutiv dhe Bordit te Drejtoreve, permiresime ne projektet ekzistuese qe jane ne zbatim e siper, si dhe projekte te reja. Ne mtUlgese te Drejtorit Ekzekutiv merr te gjitha atributet e tij me delegjimin e nje detyre te tille nga Bordi i Drejtoreve. ORT ALBANIA DEMOCRACY NElWORK PROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report January - March 1998
Annex 5:
Bylaws for DeMeTra Board of Directors and Elected Officers Rregullore e Brendshme e Bordit te Drejtoreve
Qendra Burimore Kombetare e Trajnimit dhe Asistences Teknike .. per OJQte Shqiptare C;:eshtje te pergjithshme til Rregullores se Brendshme
1. Emri zyrtar:
Qendra Burimore Kombetare e Trajnimit dhe Asistences Teknike per Organizatat Jo qeveritare Shqiptare
2. Vendndodhja:
Qendra Burimore Kombetare e Trajnimit dhe Asistences Teknike per Organizatat Jo qeveritare Shqiptare Rruga Mustafa Matohiti Nr 16 Tirane, Shqiperi
3. Misioni:
Organizata ka per qellim te ofroje trajnim dhe asistence teknike organizatave jo-qeveritare shqiptare per ristrukturimin, zhvillimin dhe qendrushmerine e tyre.
4.
Organizata eshte jo-fitimprurese dhe nuk ka qellime po1itike. Te gjitha te ardhurat e perftuara si rezultat i ofrimit te sherbimeve te saj, do te perdoren per zhvillimin e aktiviteteve ne funksion te misionit te organizates.
5.
Amendamentet ne kete Rregullore te Brendshme behen me propozimin e jo me pak se tre anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve dhe aprovohen me te pakten e 2/3 te numrit te pergjithshem te anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve. Me perjashtim te vitit te pare, rishikimi i Rregullores se Brendshme te Bordit do te behet nje here ne vito
6.
Organizata shkrihet ne rastet e meposhteme:
1 a. Kur Bordi gjykon dhe vendos se eshte perrnbushur misioni per te cilin organizata eshte krijuar; b. Kur Bordi gjykon se organizata nuk eshte ne gjendje te kryeje aktivitetin e saj; c. Kur Gjykata kompetente vendos per nje gje te tille.
7.
Me shkriIjen e organizates, Bordi i Drejtoreve vendos per likuidimin apo kalimin e kapitaleve .... 115 organizates sip as ligjit shqiptar ne fuqi, ne rast se kontrata e nenshkruar me donatorin nuk e parashikon ndryshe. .... BORD) ) DREJTOREVE
Nr i Drejtoreve
Bordi i Drejtoreve te organizates se DeMeTras perbehet nga 20 vete.
Te gjithe te zgjedhurit e Bordit duhet te jene anetare te Bordit.
Cilesite per anetaresim
Anetaret e Bordit duhet te perzgjidhen duke synuar qe ne te te perfaqesohen sa me mire kategorite moshore, te gjinise, profesionet apo shpemdruja gjeografike.
Ne Bord duhet te kete nje minimum prej 5 anetaresh qe jetojne ne rrethe te ndryshme te vendit jashte Tiranes.
Bordi duhet te kete anetare me pervoje te pasur ne sfera te ndryshme te jetes sociale, ku DeMeTra planezon te kontriboje.
Ne Bordin e Drejtoreve duhet te kete te pakten nje ekspert ne fushen ligjore, nje financier, dy perfaqesues nga qeveria (qeveria lokale dhe qendrore), nje gazetar dhe nje biznesmen.
Asnje anetar i Bordit te Drejtoreve nuk lejohet te aplikoje prane tij me cilesine e drejtuesit te nje OJQje tjeter.
Ne perzgjedhjen e anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve nuk lejohet diskriminim me baze gjinie, perkatesie politike dhe fetare, racore dhe i "do natyre tjeter.
Kushtet e Detyres dhe Mandatet Kohore
Mandati i pare i anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve eshte 18 muaj. 2 - Mandatet pasardhese te anetareve te Bordit zgjasin 1 vit.
Pas tre vjet veprimtarie, Bordi i Drejtoreve do te rishikoje Rregulloren e Brendshrne per te bere te mundur rinovimin e anetaresise se tij ne perputhje me kushtet konkrete.
Vendet Bosh
Ne rast doreheqje, anetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve duhet te njoftoje Bordin te pakten 1 muaj me pare.
Anetaret e Bordit te Drejtoreve propozojne per kandidatura te mundshrne zevendesues ne fushen qe mbulonte anetari i larguar. ... Edhe anetari qe largohet gezon te drejten e propozirnit te nje kandidati . Bordi i Drejtoreve gjykon dhe aprovon anetarin e ri me 2/3 te nurnrit te pergjithshem te anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve, pasi ka marre edhe pelqirnin e tij.
Mbledhjet
Mbledhjet e rregullta te Bordit te Drejtoreve mbahen nje here ne muaj. Bordi i Drejtoreve zhvillon edhe mbledhje te jashtezakonshrne qe mund te thirren vetem nga:Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve, Zevendes Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve, ose nje grup jo me pak se 5 anetare te Bordit te Drejtoreve.
Mbledhjet per zgjedhjen e Kryetarit te Bordit te Drejtoreve, per rniratirnin e buxhetit, te planeve dhe raporteve vjetore dhe per zgjedhjen e komiteteve te perhershrne, zhvillohen me pjesemanjen e te pakten 80% te nurnrit te pergjithshem te anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve.
Vendimet jane te vlefshrne neqoftese per te kane votuar te pakten 2/3 e anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve.
Mbledhjet e zakonshrne mbahen kur jane te pranishem me shurne se 50% e anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve dhe votirni eshte i vlefshem me 50+ 1 te votave te anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve.
Komitetet e perhershem
Bordi i Drejtoreve zgjedh keto komitete te perhershem:
Komitetin e manaxhimit financiar, komitetin e revizionirnit, kornitetin e rekrutirnit te personelit, komitetin e marredhenieve pub like, kornitetin e Rregullores se Brendshrne/politikav edhe proyedurave, si dhe kornitete te tjera, qe mund te krijohen sipas .. nevojes.
Pershkrimi dhe kompetencat e komiteteve te perhershem:
Komitetet e perhershem jane te perbere prej anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve, te zgjedhur nga vete Bordi i Drejtoreve.
Keto komitete mund te mblidhen sa here shihet e nevojshme midis dy mbledhjeve te Bordit te Drejtoreve per te punuar mbi .,:eshtje te fushes se tyre. ....
Komitetet e perhershem formulojne projekt vendime ne fushatrespektive pert'ja parashtruar Bordit te Drejtoreve per miratim. Komitetet bejne oponencen e materialeve te paraqitura para .... Bordit te Drejtoreve nga Drejtori Ekzekutiv.
Komitetet ndjekin zbatimin ne fushat e tyre te vendimeve te Bordit te Drejtoreve dhe i raportojne Bordit.
Proc;edurat e Mbledhjeve
Nese nje anetar i Bordit te Drejtoreve ka munguar ne 30% te mbledhjeve vjetore te Bordit te Drejtoreve, kjo konsiderohet automatikisht si doreheqje e tij dhe Bordi i Drejtoreve nis progedurat e zevendesimit te tij.
Ne fund te 9dO mbledhje te Bordit te Drejtoreve percaktohet data dhe rendi paraprak i dites per mbledhjen e ardhshme.
Per ndryshimet e mundshme, Kryetari ose Sekretari i Bordit njoftojne nje jave me pare.
Kryetari i Bordit ka te drejte te shtoje pika te tjera ne rendin e dites sipas gjykimit te tij, ose propozimeve te Drejtorit Ekzekutiv.
Anetaret e Bordit te Drejtoreve duhet te disponojne materialin e mbledhjes 1 jave para mbledhjes. Bordi i Drejtoreve cakton kufijte kohore per diskutim ne varesi te geshtjes ne shqyrtim.
Votimet kryhen te hapura perve9 rasteve te zgjedhjes se drejtuesve te Bordit, Drejtorit Ekzekutiv, ose per raste kur kjo gjykohet e nevojshme ngashumicae anetareve te pranishem.
Ie gjitha diskutimet ne mbledhjet e Bordit te Drejtoreve jane konfidenciale.
Ne te gjitha mbledhjet e Bordit, mbajtja e proges verbalit eshte e detyrueshme. Proges
4 .... verbalet mbahen prej nje anetari te Bordit sipas nje radhe te caktuar. Keto pro<;:es verbale arkivohen.
<;do anetar i Bordit te Drejtoreve, qe nuk ka mundesi te marre pjese ne nje mhledhje, do t'i shprehe me shkrim Kryetarit ose Sekretarit te Bordit, aresyen e mungeses. Mungesa e justifikuar dhe e shoqeruar me prononcimin me shkrim prej personit ne fjale, ne lidhje me ... <;:eshtjet e rendit te dites, konsiderohet si prezence ne mbledhje .
Kompensimet
Anetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve gezon te drejten e kompensirnit per shpenzimet e udhetirnit, te fjetjes dhe ushqimit ne rastin kur leviz nga vendi i hanimit (brenda ose jashte vendit), per interes te organizates dhe per zhatirnin e programeve te saj.
Organizata paguan shpenzimet gjyqesore nese anetaret e Bordit te Drejtoreve perfshihen ne nje pro Shiinim: Kuotat e kompensimeve te mesiperme (pika I) fiksohen ne Rregulloren e Brendshme financiare. TE ZGJEDHURIT DHE KUSHTET E ZGJEDHJES Perte bere te mundur funksionimin normal dhe kryerjen e detyrave qe i caktohen me kete Rregullore, Bordi i Drejtoreve zgjedh dhe ngarkon me detyra nje Kryetar te Bordit te Drejtoreve, nje Zevendes iii! Kryetar dhe nje Trezorier. Kryetari dhe Zevendes Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve duhet til plotesojne keto kushte: • te jete anetar i Bordit te Drejtoreve • te mos jete i angazhuar ne aktivitete politike • te jete i dedikuar ndaj qellirnit per zhvillimin e OJQve ne Shqiperi Trezorieri i Bordit til Drejtoreve duhet til plotesojil keto kushte: • te jete anetar i Bordit te Drejtoreve • te jete me profesion ekonornist DETYRAT E TE ZGJEDHURVE 5 '-i4, , Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve ka keto detyra kryesore: • Therret dhe drejton mbledhjet e Bordit te Drejtoreve • Fton dhe autorizon per pjesemanje ne mbledhjet e Bordit te Drejtoreve personal qe nukjane anetare ... • Perfaqeson ligjerisht dhe publikisht organizaten • Nenshkruan marreveshje te rendesishme te miratuara nga Bordi i Drejtoreve • Therret ne raport, kur e sheh te aresyeshme, Drejtorin Ekzekutiv te organizates • Delegon te drejten e perfaqesimit publik dhe ligjor te organizates Zevendes Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve ka keto detyra kryesore: - • Therret dhe drejton ne mungese te Kryetarit te Bordit te Drejtoreve, mbledhjet e Bordit te Drejtoreve • Kryen detyrat qe i delegohen nga Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve Trezorieri i Bordit te Drejtoreve ka keto detyra kryesore: • I propozon Komitetit te Revizionimit thirrjen ne raport te Drejtorit Ekzekutiv per s:eshtjet e thesarit • Paraqet ne Bordin e Drejtoreve raportin dhe konkluzionet e kontrolleve dhe raporteve financiare te kryera • Njeh dhe raporton ne Bordin e Drejtoreve ne s:do moment gjendjen financiare te thesarit Pro~edurat e Zgjedhjes Kryetari zgjidhet nga mbledhja e Bordit te Drejtoreve me pjesemanjen te pakten 75% te anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve. Zgjedhja behet nder te pakten dy kandidatura te propozuara nga anetaret e Bordit. Kandidatura fituese eshte ajo qe merrte pakten dy te tretat e votave te pjesemarresve, dhe kur nje gje e tille nuk sigurohet, votohet per dy kandidaturat qe kane marre nurnrin me te madh te votave. Zgjedhja behet me votim te fshehte. Zevendes Kryetari zgjidhet ne menyre te ves:ante dhe me pros:edura te njejta si Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve. Trezorieri zgjidhet nga mbledhja e zakonshme e Bordit te Drejtoreve me votim te hapur. Kryetari, Zevendes Kryetari dhe Trezorieri zgjidhen per nje mandat nje vjes:ar. Nje person nuk mund te zgjidhet me shume se tre here radhazi Kryetar dhe dy here radhazi Zevendes Kryetar i Bordit te Drejtoreve. Drejtori Ekzekutiv nuk mund te jete anetar i Bordit te Drejtoreve dhe ka detyrat dhe te drejtat qe i jepen ne kete Rregullore. 6 Kryetari dhe Zevendes Kryetari i Bordit te Drejtoreve sbkarkohen para perfundimit te mandatit ne rastet kur: + vdes, jep doreheqjen ose kryen nje veper penale te faktuar me vendim gjykate + nenvlefteson ne menyre te perseritur dhe kembengulese detyrat e tij + kryen veprirotari dhe merr funksione qe nuk perputhen me detyrat dhe cilesite e tij + vendimi per shkarkimin e Kryetarit dhe Zevendes Kryetarit merret nga mbledhja e Bordit te Drejtoreve dhe eshte i vlefshem kur per te kane votuar te pakten dy te tretat e anetareve te Bordit te Drejtoreve. "'" Trezorieri shkarkohet para perfundimit te mandatit vetem ne rastet kur: + vdes, jep doreheqjen ose kryen nje veper penale te faktuar me vendim gjykate + nenvlefteson ne menyre te perseritur dhe kembengulese detyrat e tij + kryen shkelje ku faktohet transaksioni i paligjshem (neglizhence dhe detyre e gabuar) <;ESHTJET FINAN ClARE Bordi i Drejtoreve miraton buxhetin e paraqitur nga Drejtori Ekzekutiv, si dhe te gjitha transaksionet financiare te paparashikuara ne buxhet. Korniteti i Revizionirnit i cili zgjidhetngaBordi me propozim dhe votim te hapur, te ciletjane anetare te Bordit te Drejtoreve, therret ne raport Drejtorin Ekzekutiv per geshtje financiare. 7 iii ORT ALBA.'IIA DEMOCRACY NETWORK PROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report January - March 1998 ... Annex 6: DeMeTra Executive Board Committees and Chairpersons 1. Alfred Kocollari (Chairperson) 2. Eduard Prodani 3. Arben Kondili 4. Albana Dhirnitri 5. Viron Hamzaj 6. Ardian Murraj IIiiii BOARD COMMITTEE FOR NGO LAW 1. Fatos LuIo (Chairperson) 2. Andrea Stefani 3. Eduard Prodani 4. Alfred Kocollari 5. LidaKita 6. Dhirniter Kekezi ... The Albanian National Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center - DeMeTra Officers and Committees of the Board of Directors ELECTED OFFICERS: Chairperson of the Board of Directors: Mr. Genci Juka Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Directors Mr. Arjan Ligu Treasurer of the Board of Directors Ms. Albana Dhirnitri Secretary of the Board of Directors Ms. Zana Konini BOARD COMMITTEE ON STATUTE, BY-LAWS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: iii 1. Fatso Lulo (Chairperson) 2. Eduard Prodani (Vice-chairperson) ~ !iii .J. Alfred Kocollari 4. Viron Harnzaj 5. YUi Cabiri 6. Lida Kita 7. Shkelqirn Dracini .. 8. Albana Dhimitri BOARD COMMITTEE FOR PERSONNEL RECRUITMENT 1. Diana Djaloshi (Chairperson) 2. Zana Konini 3. YUi Cabiri 4. Anila Shehu 5. LidaKita BOARD COMMITTEE ON FUNDRAISING 1. Ylli Cabiri (Chairperson) 2. Viron Hamzaj 3. Luljeta Minxhozi 4. Albana Dhimitri 5. Alfred KocoUari 6. Arben Kondili BOARD COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT RELATIONS l1li ORT ALBANIA DEMOCRACY NEnVORK PROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report January - March 1998 Annex 7: Focused Discussion Groups on Legislative Powers Report to the Parliamentary Commission FOCUSED DISCUSSION GROUP No.1 ON LEGISLATIVE ISSUES SUGGESTIONS FROM THE FOCUSED DISCUSSION GROUP ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RAISED AT THE NGO FORUM HELD ON ii/lARCH 19, 1998' I. Structure ofthe Parliament - One or Two Chambers? Participants discussed the structure of the Parliament and whether a bicameral or a unicameral Parliament would be more appropriate. In particular, the discussion included a broad overview of the merits and limitations of bicameralism. • Arguments infavour ofbicameralism suggested were: Allowsfor more comprehensive representation and provides elements which are not present in the unicameral system because the governement (executive branch) can be helped and supported by a second chamber; bicameralism assures more sustainibility, especially in a country which goes through rapid changes; it assures better legislative work and can be considered as an implementation ofthe separation ofpowers idea inside the parliament by providing guarantees to avoid legislative despotism -- such as may be the case when the government (executive) has little power toward a unicameral assembly. • Arguments against bicameralism suggested were: The necessity ofthe unitGlY character -representation should have as characteristic the peoples' sovereignty velY simply demonstrated and implemented through a single assembly; the risk ofcomplicating more the relationship between the parliament and the government; increased difficulty in the resolution ofconflicts that might arise between two chambers; in modern democracies, bicameralism is not to favored because it can create wholly contradictory political groupings, e.g., you might have a conservative upper house and liberal lower house; or alternatively they could be exactly the same and duplicative; bicameralism is a characteristic ofa federal state and not necessary for a unitary state. • One participant expressed concern that a bicameral parliament might slow down the democratization process and negatively affect the country during its dynamic transition and swift phases ofsocietal evolution; the participant feared that defining the authorities ofeach chamber would take a lot oftime and that consensus would most likely not be reached on the issue. For this reason, the participant supported maintaining the current unicameral structure. I Sponsored by the ORT I USAID Democracy Network Program, The Center for Economic and Social Studies. The Foundation for Juridical Culture, and the University of TIrana Law Faculty. Organizational Assistance Provided by ACCAPP. 1 II. Number, Composition, and Internal Organization of the Parliament Participants spoke about the organization of Parliament, in particular the functioning and structure of its leadership (Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson(s» and the number of parliamentarians. Discussion focused also on the impact of internal migration on representation. It was stated that the country lacked the necessary tradition regarding the practical functions of a parliamentary structure. A participant noted foreign models which give a lot of authority and permanent responsibilities to the Speaker of Parliament. • It was suggested that the current leadership ofone Chairperson [SpeakerJ and two Vice Chairpersons in parliament was fonctional--although the positions should be paid at different pay scales. Another stated that the Chairperson's position should be clearly defined in the parliamentary regulations, so as to give the Chairman permanent duties within the powers granted to him/her. • In relation to the number ofdeputies, it was suggested that, as in other countries, the number ofrepresentatives should be based on criteria related to the number ofpersons living in a particular area. While at the same time, it was noted by a participant living outside the capital that population is shifting dramatically due to rapid urban migration and while a deputy may start with a mandate from a certain defined population, by the end ofhis term, he may not represent the same number ofelectors and the same type of constituent issues. Another problem raised was the alienation ofconstituents by their deputy once the deputy is provided a home in Tirana. III. Definition of Legislative Terms NGO participants raised the issue of defining legislative terms for members of parliament and the I.o.i parliament in general. Participants noted that recent parliamentary elections were premature and thus serve as examples of shortened legislative terms. Furthermore, participants did not generally support the use of such mechanisms on a routine basis. • PartiCipants argued that shorter terms had a negative impact for the following reasons: the costs ofelections on the state and political party budgets; and the effect ofnew elections on the stability ofthe nation, the ability ofpolicymakers to realize commitments, and the normal daily life of citizens. However, one participant pointed out that tension is not created by legislative terms, but by political parties whose maturity is still at an infantile stage. • It was suggested that maintaining the current four-year legislature was in line with foreign examples and the experience ofstable democracies, and that it would provide the 2 stability to develop policies and a more sophisticated class ofpoliticians. However, a couple ofparticipants noted that shorter terms could be employed and that political turnover can have beneficial effects. With regard to whether there should exist in the Constitution fixed dates as to when to call the newly elected parliament, participants discussed a couple of concerns. • One participant suggested that there should be a General Parliamentary Commission, and the right to "self-call" should be sanctioned to avoid confrontation in the form ofa veto by the heads ofstate--as in the past ofthe Republic. • Another person noted that there is a difference between the call ofthe legislature and the call ofthe session. The latter one is fixed, and there should be foreseen a time limit by which the parliament must issue a "self-call. " IV. Creation of Technical Commissions in Parliament Participants discussed the parliamentary commission structures. Participants noted that commissions could be of both a permanent and temporary nature. • An NGO representative cited the needfor permanent technical commissions for issues such as agricultural, and the creation, as needed, ofprovisional commissions to address urgent needs in an area. • One participant noted that technical commissions must exist because each field has its own specialists. Another participant felt that the creation oftechnical commissions is not a constitutional issue, but rather a matter for the Regulations ofthe Parliament. One participant asserted that, as a rule. technical commissions. when created, exceed their powers. Thus, when created, their powers should be clearly defined. V. Compatibility of a Deputy's Mandate with the Post of Minister Participants addressed the issue of whether the mandate of a deputy was compatible with holding the post of minister. Some participants did not fmd the positions compatible because it reduces independence of separate powers and creates a conflict of interest for the individual government representative holding two positions. One participant supported the idea of holding both positions, stating that in a parliamentary republic there is not any conceptual incompatibility. • One constitutional expert cited examples ofdifferent countries, those accepting the two position system, e.g, Britain, and those finding dual positions incompatible, e.g. France. The same participant also noted that the two-position option was equally 3 accepted in both draft constitutions of1994--although prepared by two parties with opposing ideas. • Another participant added that it was imperative that the Constitution specifo a particular option and not leave it open to the political parties as it would be a critical point ofdebate. A singular position should"be included in the Constitution ifthe government is to be under thi! control ofthe parliament. • The difference in immunity for a minister and a deputy was noted, as well as the fact that one person cannot keep both. • A participant also raised the issue ofthe three-position status ofthe Prime Minister and that such positions are an extreme burden on one person, giving no chance for one to perform any ofthem well. • A participant also raised the fact that those members ofparliament directly elected by their constituents would be ignoring those votes if its mandate was abandoned. VI. The Right of Legislative Initiative Participants discussed at length the issue of how broad the legislative initiative should be. NGO representatives strongly supported the idea that the current subjects possessing the right of legislative initiative (one deputy of Parliament, the Council of Ministers, the President, and 20,000 voters) should be expanded to include the right ofNGOs to present laws to the Parliament. NGOs are a new reality in Albania society. They serve as mediators between the governors and their electorate in a functioning democracy, and participants discussed whether an NGO right to initiate legislation should be reflected in the Constitution. • Participants pointed out that the Constitution should sanction the right ofNO Os to be heard, and it might be sufficient to include details in the Regulations ofthe Parliamentary Commissions on the right ofNO Os to express their opinion and be heard when drafts are presented. • One participant raised that point that if an NOO has 20, 000 members, it should have legislative initiative; while others conceded that past experience showed that raising 20,000 signatures was an extremely hardjob, and NOOs should have an easier route to Parliament. • Others noted that the role ofNOOs should be promotional, and they should only playa lobbying role to persuade those with the right of initiative to introduce a draft law.. It was noted that a way for NOOs to more simply introduce their draft law is to get the support of one deputy. Thus, the right of initiative of one deputy should be preserved and 4 ...... would serve NGOs in raising policy alternatives. • An opposing argument given was the fear that each NGO might present a law to Parliament creating a chaotic situation; at the same time, the participant suggested limiting also the President's right of initiative. • Others supported maintaining the current rights oflegislative initiative. .., VII. Procedure for Drafting Laws and a Citizen's Right to Raise Matters in the Parliament This issue raised debate not only on the direct issue but also on how detailed the Constitution should be. Participants supported the right of citizens presenting a draft law to be heard, on two levels: 1) the constitutional right of the public to be heard; and 2) the right to be heard (meaning transparency in the parliament) deriving from the Regulations of Parliament. Others debated whether Albanians should be "constitutionalizing" the law - should all possible procedures oflaw be included in the Constitution. One person made the point that this issue should definitely resolved in the Constitution and that an appropriate place for the right of citizens to be heard would be in the chapter on Human Rights and Freedoms. It was also added that NGO participation should also be referred to with regard to a citizen's right to be heard. VIII. Organization and Proclamation of a Referendum The participants debated the need for the referendum, its status with regard to other laws, and criteria on which it should be used. Most participants agreed that referendums should only be used in resolving major issues and in the case of the Constitution. • Participants stated the Constitution should clearly define when, on what issues, and who has the right to call a reftrendum. Others stated that only reftrendum criteria. rather than a specification of issues. should be providedfor in the Constitution. • Some participants supported the need to give a referendum a priority role, and it's power to prevent parliament from supporting a law in contravention ofthe result ofa .. reftrendum should be defined. .. • Others suggested that a referendum should only play an advisory role, noting that referendums always contain the danger ofpopulism by politicians. In a parliamentary state. it was noted that the priority should go to the law and, the reftrendum comes afier, having a counseling character. For example. it can be used in an advisory role to address conflicts which arise, such as for the form ofregime addressed in June 1997. 5 • Participants also discussed the need to clearly define whether a referendum will have a mandatory or counseling effect, and who will put a referendum into legal effect, such as in the case when parliament takes the decision, its proclamation is made by the President. - ... IX. Approval and Amendment ofthe Constitution The participants discussed the procedure to adopt and amend the constitution. Many of the experts agreed that the current draft Constitution should pass from the Constitutional Commission to the Parliament and then to the referendum. • In order to increase longevity, participants discussed whether it should be approved in the subsequent parliament by a simple majority (50%+ 1). Participants expressed concern that the subsequent parliament may later try to narrow rights in the Constitution. Others feared the same and suggested it explicitly state that no changes toward narrowing rights should be made. • An NGO representative suggested that the Constitution should not be held as a hostage; the Party in power and the Opposition should sit down and discuss about some particular issues, otherwise, if no consensus is reached, it passes to referendum. It was agreed by another that other options should exist, giving possibility ofemploying public tests in case politicians do not find suitable solutions. X. Sovereignty Participants agreed that the issue of sovereignty was important with relation to Albania and its ratification of international treaties. Participants agreed that the Constitution should address the issue of whether to recognize the supremacy of international agreements and laws and the need to pass implementing legislation when required by international law. • Participants noted the importance of international legal obligations and the need to meet international standards ofdeveloped countries. One participant raised the issue of legislative vacuum--as in the case of the Constitutional Court operating without the proper law even though it is expressly required in the Constitution. The operation ofthe Council ofMinisters was also cited as not possessing a detailed law although contemplated in the Constitution. • A number ofrights enshrined in the Constitution are not treated in other legal acts. Participants noted that ifAlbania wants to adhere to conventions, it must not only sign the convention but also it must assure its proper implementation. 6 ..... FOCUSED DISCUSSION GROUP No.2 ON LEGISLATIVE ISSUES SUGGESTIONS FROM THE FOCUSED DISCUSSION GROuP ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RAISED AT THE NGO FORUM HELD ON MARCH 20, 19981 At this second Focused Discussion Group, the Participants were joined by four members of the Technical Staff of the Constitutional Commission of the Parliament and a Member of Parliament. With the added participants, discussion focused on more technical alternatives and supporting arguments. I. Form of Government Participants agreed that the form of government is a preliminary issue in the Constitution. Considering the current stage of the drafting, participants focused on whether Albania should have a parliamentary, presidential, or mixed republic, as opposed to a more preliminary question of whether Albania will be a republic or a monarchy. As one political representative pointed out, the latter issue has been tabled for now: the Constitutional Commission of the Parliament is already working on the basis of a republic. Decisions about the form of governance could have been decided through a referendum before starting the draft. A representative of the Technical Staff stated that although there was consensus on having a republic, there was still room for discussion on its limitations and form. • Participants debated the importance ofpeople deciding which form of government they want. Some argued that based on Albania's previous history that power should not be left to one persall. • One participant noted that it is important to pay more attention to election ofthe number one than defining his power. When powers are not defined, ways can be found to appropriate them. It was suggested that some items of the Constitution should pass to the referendum, and this might be one of them. Others disagreed that the issue should go to referendum as a referendum deals with more serious problems, and it was asserted that if the three forms of a republic are presented in a referendum, they may not be fully understood by the voters. I Sponsored by the ORT I USAID Democracy Network Program, The Center for Economic and Social Studies. The Foundation for Juridical Culture, and the University of Tirana Law Faculty. Organizational Assistance Provided by ACCAPP. I II. Position ofthe Parliament in the Division of Powers At the NGO Forum, NGOs raised the following questions: what should be the powers ofparliament, how should they be exercised, and how can the Constitution define the formulae to secure the independence of the various powers. Focused Discussion Group participants presented several options for distributing powers among the branches and avoiding dominance ofone branch over the rest. • One participant commented that the presidential system offered equal powers. It was also noted that, even when parliament has the supreme power, other tools can be used to balance the power, such as granting a lot oflaw making authority to the executive. • It was also noted that the electoral system itselfplays a role in the definition ofthe status of parliament. A parliament elected by a majority system acquires more power. It is proven by experience. The proportional system creates diversity in positions and does not allow any. party or branch to prevail. • Another expert reminded the others that, in general, Albania had never suffered from supremacy ofthe parliament. Instead, he pointed out that politics has always dominated Independence ofthe powers would depend on the system. In a parliamentary republic, the responsibility ofthe government is essential, and only in certain moments, the parliament is more superior. • Another person stated that the executive power should always maintain a certain independence from parliament. • Participants also debated the relation in powers between the judiciary and the legislature. It was noted that the relationship between the parliament andjudiciary may be considered new. The important consideration is that different powers should have enough authority to be protected from another. A partiCipant asked: consequently, what authority should an ordinary court have? What safety should the judiciary have in order to criticize the law? Should there be judges chosen by the criteria defined in the Constitution? • Another participant agreed that there should exist something/somebody to serve as an arbiter in the balance ofpowers and this should be specified in the Constitution. Several participants felt that although the three powers ought to be separate, controlling each other mutually, power should emanate from the people and that the body that takes it directly from the people is the parliament. 2 III. Authority to Define National Policies An issue raised by the NGOs concerned who should detennine national policies, and what role should the parliament have. The discussion addressed several key issues. First, participants discussed what is meant by the tenn "national policies" and other tenns such as "strategies" and "programs". They also discussed who should make these policies or at least have input into policy fonnulation. • Some participants defined national policies as a four-year governmental policy. Others defined it as policies dictated byparty platforms. Debate also ensued over the way in which party policies will be incorporated into a national "strategy. " It was asserted that the policy and strategy ofthe nation cannot be monopolized National policies must represent the interests ofthe general public. • One participant also suggested that national policies should involve a system ofreferendum Several participants suggested that there was a difference between government "programs" (lastingfour years) which are incorporated into the national policies and "strategies" which dealt with issues not resolvable infour years, e.g., privatization. One suggested that some body higher than government should set these "strategies." Others agreed that long-term strategies must be decided based on consensus, and government programs should be developed in balance with the strategy. One participant refUted the idea ofa higher body determining strategies, citing that there was no precedent for a higher policy setting body other than the government or a group ofdeputies. • NGO representatives stated that there should be an open discussion with NGOs on setting national policies. The importance and necessity ofpublic opinion should be considered when determining who sets the national policy. A trend to open the decision-making processes to NGOs was noted: the new parliamentary regulations allowfor NGO altendance at committee hearings and give NGOs the ability to present testimony on draft laws to the parliament. • One participant said that who determines the policies depends on what type ofpoliCies are being referred to--national or broader. For example, he suggested that defense policies should remain with the parliament due to its primary role in expressing sovereignty. Another expert added that if"national policies" means policiesfor particular problems, then the power to determine these policies belongs to the government and the parliament. IV. Who has the Competence to Call and Dissolve the Parliament and When? Who has the Power to Announce New Elections and 'Vhen? Participants detailed many options for convening and dissolving parliament. As for the first session of the parliament, there are different possibilities for convening parliament. For instance, the president or head of the state may be obligated to call parliament, within defmed time limits, after which the parliament may be convened by itself. Some participants supported the parliament 3 convening itself. • Participants recognized that early dissolution is the existing practice, and that, under current law, dissolution is done by the President with the counter-signature ofthe Prime Minister. In case the parliament has no necessary majority and is unable to create a government, then it is dissolved. One constitutional expert identified self-dissolution as the classic system. However, it was noted that there are situations when the dissolution ofthe parliament is opposed by members in self-dissolution cases, and there are examples where dissolution can then be made with 100,000 signatures. • Participants recommended that criteria concerning dissolution ofthe parliament be setforth in the constitution, leaving the question of when to dissolve parliament to a mechanical application ofrules. • Participants noted that the Constitution should determine how soon after dissolution a new electoral campaign should begin and not be left up to political opportunity. Others stated that the time period in which to run an electoral campaign should not be fir:ed by the Constitution as conditions are difficult and time limits are difficult when the mail does not evenfonction. V. The Right of Voters to Recall their Representative in Parliament. When, How and the Reasons the Voters Can Revoke the Mandate of a Deputy I NGOs considered this issue within the framework ofenlarging democracy. The relationship between constituency and deputy is established orterminated at the time ofthe election. Participants discussed whether it might be necessary to extend that relationship with the voters to the right to recall their representative. Participants listed possible reasons for revoking a mandate, including, failure to keep campaign promises or inappropriate moral behavior of the deputy towards his constituency. • Some participants strongly opposed the idea of revocation, citing it as an outdated institution which directly contradicted the principle o/representation. One expert stated that the practice ofrevocation has been abolished everywhere. From the time ofthe Lushnja and Zogu mandate and later with the drafts of the Constitution of 1991 and 199./, Albania abolished the concept. In Albania, during the times oftotalitarianism there were recorded flagrant cases of revocation, accompanied by terror against deputies. It is precisely with view to avoiding such situations, that in some countries it is absolutely forbidden for a deputy to sign a blank sheet ofpaper, which in case of political change, could be used ... against him to declare. for instance. his resignation. 4 /iii • Others noted that in order for Albanian society to change in a positive sense, it should conform to Europe. Thus, the parliament should be elected to assure stable governing ofthe country and not to establish a principle by which a deputy may be removed over minor things, such as whether he installed afountain in a town square, etc. • Other participants listed additional concerns on the ability ofremoving a deputy, such as in cases in which the deputy follows politicalparty positions and not that ofthe constituents. One example given was a political party ordering members to boycott parliament. One expert noted that there existed ways to deal with simple cases ofabsence. For example, in the Constitution ofthe Monarchy, it was sanctioned that if a member ofthe Parliament is simply absentfor a certain time, he could be considered to have resigned or been dismissed However, it would not apply with revocation or boycott. • Another participant pointed out that there was no need to talk about revocation because it is something ofthe past, and in cases ofparliamentary boycott, it is up to the politicalforce to evaluate its responsibility to its constituency. Thus, it is a political decision. • Participants addressing simple absenteeism noted there are two major factors involved: • Desire to be re-elected. which is always a permanent pressure (according to foreign practice, a deputy is re-elected by the same constituency); and • Pressure by deputies from his own political party, obliging him to be in permanent contact with his constituency, from which the Party itselfpolitically benefits. Within this framework, participants did not think that it was necessary for members to attend every session ofthe parliament. For instance, the mere fact that a member is not present while a draft law is discussed does not mean that he is not working. He might be with his own constituency. • Participants noted that several boycotts have taken place in recent years, and the issue needed to be resolved carefolly. One participant cautioned that it would be difficult to include a positive disposition in the Constitution for practical reasons: revocation would involve elections in the concerned constituency and political parties. Another participant supported the position that the Constitution could resolve these types ofproblems: for example, dismissal procedures could be triggered in cases where 20,000 constituent • signatures are collected to support dismissal. It was suggested that this might reduce boycotts in the future. Another expert pointed out that such a rule might create difficulties between members electedfrom districts and those selected at-large. In the latter case, it is difficult to identifY constituents who should have the authority to recall. • Another solution suggested was, as in some countries, to hold elections for the chamber of representatives every two years. • Another suggestion was to avoid constituent dissatisfaction with their representative by increasing voter information and awareness ofthe candidate during the election campaign. 5 Such information and awareness--accompanied with voter responsibility to obtain it-might increase selectivity ofvoters and create stronger supportfor the candidates finally elected • Another suggestion was that political parties nominate more than one candidate for each electoral campaign in a district. VI. Who AppointslElects the President and the Competence to Remove the President Participants commented that the election of the president follows from the form of the republic. In parliamentary republics, the president may be elected in parliament, as well as be dismissed in certain circumstances. In a presidential republic, a president may be elected directly from the people or an elected body. The issue becomes more serious in case ofa conflict between president and parliament when confronted with a "braccio diferro" [ "arm wrestling match" ], and the president may dissolve the parliament. • Many participants supported the current law in which the president is elected by the parliament for the following reasons: • Fewer popular elections reduces state expenses; • Direct elections could result in a lot ofelections being held at a given moment, and no elections some years because terms are differentfor president andparliament (5 and 4 years, respectively); • Direct elections by the people wouldfavor a populist politician for president, while deputies are better informed and more responsible in voting for a head ofstate. • Others opposed the current law and supported the concept ofpresidential election direct from the people for the following reasons: • Current trend globally is that the head ofthe state is elected by a wider electorate; in Italy, the process changed so that the president is elected by a joint meeting ofthe senate and lower chamber; • Full expression ofdemocracy leads to the election ofthe president by the people; • There is also a tendency towards semi-presidential states like France. VII. The Right of Veto Participants agreed that there was a need for the presidential veto, but they were concerned about how to prevent abuse of that right or overturn a veto. Some participants noted that once the veto is used a law should only pass if it gets a second 2/3ds vote from the parliament. Others were not convinced that a 2/3ds was necessary, because that would mean that the law would become as important as a constitutional law which requires such a majority. Some feared a deadlock in parliament and its policies if a 2/3ds vote was required to overturn a veto. Parties might abstain so that a 2/3ds majority could not be achieved. Participants commented that even with a simple majority 6 requirement it would not be easy to overturn the presidential veto, and it would ensure the president did not abuse the right of veto. VIII. Guaranteeing Implementation of Laws Participants drew a distinction between two aspects of legal implementation: how to guarantee implementation of laws generally; and enactment of implementing laws and regulations for incomplete or general laws. Participants all agreed that the Constitution should guarantee the implementation of laws. In relation to the legislative powers, the Constitution could provide parliament the power to control the implementation of laws through oversight of its parliamentary commissions over related ministries. Currently, these commissions may, at any moment, control the activity ofthe government. Participants recognized, however, that there have been times in which this power did not function because the parliament itself did not function, being under the dictate of a party or even of a person. • In relation to laws which require additional implementing regulations, the participants agreed that political and legal controls should exist. Participants supported current provisions in which parliamentary commissions have not only the right to make laws, but also the duty to check their implementation, and they agreed that greater focus is needed in this area. One participant pointed out that, during the period 1991-1994, the main focus of parliament was to approve new laws, considering the existing vacuum of modern legislation. With the completion of the legal framework, focus should be more evenly distributed towards approval of amendments to improve the implementation of laws and oversight ofthe executive in implementation oflaws. • One participant noted that financial aspects of laws sometimes hinder implementation of laws. Participants supported the idea that appropriation issues must be considered when passing a law. For example, important environment laws have been passed, however, no financial support in the form of a budget appropriation accompanied the law. Thus, the deputies have to accompany the law with the proper budget appropriation to cover costs. • One participant linked the issue of publication of laws with the guarantee of implementation. A recommendation was made that the constitution maintain that laws must be published to be legally effective. IX. Publication, Interpretation and Entry of Laws into Force .... Participants agreed that publication of all types of laws, including statues, regulations, and orders, was a fundamental obligation of the state, which must be completed before laws could enter into force. The participants agreed that the Constitution should guarantee publication. • One participant recommended that the price for publication and interpretation ofthe law should be included in the economic cost oflaws when drafted. 7 • Participants noted the lack of adequate distribution of laws and their amendments to government institutions. • Another shortcoming noted is that the Official Gazette, publishes only the laws ratifYing international agreements, but not the agreements themselves. • Most participants noted a general dissatisfaction with the delay in publication oflaws. On the subject of interpretation of laws, participants disagreed on who should make interpretation of the laws, but they did agree that the Constitution should delineate who is obligated and has the right to provide interpretation of laws. • Many participants noted that the court, especially the high court, is currently responsible for issuing interpretative guidance. However, such is not currently the practice. Some advocated that the parliament should issue better interpretive material. inside or accompanying a law which abrogates or amends another law or some articles ofother laws . .... 8 ~ --, t·.,; -.I V· ORT ALBA;'1L1. DEMOCRACY NE1WORK PROGRAM Quarterly Progress Report January - March 1998 Annex 8: Democracy Network Program Grants by Sector .. ./'7,v f\ ; ORT Albania Democracy Network Program Grant Profile Priority Sector Amount No. of Grants Democracy $225,421.00 26 Economic Growth $67,861.00 8 Environment $37,861.00 8 Social Safety Net $97,124.00 15 iIIi Total Awarded $428,267.00 57 (52.6%) iIIi (8.8%) _Democracy o Economic Growth _ Environment o Social Safety Net ..