JUSTICE FOR ALL PROJECT IN

QUARTERLY REPORT January 1, 2020 – March 31, 2020

JUSTICE FOR ALL PROJECT IN ALBANIA

QUARTERLY REPORT January 1, 2020 – March 31, 2020

Prepared under: USAID Contract Number AID-OAA-I-13-0035 / AID-182-TO-16-00001

Submitted to: USAID/Albania on April 24, 2020

Contractor: East-West Management Institute, Inc.

Disclaimer This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of the East-West Management Institute and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

CONTENTS

TABLE OF ACRONYMS 4

INTRODUCTION 5

COMPONENT 1: STREAMLINED, EXPEDITIOUS AND TRANSPARENT COURT PROCEEDINGS 8

EXPECTED RESULT 1.1: COURTS PERFORM THEIR FUNCTIONS MORE EFFICIENTLY, AVOIDING UNPRODUCTIVE HEARINGS AND UNNECESSARY DELAYS. EXPECTED RESULT 1.2: COURT SESSIONS TAKE PLACE IN COURTROOMS WHERE THE HEARINGS ARE VERBATIM RECORDED AND ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. EXPECTED RESULT 1.3: PUBLIC HAS EASY ACCESS TO THE COURTS EXPECTED RESULT 1.4: JUDICIAL LEADERSHIP IS STRENGTHENED AND UNDERTAKES AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE JUDICIAL REFORM PROCESS.

COMPONENT 3: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM 22 EXPECTED RESULT 3.1: CORRUPTION AND OTHER ECONOMIC CRIMES ARE BETTER EXPOSED TO THE PUBLIC EXPECTED RESULT 3.2: THE QUALITY OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IS INCREASED THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-QUALITY, DOCUMENTED, FACT-BASED, CROSS- BORDER, AND NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE PUBLICATIONS EXPECTED RESULT 3.3: A MORE POLITICALLY ENGAGED AND INFORMED CITIZENRY IS PROMOTED. EXPECTED RESULT 3.4: INDEPENDENT AND OPEN MEDIA IS STRENGTHENED.

ANNEXES: SUBMITTED SEPARATELY

TABLE OF ACRONYMS AFWJ Albanian Forum of Women Judges AHC Albanian Helsinki Committee BIRN Balkan Investigative Report Network CAP Court Administration Program CEA Court Efficiency Assistant CC Constitutional Court CMS Case Management System CoE Council of Europe CSSF Conflict, Security and Stability Fund DAR Digital Audio Recording DARCRA Digital Audio Records Central Records Archive DC District Court DMU De Montfort University DoJ Department of Journalism EWMI East-West Management Institute, Inc. EURALIUS European Union Project for Consolidation of the Justice System in Albania FCO Foreign Commonwealth Office HJC High Judicial Council HIDACCI High Inspectorate on Assets Declaration and Prevention of Conflicts of Interests HPC High Prosecutorial Council IACA International Association of Court Administrators ICMIS Integrated Case Management Information System IFCN International Fact Checking Network IMA Investigative Media Advisor JWD Justice without Delay MDCC Meeting of the District Court Chairpersons MOJ Ministry of Justice MOU Memorandum of Understanding MPRO Media and Public Relations Officer NGO Non-Governmental Organization OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe PAKS System for Courts Calendaring and Scheduling RFA Request for Applications SCI Social Contract Institute SoM School of Magistrates UoT University of USAID United States Agency for International Development WG Working Group

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The following deliverables were completed within this quarter:

✔ Completed training of trainers for Albanian Forum of Women Judges members for Gender Studies Program; ✔ Completed 2 Court Administration Program Faculty Development Sessions; ✔ Completed ToT for CAP Working Group on Effective Presentation Skills; ✔ Completed ToT for CAP Working Group on Leadership, Ethics and Research Methods; ✔ Complete Justice without Delay National Study Report data collection in Dibra, Tropoja, Korca, , Permet, Gjirokastra, Saranda, Elbasan, and Shkodra District Courts; ✔ Completed one Court Chairpersons’ Leadership Meeting; ✔ Completed the mock trial courtroom in the School of Magistrates; ✔ Completed and handed over the new temporary High Judicial Council website; ✔ Created a judicial map application; ✔ Completed baseline gender training with AFWJ members; ✔ Supported the first meeting between the High Judicial Council , media judges, and Media and Public Relations Officers; ✔ Supported two stakeholder engagement meetings with the High Judicial Council; ✔ Supported the Albanian Forum of Women Judges with electing new leadership, finalizing its JFA grant proposal, and updating the court registration and registering with the tax authorities; ✔ Completed International Fact-checking Network application assistance for Faktoje, which received a positive evaluation and became a signatory member, making it the only fact- checking service in Albania; ✔ Completed training sessions for Faktoje on data journalism, the right to know, and fact- checking justice institutions; ✔ Completed targeted mentoring sessions with Faktoje’s management team on grant acquisitions, staff management, and networking; ✔ Assisted Faktoje with the development and launch of an online campaign on spotting disinformation and fake news; ✔ Completed first training course for the Beyond Fences initiative with Shkodra and Elbasan universities and Rana Labs; ✔ Completed two ToTs with the University of Tirana Department of Journalism and visiting experts from De Montfort University and conducted five practical sessions with UT journalism students; ✔ Designed a webpage for the master’s in investigative journalism at the University of Tirana; ✔ Completed a ToT workshop for the local experts that will deliver modules as part of the 2020 Court and Crime Reporting course at the University of Tirana; ✔ Launched the Court and Crime Reporting course at the University of Tirana; ✔ Published an investigative article as part of the grants scheme to independent journalists;

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✔ Cooperated with the Albanian Helsinki Committee to publish an awareness-raising video on journalists’ rights at workplace; ✔ Cooperated with Albanian Helsinki Committee to publish of a revised version of the manual for labor rights for journalists; and ✔ Cooperated with the Social Contract Institute to record and publish 10 podcasts on the elimination of gender discriminations in media.

The following deliverables were not completed during this quarter due to the impacts ofCOVID- 19 and the resulting “stay@home” and restricted movement directives from the Albanian government:

✔ The third Tirana-based capacity building event for University of Tirana Department of Journalism faculty conducted by De Montfort University experts was not held; ✔ An exchange visit for seven University of Tirana Department of Journalism faculty to De Montfort University in the UK was postponed; ✔ The final event and roundtable to be hosted by the Albanian Helsinki Committee on the topic of labor rights for journalists could not be held; ✔ The second training course for the Beyond Fences initiative with Shkodra and Elbasan Universities and Rana Labs was postponed; ✔ The eighteenth Court Leadership Meeting was not held; ✔ The inauguration of the mock trial courtroom at the School of Magistrates did not occur; ✔ Data collection for the final nine courts to support the Justice without Delay National Study Report could not be completed.

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COMPONENT 1 STREAMLINED, EXPEDITIOUS AND TRANSPARENT COURT PROCEEDINGS

EXPECTED RESULT 1.1 COURTS PERFORM THEIR FUNCTIONS MORE EFFICIENTLY, AVOIDING UNPRODUCTIVE HEARINGS AND UNNECESSARY DELAYS.

1.1.1 FINAL STOCKTAKING ASSESSMENT & INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF JWD IN THE DISTRICT COURTS

Stocktaking Assessment of JWD Courts During this quarter, the Project collected data from ten district courts in preparation for the nationwide report on Justice without Delay (JWD), bringing the total to 13 out of 22 courts where data collection has been completed. Data was collected from the following courts this quarter:

 Dibra District Court 23 civil cases and 55 criminal cases  Court 48 civil cases and 80 criminal cases  Gjirokastra District Court 43 civil cases and 60 criminal cases  Korca District Court 50 civil cases and 80 criminal cases  Court 47 civil cases and 21 criminal cases  Court 19 civil cases and 42 criminal cases  Permet District Court 12 civil cases and 16 criminal cases  Saranda District Court 37 civil cases and 44 criminal cases  Shkoder District Court 56 civil cases and 179 criminal cases  Tropoja District Court 19 civil cases and 35 criminal cases

Data collection was halted on March 10 due the Albanian government’s restrictions on movement and subsequent stay@home orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the directives and restrictions, the High Judicial Council (HJC) suspended all non- essential court activity on March 10 as well. Those measures remained in place through the remainder of the quarter.

An online coordination meeting was held with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) representatives, prior to which they shared their draft of the nationwide report, portions of which will now be incorporated into the final nationwide report. OSCE has reversed their position on the nationwide report twice in prior quarters, moving first to partnership on a joint nationwide report then to separate reports and now back to a joint report; both projects have now agreed on a uniform way forward and a clear collaboration plan for the report. The Project also prepared draft statistical templates and charts to best present the nationwide data. The structure for the national judicial study has been agreed on as well. Individual court report cards will be included as separate per court information to accompany the nationwide perspective.

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The nine District Courts requiring data collection are as follow:

Berat District Court Durres District Court Court Kavaje District Court Kruje District Court Lushnje District Court Tirane District Court Vlore District Court Lezha District Court**

**Lezha District Court will require special coordination as the court building was severely damaged in the November 26, 2019 earthquake and the court is now limited in its access to the premises.

Implementation of JWD in additional Courts: Lezha District Court has been adversely affected by the November 26, 2019 earthquake, which left the court building unusable. The court now operates out of limited space in the local prosecutor’s office. These challenging circumstances required the court to focus on efficiency in ways not previously considered, and in response the Project agreed to continue its support of a seconded Court Efficiency Assistant (CEA). As the incumbent CEA left the court for a more permanent position, the Project used remote technology to complete the recruitment process for a replacement, in cooperation with the Court’s Chairperson, and the successful candidate will be on-boarded early next quarter.

In Durres District Court, the CEA reported that from January through March 2020, there were no civil or criminal cases requiring more than five hearings to be resolved, and the majority of cases were concluded within one hearing. The average number of days for civil cases to be resolved was 10 with an average number of 1.2 hearings. For the criminal cases, the average number of days was 8.9 with an average of 1.2 hearings. The Acting Chair of this court has committed to continuous implementation of the JWD measures and this is clearly reflected in the performance results. The CEA also continued to prepare statistical reports and draft official letters to court interlocutors to support ongoing collaboration for sustainable efficiency.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not adversely impacted these activities. Instead, the activities have enhanced the ability of the two courts to respond to the situation and better communicate with the public and interlocutors.

1.1.2 BUSINESS PROCESS MAPPING & EFFICIENCY PLANNING FOR HIGH COURT, APPELLATE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS Business Process Mapping: During this quarter, the Project conducted extended interviews with High Court staff representing all departments to ensure that the preliminary maps drafted in the prior quarter were refined, accurate, and covered all manual and electronic processes. The Project has successfully completed 20 ‘as is’ maps for High Court processes, including all divisions, and has since moved on to creating ‘to be’ maps with narrative explanations of the changes.

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These maps will be presented to the High Court in a working session either remotely or in-person as easing of COVID-19 restrictions occurs.

The Project also drafted an internal communication strategy for the High Court. Internal communication in the court, or lack thereof, is one of the leading causes of inefficiency. There is no clear vision of goals or objectives and, as a result, little to no coordination between departments. The Project will present the draft to the court early next quarter and will then assist the HJC and the court with establishing goals, developing implementation plans, and creating timelines for achieving the goals, all of which is projected to support backlog reduction and increased efficiency.

Backlog Reduction in the Courts: In January, the Project participated in three meetings (January 15, 18, and 27) of the HJC Ad-hoc Committee on Backlog Reduction and Efficiency of the High Court and the Committee’s working group. These meetings were focused on reviewing and revising the Project’s proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for backlog reduction in the High Court (See Annex 1.1.2B). On January 18, the Committee announced that it would recommend that a revised MOU be presented to HJC members for approval and implementation. On January 27, the final version was completed. The Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee reported that the following steps were taken to ensure the signing of the MOU:

• Ad Hoc Committee completed its explanatory report and draft decision on the MOU on February 2; • On February 5, the Committee submitted the above documents to the HJC Chair and requested that the MOU be added to the next plenary agenda; • The Committee notified the Chair for a second time on February 11 and made the same request for the plenary session; • The Chair was notified and asked for a plenary session for the third time on March 4; and • The Committee notified the Chair and requested a plenary session for the fourth time on March 6.

March 10 brought the initial wave of COVID-19 restrictions on movement and stay@home directives, which further delayed the HJC plenary meeting and a vote on the MOU. On March 30, the HJC held an online plenary and unanimously approved the MOU. A remote signing event was scheduled for April 10.

1.1.3 TECHNOLOGY RELATED ACTIVITIES Web Portal: The Project supported the HJC with uploading the new temporary website to their servers hosted at the National Agency of Information Society (AKSHI). A few technical difficulties were encountered, and the Project provided a specialized IT expert to resolve them. All issues were ultimately resolved and the temporary HJC website went live during the quarter (www.klgj.al). Interested parties now have access to information in a more user friendly and

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organized presentation. The Project has provided assistance to the HJC for the preparation of multiple press releases to showcase their activities and achievements within the website. Following the launching of the temporary website, the Project began organizing the work needed for the new nationwide web portal of the HJC and the Albanian courts. The HJC agreed to a steering committee approach to the development of the web portal. Meetings were set to happen in the second week of March, but unfortunately were not held due to the restrictions created by the COVID 2019 pandemic. The implementation of this time and labor intensive activity is delayed but the Project is confident it can still meet the projected launch date targeted for December 2020.

EXPECTED RESULT 1.2: Court sessions take place in courtrooms where the hearings are verbatim recorded and are open to the public.

1.2.1 COMPLETION OF DARCRA SUPPORT & TRANSFER TO THE HJC The Project continues to monitor the backup of digital audio recording (DAR) files in the DAR central repository. Project staff (non-IT) were trained on the monitoring of the Dashboard, which is the new feature in the Digital Audio Recording Central Recording Archive (DARCRA) backup software. This will enable the Project to better define training needs and provide training to the HJC’s IT staff once the central server is under the ownership of the HJC. In anticipation of that training, the Project prepared a detailed and comprehensive user guide and video tutorial for the dashboard feature. These tools will be provided to the HJC and serve as the basis for their training.

The Project worked with the HJC and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to address and finalize the transfer of the server from the MOJ. Several meetings were conducted with the HJC member responsible for IT issues and HJC support staff, however no progress has been made in the transfer of the server from the MOJ to the HJC. The Project has offered once again all background and supporting documents to the MOJ Finance Department tasked with completing the transfer. This activity was initially delayed due to the inability of the MOJ and the HJC to agree on an asset transfer protocol for the server and is now further delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, even with the COVID-19 circumstances, sufficient time remains within the overall project lifecycle to successfully complete this activity.

1.2.2 USE & AVAILABILITY OF COURTROOMS During this quarter, activities related to the archiving MOU with the Court continued as planned until March 10, at which time the court closed in response to the government of Albania and HJC directive related to COVID-19. Prior to March 10, the following actions were completed:

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• Manual registration of civil case files, including the completion of case specific forms, binding files in groups of 10, and allocating case files in the archive space; • Installation of new high density file shelves in the civil division archive; • Registration of all archive-ready files from 2012-2018 in the electronic database; • Identification and registration of information in the sub-files for each case file; • Identification and preparation of special placeholder file folders for cases temporarily held in higher instance courts and pending appeal, which enables files not physically located in the court to be easily located court; • Registration of all decisions registration books from 1943 - 1975 for civil and up to 2,000 criminal cases in the electronic database; • Registration and transfer of 52,000 case files from the archive located in the MOJ premises to the courthouse; and • Emptying of one full archive room for conversion to a courtroom.

As stated in a summary report of the activities provided by Tirana District Court, the voluminous work of transferring the files from different buildings in the city to one location in the new archive space in the main building of the court would have not been possible in such a short time without the assistance of the temporary archive clerks. The installation of modern high density shelves has made Tirana District Court the sole court in the country to have such an archive infrastructure and it now serves as a model for the HJC to support other courts. With Project assistance, the court has increased access and quality of service to the public while reducing the time required to respond to institutional requests for copies of court files.

Through the dedicated work of the temporary archive clerks, the court created an excel “The Tirana District Court with this database with detailed case information, which assistance provided can say that it has greatly facilitated the work process in the has reached very high standards in archive. The Tirana District Court Chancellor fulfilling its legal obligation towards noted: the citizens.”

During this quarter, the design for the new juvenile courtroom was completed and will be submitted to the Court for approval in the beginning of next quarter.

During the Court Leadership Meeting, a working group composed of Tirana, Diber, and Lezha District Court Chairs and HJC representatives was formed in order to review the legal basis for the court archive and provide recommendations to the HJC for approving it and submitting it to the MOJ for review and approval. While the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the working group’s work to revise the orders on the retention and destruction of case files, the work can be completed within the lifecycle of the Project assuming both the HJC and MOJ prioritize it for summer or fall 2020.

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EXPECTED RESULT 1.3: Public has easy access to the courts

1.3.1 Direct Assistance to the HJC & the Courts for Public and Media Relations

The Media and Public Relations Officers (MPROs) in Lezha and Durres District Courts continued to provide information to citizens and the media during this quarter. Durres District Court reported a total of 4,225 citizens were assisted by the MPRO during the quarter, while Lezha, which is a smaller municipality, reported that a total of 545 citizens interacted with the MPRO. It is worth noting that the figures are higher compared to the previous quarter but could have been even higher were it not for the suspension of the courts’ work as of March 10 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Figures for March 2020 comprise only seven workdays).

The customer service info-points originally piloted in Durres and Lezhe were procured for installation in nine additional district courts and three higher instance courts. The equipment has been procured by the Project, IT specialists have been prepped to identify adequate space for its installation, and only the delivery of the equipment remains. The process was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will resume when the courts are once again operational.

Two information brochures for citizens were completed and approved in the Court Chairperson Leadership Meeting. The first covers civil proceedings and is a nationwide brochure. The design is complete and printing was under way when the courts closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The printing and delivery of the brochure will be completed as soon as courts are able to accept deliveries. The second brochure is a court-specific brochure for Durres District Court. The Project is also assisting the remaining district courts with producing tailored brochures. The process has started, and several courts have already provided the needed information (See Annexes for both brochures).

The Project assisted the HJC with organizing the third donor coordination roundtable on media and public relations. Although no major developments resulted from the meeting, it allowed donor organizations shared both completed and planned activities.

The Project supported the first internal meeting between the HJC, media judges, and MPROs. During this session, the HJC member for media and public relations presented the role of the HJC and media judges, while the Project’s court public and media relations expert, Leah Gurowitz, presented best practices in court communications with the public and media. In a second session on the same day, media representatives joined the meeting to discuss the challenges faced in relation to access to information. The Project’s expert also held several working and coaching meetings with the HJC member responsible for media and public relations and provided content for several media and public relations documents prepared by the HJC.

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Finally, the Project supported the HJC with the preparation of banners featuring the new HJC logo, which will help the HJC establish their “brand” in events they organize.

EXPECTED RESULT 1.4: JUDICIAL LEADERSHIP IS STRENGTHENED AND UNDERTAKES AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE JUDICIAL REFORM PROCESS 1.4.1 LEADERSHIP MEETINGS & FORUMS

Court Chairpersons Leadership Meetings: During the quarter, the Project supported one Court Chairperson Leadership Meeting, which was held on February 21 in Pogradec. A meeting scheduled for March 27 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 17th Court Chairperson Leadership Meeting was attended by 18 chairs and deputy chairs and five HJC members and administrative staff. Discussions focused on the draft self-evaluation form for judges and draft chairperson evaluation of judges. The discussions were active and engaging and the comments from the Chairpersons were welcomed by the HJC representatives. The approval of the drafts is critical to the finalization of promotion procedures, which is the key process to promote judges to the High Court. The HJC also used the meeting to conduct the first strategic planning-stakeholder engagement discussion. During this discussion, chairpersons shared their opinions and ideas on the challenges and opportunities for the judiciary as a whole. The HJC members found the process to be helpful, insightful, and productive.

Women in Leadership - Albania Forum of Women Judges: Substantial changes in the leadership of the Albanian Forum of Women Judges (AFWJ) took place at the January 10 General Assembly meeting, with a new chair and two new board members elected. Following these elections, the AFWJ registered with the tax authorities and obtained the required tax profile numbers.

The AFWJ’s board members met once each month this quarter and coordinated closely with the Project’s expert to prepare a grant proposals for submission to JfA.

During this quarter, AFWJ’s Finance and Administrative Assistant, which is supported by JfA, worked with the members on various administrative tasks, such as preparing consolidated versions of the amended charter in both English and Albanian, preparing updated lists of AFWJ’s membership, collecting documents needed to open a bank account, and completing and submitting an application to the International Association of Women Judges.

Members that participated in the Gender Studies Certification Program worked with the School of Magistrates (SoM) to set dates and agendas for four regional gender trainings. Eighty judges in total will participate in these future trainings. Guided by the Project, the members planning the trainings also met several times to prepare the curricula. A professor from SoM will participate in each of the training sessions, which will allow the session to count as CLE hours for the participant judges. The first training is scheduled for April 16 in Korca but will likely be cancelled due ongoing restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The remaining trainings are scheduled for May 14 in Shkoder, May 28 in Durres, and June 11 in Vlore.

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The remaining trainings will be rescheduled as needed based on the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

AFWJ’s Public and International Relations Committee worked on coordinating domestic violence- related educational activities for underprivileged women in Shkodra, Kukes, Vlora, and Durres. The Committee also worked to coordinate civic education activities for high school students in Shkodra and Durres, which will include study visits to Tirana District Court and a two-page essay contest entitled “Justice with My Own Eyes”. All of these activities will be rescheduled for late summer or early fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that are currently in place.

During this quarter, AFWJ’s Research Subcommittee held two meetings to discuss court research methods and create a list of relevant topics for AFWJ to research including domestic violence, sexual violence, and sexual harassment. Ten judges participated in these activities, which were co-chaired by the Project’s expert and one member of the Research Subcommittee. Following the meetings, participants selected topics to research and draft analysis papers.

Members of the Research Committee contacted the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and asked for a meeting in order to present the scope of activity of the AFWJ and find opportunities for cooperation. The meeting was scheduled to take place in Tirana in March, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SIDA’s representative cancelled their trip. As such, the meeting will take place as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Research Committee will prepare a concept paper outlining potential areas of mutual focus to submit to SIDA. AFWJ’s members also held an introductory meeting with the German Agency for International Development during which the AFWJ provided background information on their activities and asked for continued contact for future collaboration.

Members of the HJC participated in one of AFWJ’s board meetings as part of their stakeholder engagement efforts and had an open discussion regarding the preparation of the HJC’s strategic plan for 2021-2023. A survey was distributed to all AFWJ members to ask for their feedback, and the AFWJ board agreed to provide the HJC with a consolidated version of all opinions by March 20.

1.4.2 SUPPORT TO THE HIGH JUDICIAL COUNCIL

Strategic Planning: Following the November retreat in Gjirokastra during which HJC members identified a preliminary list of key stakeholders, the Project organized a stakeholder training workshop on February 2-4 in Korca. The workshop was attended by all HJC members and five key administrative staff. The event served to develop a stakeholder engagement action plan and the Project’s expert, Craig Bowman, led HJC members and senior administrative staff in a lively discussion on the need for a structured approach to stakeholder meetings. Members created a final list of stakeholders and identified which members were responsible for each meeting. During March, members of the HJC organized stakeholder meetings with the court chairpersons, SoM faculty, AFWJ, and members of the Laws Committee in the Assembly. Stakeholder meetings

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with law students and SoM students were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions.

The Project prepared for the next HJC strategic planning workshop to be held on April 2-4, however the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of this event until a return to normal operations.

Internal Rules of the HJC: The Internal Rules Working Group, which is composed of five members of the HJC, one member of the Cabinet of the Chairperson, and two HJC legal advisors, held their first meeting on January 10. Throughout January and February, the group held nearly daily meetings during which an outline of draft rules, prepared the Project’s expert, Tim Baland, was used to guide discussions and drafting. By the end of February, group had completed the first section of the rules, which covers the organization of the HJC, its leadership and members, the organization of the plenary, and the work of the standing committees, among other topics. A second revision is underway after which it will be shared with other members of the Council for their input. Once the first section is completed, the group will begin drafting the second section, which will cover rules related to the administrative staff. The Project and EURALIUS will participate in all meetings, and the Project will facilitate the working group meetings until the entire regulation is finalized and approved by the group.

Legislative Analysis and Legal Drafting: In January, the HJC Donors Coordination Working Group on Court Efficiency submitted a draft of the Internal Regulation for the Courts for comments and feedback. The Project reviewed and expressed serious concerns with the draft and will provide assistance to improve the draft’s structure and content.

In February, the Project held two meetings with the Career Development Committee and EURALIUS experts to discuss the draft decision on the promotion of judges. The draft was finalized and approved, which will now allow for the promotion of judges to the High Court.

Reporting to the Public and the Assembly: The HJC will submit its draft annual report to the Project for review and feedback early next quarter.

1.4.3 HJC – ADMINISTRATION OF THE COURTS

Court Administration Unit: During this quarter, the HJC made no progress in terms of forming the Court Administration Unit. It is unknown whether the unit will be formed next quarter given the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Project is poised to move quickly once the Court Administration Unit is formed to build its knowledge regarding court administration best practices.

Court Administration Training (HJC and Courts): A meeting was held in January with members of the Court Administration Program (CAP) Working Group and EURALIUS to push forward the establishment of a permanent Court Administration Advisory Committee (CAAC). The CAAC will

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serve to advise both the SoM and HJC on court administration training, providing a valuable link between these two institutions which both have responsibility for staff training. It was agreed that the CAAC should be formally established as soon as possible. The Project met with EURALIUS and the SoM in February to develop a unified strategy for addressing this task. The Project developed a training matrix for all job classifications, which will serve to increase the efficiency of the process. The Project met with the HJC Human Resources Director to keep her apprised of these efforts. No further meetings occurred this quarter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, next quarter, the CAAC will be formed and the Project will initiate a systematic approach to developing court administration training and lead capacity building of the CAAC to develop their ability to carry out needs assessments, identify core competencies, and develop appropriate curricula.

State Archive for the Judicial System: As noted above, during a Court Chairperson Leadership Meeting, a working group composed of Tirana, Diber, and Lezha District Court Chairs and HJC representatives was formed to review the legal basis for the court archiving and provide recommendations to the HJC to approve and then submit to the MOJ for review and approval. While the COVID-19 pandemic response has delayed the working group’s work related to the revision of the orders addressing retention and destruction of case files, it is believed that the work can be completed within the lifecycle of the Project assuming both the HJC and MOJ make it a priority for summer or fall 2020.

Court Administration Conference: The Project met with the SoM Director to develop a plan for this task. It was agreed that planning would start next quarter under the auspices of the CAAC.

1.4.4. TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO THE SCHOOL OF MAGISTRATES (SOM)

Strengthening Faculty Skills and Developing New Faculty: The Project commenced work on a major initiative to institute a faculty development program at the SoM to buttress new faculty capacity to design quality curricula and implement training using modern adult learning methods. The enhanced faculty development program includes modules on assessing student needs, designing curriculum and planning lessons, evaluating learning and program outcomes, and identifying and utilizing instructional strategies such as: case studies, mock trials, role plays, simulations, videotaping, practice sessions, structured discussions, and other experiential learning methodologies. The Project mentored a senior SoM faculty member on delivering the training and included her as co-trainer, which serves to ensure the sustainability of the initiative. Two faculty development trainings of trainers (ToTs) were held this quarter for a total of 24 SoM faculty. Two additional ToTs are planned for the remainder of Year 4.

On January 20–21, the Project conducted a ToT on effective presentation skills for eight members of the CAP faculty. The training focused on improving senior SoM faculty presentation skills for delivery of CAP. On February 25-26, the Project conducted a ToT on leadership, ethics, and research methods for the CAP faculty.

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During this quarter, the Project met with the SoM Chancellor numerous times to discuss recruiting new faculty for CAP to fill the void created by judges vetted out. Next quarter, the Project and SoM will identify potential faculty and work to include them in upcoming faculty development programs.

Mock-Trial Courtroom: The Project completed the build out and fitting of the SoM’s new mock trial courtroom and was ready to inaugurate it with the U.S. Ambassador when the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were implemented. This event will be rescheduled when normal operations resume.

The SoM plans to use the new mock trial courtroom for the initial training program of candidate magistrates. More specifically, in the second year of studies for the candidate for magistrates, the newly reviewed curricula foresee many more mock trial sessions. This room will serve to better implement the different practical components of the teaching curricula in both programs of professional training, the initial and continuous training programs for all target groups.

The mock trial courtroom will be instrumental in developing procedural fairness in the Albanian justice system. Procedural fairness, which relates to how decisions are made and the quality of interpersonal treatment, has profound implications for judicial officers as well as for the justice system overall. Judges as the ultimate authority figures in court have a particularly strong influence on court users’ perceptions of fairness. Improved procedural fairness has a ripple effect throughout the justice system, from increasing litigants’ voluntary compliance with court orders, to reducing recidivism, to increasing overall trust and confidence in the system.

CAP Library: During this quarter, the Project initiated the formation of a court administration library at the SoM. The library will include the CAP curriculum in electronic and hard copy, along with other seminal works in the field of court administration. The new court administration collection will provide the SoM faculty, CAP students, and the HJC staff with a valuable resource for ongoing court reform.

Journal on Court Administration: The Project held several meetings with the SoM to prepare for establishment of the Journal on Court Administration, review SoM journal guidelines, and agree on a timetable for publication. It was agreed that the journal will be modelled after the International Association of Court Administration Journal focusing on court and justice system administration, management, and governance. It will provide a platform for the professional exchange of knowledge, experience, and research for a diverse audience of practitioners and academics. Early next quarter, the Project will work with the SoM Publications Advisory Board to solicit submissions from court officials, judges, and HJC officials whose work and interests lie in the practical aspects of the effective administration of justice.

Support for SoM Testing Improvement: This quarter, the Project presented the sample chancellor test to the CAP faculty for feedback. Early next quarter, the Project will convene a meeting of CAP faculty to develop a larger bank of questions to be used with the next iteration of CAP.

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In March, the Project held a meeting with the SoM Director and senior faculty to discuss improving the SoM’s testing process. The SoM’s over-reliance on the ScanTron multiple choice testing format has not proven to be reliable or valid in measuring professional competency. The Project presented recommendations for a multi-faceted evaluation process that allows flexibility while achieving the aim of providing a transparent, valid, and bias free evaluation system. The Project is working with SoM to amend the internal regulation that requires general testing on grammar, finance, economy, and general knowledge. It was agreed that incumbent chancellors will be tested in two phases: a ScanTron basic knowledge test and a professional test. The SoM Board of Directors will consider these changes next quarter.

Component 1 Donor Coordination: In addition to the donor coordination meetings noted above, the Project also conducted and/or participated in the following donor coordination meetings:

• On January 22, the Project led a meeting of the HJC Media and Public Relations Donor Coordination Group; • On January 23, the Project participated in a meeting with EURALIUS focused on the Cross Sector Justice Strategy; and • On January 23, the Project participated in a meeting with EURALIUS and the Council of Europe focused on the Judicial Mapping Working Group.

CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES The most significant successes for this quarter can be summarized as follows:

While the judiciary continues to face significant challenges, there were several notable successes this quarter.

In February, the Project organized a stakeholders training for HJC members and senior administrative staff to build their capacity to conduct engaging stakeholder meetings. In March, members of the HJC successfully organized stakeholder meetings with the court chairpersons, SoM faculty, AFWJ, and members of the Laws Committee in the Assembly. This new strategic planning strategy will lead to better planned, informed, and accountable policies, projects, programs, and services.

The comprehensive faculty development curriculum developed last quarter was delivered to senior SoM faculty, the CAP working group, and AFWJ members in four separate events in January. This comprehensive faculty development program was strongly supported by the SoM, which will collaborate with the Project to offer the program three more times in 2020.

With support from the Project and EURALIUS, the HJC Internal Regulations Working Group met regularly throughout January and February. While the scope of the internal regulations is

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Challenges faced and solutions developed:

This quarter was complicated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing government-imposed restrictions and response. Many activities that were initiated during this quarter were put on hiatus in March and the Project’s work plan status report related to the impacts of the pandemic is included as an annex.

Despite the ongoing progress of the HJC Internal Rules Ad Hoc Committee, serious challenges arose. The committee chair demonstrated a lack of capacity in administering the committee without both leadership and strong administrative support from the Project. In addition, the committee’s drafting skills are lacking and their discussions on issues related to internal processes are myopic and frequently politically motivated. The Project will work next quarter to shift administrative support from the Project to the HJC legal staff. The Project will remain active in supporting the committee but will work to ensure the committee takes ownership for leading the finalization of the internal rules.

A major challenge emerged around the leadership of the HJC and growing tensions among members towards the Chair’s leadership style and commensurately her frustrations with several member’s work performance. This was exacerbated by the Internal Rules Committee attempting to address their collective concerns through a rule that would provide a mechanism for removing the Chair, Deputy Chair and Committee Chairs for lack of perceived competency. The Project, in collaboration with EURALIUS, is providing guidance to the committee on more productive and resolution oriented approaches to handling these situations without resorting to more draconian measures. This challenge is a typical challenge with new and established councils, and the Project is attempting to build the Chair’s leadership skills though one-on-one mentoring to enhance her communication skills, social skill capacities, and organizational awareness.

Steps for Next Quarter (dependent on ever-evolving COVID-19 developments):

✔ Continue support for rapid COVID-19 response with the HJC and courts ✔ Establish the CAAC and conduct the first meeting ✔ Conduct one faculty development training for the SoM ✔ Conduct one ToT on public relations, IT, and operations management for the CAP faculty ✔ Complete development of chancellor CAP test question bank ✔ Revise SoM internal regulation on chancellor testing ✔ Initiate the drafting of articles for the Journal on Court Administration ✔ Pilot test public relations, IT and operations management modules ✔ Support the AFWJ with organizing the first regional training on sexual harassment ✔ Support the AFWJ with collecting membership fees ✔ Complete info-point installations

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✔ Complete court brochure printing ✔ Complete JWD data collection ✔ Support HJC stakeholder engagement meetings ✔ Conduct three Court Chairperson Leadership Meetings ✔ Inaugurate the SoM mock trial Courtroom ✔ Complete the Tirana District Court juvenile courtroom

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COMPONENT 3 INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

EXPECTED RESULT 3.1 CORRUPTION AND OTHER ECONOMIC CRIMES ARE BETTER EXPOSED TO THE PUBLIC

EXPECTED RESULT 3.2 THE QUALITY OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IS INCREASED THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-QUALITY, DOCUMENTED, FACT-BASED, CROSS- BORDER, AND NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE PUBLICATIONS

EXPECTED RESULT 3.3: A MORE POLITICALLY ENGAGED AND INFORMED CITIZENRY IS PROMOTED.

EXPECTED RESULT 3.4 INDEPENDENT AND OPEN MEDIA IS STRENGTHENED. 3.1.1 - 3.4.1 Core Grant to BIRN – Albania (Crosscutting across all Expected Results)

BIRN Albania has continued to cover justice reform developments in Albania, including the vetting process. During this quarter, BIRN Albania published 155 articles, including 71 articles covering court and crime, 49 stories on the judiciary, two investigations, and 33 in-depth stories on court and crime and the judiciary. Please see Annex 3.1 for a list of articles published by BIRN Albania. During the reporting period, BIRN requested a no-cost extension and reallocation of funds to support additional judicial reform reporting, which was approved and established June 30, 2020 as the new grant deadline. However, this deadline may need to be further extended due to reduced activity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting government “stay@home” and restricted movement orders.

3.1.2 - 3.4.2 Ongoing Support for Faktoje – Fact Checking Service

Training/Mentoring: During this reporting period, three training sessions were conducted with Faktoje on the topics of data journalism, right to know and fact-checking justice institutions, and spotting disinformation and fake news.

On January 9-11, the Project facilitated a workshop to develop modules for the public on spotting disinformation. The workshop was delivered by the IREX Learn2Discern (L2D) team from Serbia. The L2D team focused on building staff capacities to understand audience needs to identify and fight disinformation and supported the drafting of story boards for three videos/multimedia presentations that will be published as part of an online campaign. Subsequently, with Project support, content for two videos and one interactive quiz were finalized and Faktoje began working with a company for post-production of all three. The campaign will increase audience knowledge and skills to counter disinformation and are designed to increase Faktoje’s visibility.

On January 20-21, UK experts Paul Bradshaw and Peter Geoghegan conducted a data journalism training for Faktoje. The training covered topics such as: finding data, creating stories from data,

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and visualizing data for a bigger impact. A hands-on approach was used, which allowed the team members to learn about tools for data manipulation and several programs for visualization. Discussions and mentoring on how to approach data and information was provided by the trainers using articles within the Faktoje pipeline that already contained data. The practical on- the-job training increased staff capacities to incorporate data reports and improve data visualization for better audience understanding.

The right to know and fact-checking justice institutions were covered in a workshop conducted on January 28-29 by international expert Flutura Kusari. An overview of international standards on the right to know was provided along with case studies, which aimed to provide the journalists with paths to overcome challenges they face with requests for information to public institutions. In addition, the draft anti-defamation law and its potential impact on Albanian media and challenges faced by fact-checking organizations were discussed. As a result, Faktoje now has a better understanding of their rights as journalists when approaching institutions, sources, and other actors.

On January 14, the Project held mentoring sessions with Faktoje’s executive director and finance office focused on budgetary plans and grant opportunities. This was the first step in an ongoing mentoring process and focus was placed on budgetary issues as budget-related challenges may be ongoing and need to be addressed via continuous grant applications. Staff management issues were also addressed, as were plans for strengthening collaboration with Metamorphosis - North Macedonia’s fact-checking service. As Faktoje is growing, more transparent and open communication needs to be established within the team. As such, Faktoje’s executive director was advised to take several simple steps in order to address communication issues.

Events/Activities:

During this reporting period Faktoje participated in several important activities that helped them increase their visibility among media actors in Albania and the public.

Faktoje joined the Alliance for Media Ethics (AME) as a founding signatory in the meeting held on February 12. AME is a body of media organizations in Albania (19 signatories currently) that will advocate for media self–regulation as a means to promote ethical journalism. The media organizations signed a MoU and discussed establishing a complaint system through which all concerns related to media content will be tracked and addressed by an Ethics Board. The board will be composed of media professionals and academics. This system will be launched in March 2020.

On February 17-19, Faktoje participated in the conference ‘Guardians of Truth – The Fact Checkers: Fact-checking in Southeast Europe’ organized by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the Albanian Media Institute. Faktoje was invited to present its work as the only fact-checking service in Albania and had the opportunity to gain insights from the experiences of other fact-checking

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Performance Results of Faktoje:

During this reporting period, Faktoje received a positive evaluation from the International Fact- checking Network (IFCN) on their membership application and became the first media organization from Albania to join IFCN as a signatory member. Faktoje’s application package was assessed as fully compliant with IFCN’s criteria for membership on 10 out of 12 criteria. These criteria included: proof of registration; body of work sample; sources policy; staff; detailed methodology; contact; archive; claim submissions; corrections policy and examples of corrections. The two criteria which were assessed as partially compliant were: nonpartisanship policy and sources of funding. For these criteria, the assessment found that while the information is stated on Faktoje’s website, it needs to be directly linked on the page and publicly accessible. Faktoje is working to address these two suggestions. The assessment report can be viewed here https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org_Faktoje.

In January, Faktoje signed a MoU with the US Agency for Global Media/Voice of America (VOA), which will provide them with more opportunities for capacity building and expertise, increased visibility on an international level, and will include co-producing and broadcasting content on VOA’s platforms.

During this quarter, Faktoje also finalized an online campaign to fight disinformation and fake news. Three videos and one quiz were produced for the campaign, and the first of the video is dedicated to the disinformation related to treatments for COVID-19. The campaign will be launched on April 2, which is International Fact-Checking Day.

During this quarter, Faktoje produced 104 stories (Annex 3.2) and the resulting website traffic is as follows:

Month Total Views

Users 3111 January Page views 15,574

Users 2472 February Page views 12.950

Users 5962 March Page views 26,710

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Social media reports on Facebook produced the following:

Month Posts Reactions Shares

January 26 1264 102

February 28 1293 149

March 118 3550 322

Please see Annex 3.2 for the full list of articles published by Faktoje this quarter, including links.

3.1.3 – 3.4.3 Investigative Journalism Grants for Independent Journalists

Call for Proposals: Application response letters were sent to two applicants who submitted project proposals in response to the Project’s new call. Based on the recommendations of the Grants Review Committee (GRC), one applicant was invited to submit answers to questions from the GRC while the second applicant was rejected. The potential grantee re-submitted his application on February 20. Based on his answers to the GRC questions, the Project decided to move forward with an award, and vetting documents and grant approval memos have been drafted and submitted to USAID.

Status of Grant to Elton Qyno: Elton Qyno finalized his investigative article, which was published by Faktoje on March 16. Continuous support was provided to the grantee during this reporting period, including two meetings in January and February to discuss progress and provide feedback on his work. Mr. Qyno’s article identifies the environmental consequences of hydropower plants (HPPs) by focusing on stories from community members whose investments in agriculture – subsidized by the government – have been destroyed as a result of mismanagement in the construction of HPPs. The project made sure that Mr. Qyno included a response from the Ministry of Energy in the article and provided suggestions for clarifying information to visual representation. (See: https://faktoje.al/nje-perralle-e-dy-lumenjve/ )

3.3.4 – 3.4.4 Expansion of Beyond Fences Initiative

Implementation Phase – 101 Workshops: Training sessions on digital media storytelling for justice were successfully conducted with students from Shkoder University (February 24 -29) and Elbasan University (March 2-7). Upwards of 45 students participated between the two universities. This first week of intensive training will be followed by two more weeks of training, which is currently planned for April and May (subject to change due to COVID-19).

Students were introduced to the fundamentals of storytelling and production, story design, storyboarding and pitching. During the training, students had the chance to film footage, conduct

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interviews, and edit their work using advanced mobile filmmaking kits and equipment. At the end of the training week, the student groups pitched their stories for films/documentaries to the Rana Labs Team and Project representatives. The Project and Rana Labs created WhatsApp groups with students from both universities to maintain constant contact, and is refining all eight film story boards. Unable to film during the current government restrictions on movement, the students have taken full advantage of the Rana Labs subject matter expertise to refine their stories further. Rana Labs has provided feedback and students are working to include the recommendations and suggestions in their story narratives. The Project is in regular contact with the universities’ point persons for coordinating the next series of training in light of the COVID- 19 situation. A link to a short film created during the first training week can be viewed here: Rana Labs Beyond Fences 2.0 Training 101

3.1.5 – 3.4.5 MOU with British Embassy

Master’s Degree in Investigative Journalism: During this reporting period, the Project supported two ToT sessions for University of Tirana (UT) staff, which were conducted by experts from De Montfort University in the UK. During both ToTs, capacity building sessions with faculty and practical classes with students were conducted. Around 40 students participated in practical classes on data journalism and fact-checking during the first session on January 8-10. During the ToTs, classes were delivered by British experts and were then replicated in the afternoon by UT staff with a different group of students. The same approach was followed for the practical classes on investigating financial crime and reporting on organized crime, which were part of the second ToT session on January 27-29. This training series seeks to build staff capacity on these topics to enrich modules with practical components and teach staff how to conduct practical sessions for students, which is considered the best approach to teaching investigative journalism.

Additionally, the Project contracted Digimedia to construct a webpage for the investigative journalism master’s program. Two meetings were conducted with the Head of the UT Department of Journalism (DoJ), Digimedia, and the JFA media team to discuss ideas for the website and agree on a work plan. During the reporting period, the company produced a demo, which was shared with UT staff and is currently being finalized. The webpage for the master’s program is conceptualized as a media channel for students to publish their work and prepare themselves to successfully enter the media market.

During this reporting period, the Project had planned a study trip to Leicester, UK for UT professors and guest lecturers. However, due to measures introduced by the Albanian government and British government, including banning all school activities and trips and the suspension of flight between the two countries, the study visit was postponed.

Institutionalize the Court and Crime Reporting Curriculum: The Court and Crime Reporting course was launched for the 2020 spring semester at UT. The course started on March 5 and will be delivered on Thursday mornings. The course is mandatory for students and they will be evaluated

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based on three components: a final court and crime story; a mid-term exam; and a news item that they will draft from their court visits.

The Project, jointly with UT staff, decided to engage three local experts to deliver specific courses to students. The Project and international experts Flutura Kusari and Michael Alexander supported the local experts as they finalized their modules, including through a workshop on February 18. During the workshop, the local experts presented the content of their modules and explained their plans for delivering the modules, and the international experts provided feedback on how to enrich the modules with practical elements for students.

Due to new measures taken in response to COVID-19, the course was suspended after the Ministry of Education and Sports decided to close down all schools and universities. However, UT decided to use Google classrooms as an online teaching platform for the course during the lockdown period and the JFA media team supported the UT DoJ with creating a Google classroom for the Court and Crime Reporting course, including ensuring the ability of guest lecturers to deliver their modules remotely.

Continuing Education / Capacity Development for a New Generation of Media Professionals: During this quarter, UK experts Paul Bradshaw and Peter Geogeghan conducted a training on data journalism for Faktoje (see 3.1.2-3.4.3). The experts also conducted a two-day training on data Journalism for national journalists on January 22-23. In total, 16 journalists participated in the training and had the opportunity to build their capacities and knowledge on telling stories with data, finding data, and visualizing data for impactful reporting. The training took place at Protik, which is a lab room fully equipped with computers. A hands-on approach was followed during the training, with each participant received tailored support as they learned how to use new tools and programs that will be very beneficial in their daily work.

The JFA media team conducted an evaluation after the training by gathering feedback from the 16 journalists that participated and a final report with recommendations from the trainers.

Sub-grant to AHC for Continuing Education to Aid and Empower Local Journalists: During this reporting period, AHC published an updated version of the manual on labor rights for journalists. The updated version included findings and reflections from cases filed during this time, updated information on the situation of journalists in Albania with reference to a survey conducted in 2019, new information regarding the institutions that have a role in enforcing the labor rights of journalists, and an expanded glossary of terms related to journalists’ labor rights. Moreover, an awareness raising video on labor rights for journalists was published.

Additionally, AHC conducted two information sessions with journalism students from Beder University and University of Tirana. These meetings were organized as information sessions regarding the rights of journalists and provided guidance on the Labor Code articles that are applicable to their profession. The aim of such meetings was to raise awareness among future journalists by equipping them with the necessary knowledge needed for their profession.

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AHC also published a newspaper article that presented the challenges that journalists face in taking their cases to court and the legal mechanisms available to journalists as a way to encourage them to speak out against violations of their rights.

During this reporting period, AHC also conducted a study on the factors that prevent Albanian journalists from taking contract-related disputes to court. The JFA media team provided feedback on the content of the study based on previous experiences with multimedia materials produced in the framework of the Project. AHC is currently finalizing the design of the research study.

Supporting Elimination of Gender Discrimination in the Media: Social Contract Institute (SCI) finalized 10 podcast episodes and two radio stations, Radio Tirana and Club FM, agreed to broadcast the production. In addition, the podcasts have been published on SCI’s streaming channel, Facebook page, and website: SCI Podcasts Sound Cloud, SCI-Social-Contract-Institute- Facebook, SCI Website

The podcast, which is titled “In the Same Voice,” shares the experiences of couples working in media and focuses on promoting positive partnership and its role in gender equality. Professional women journalists shared their stories, addressing gender stereotypes they have faced in their careers and how they coped to successfully overcome challenges. The podcast places a spotlight on the gender stereotypes experienced in the Albanian media environment and encourages women journalists, especially young women journalists, to find ways to address and overcome such challenges by presenting their successful stories and experiences.

Component 3 Donor Coordination:

The Project conducted several meetings with UK representatives during this reporting period to discuss the progress of project activities and plans for the future. On January 29, a meeting was organized with the head of the UT DoJ, Mark Marku, and the point persons at the British Embassy to discuss progress on the master’s program and Court and Crime Reporting curricula. On January 30, a meeting was conducted with the British Embassy and other partners, including Faktoje, AHC, and SCI. Both meetings were very instructive and resulted in fruitful discussions on progress and plans for the future.

Additionally, the JFA Chief of Party and Media Team Leader participated in a working dinner with representatives from the UK Foreign Office. The dinner was organized by the British Embassy in Tirana as an opportunity for their partners and beneficiaries to discuss progress and share ideas on the continuation of such projects. The Project shared its progress on the activities being implemented under the current MoU and highlighted the need for the continuation of such support. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and related cancellation of some key events, the Project has been following up with the British Embassy on a no-cost extension. A decision is expected early next quarter.

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CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES The most significant successes for this quarter can be summarized as follows:

✔ After the successful evaluation of their membership application, Faktoje became the first Albanian fact-checking service to be a signatory partner of the IFCN; ✔ Faktoje has increased its collaboration with other organizations in the region, including through a joint grant application with Kallxo and the signing of an MoU with Metamorphosis to implement a joint project; ✔ Faktoje signed a MoU with the U.S. Agency for Global Media/Voice of America; ✔ Successful first training series for the Beyond Fences 2 initiative with groups of students filming, conducting interviews, editing their work, and successfully pitching stories for the short films that will be produced; ✔ Publishing of the investigative article by Elton Qyno as part independent investigative grants scheme; ✔ Awarding of a new grant to an independent journalist to develop investigative articles on customs corruption schemes related to luxury car taxes; ✔ Successful capacity building ToTs for UT DoJ members and external module leaders in the master’s program and successful practical classes for around 100 journalism students; ✔ Successful launching of the Court & Crime Reporting course at UT DoJ; ✔ Successful informative sessions with journalism students in Tirana on their legal rights and contractual issues; ✔ Updating and republishing of the manual on the rights of journalists; ✔ Publishing of two media articles on legal rights for journalists; ✔ Successful follow up on cases for journalists on contractual issues, to the court; ✔ Increased awareness raising on the labor rights of journalists through videos and media articles; and ✔ Publishing of 10 podcast episodes on gender stereotypes in media and promoting support for women in media by sharing successful stories of media professionals with a special focus on women journalists.

CHALLENGES FACED AND SOLUTIONS DEVELOPED

Faktoje faced some staff management issues during this quarter. One of the new journalists that was hired in December did not pass her probation period due to poor performance and failing to meet the objectives stated in her contract. Such a situation and her reactions towards this decision created some tension among staff members. In order to address this issue, an Advisory Board meeting was held on February 21 to discuss several issues related to staff management, transparency, and communication. The Board asked for rigorous editorial policies to be established and shared with staff. Additionally, a more open and transparent culture of sharing information was encouraged, including a suggestion for bi-weekly meetings in which issues can be discussed with all staff members. The Board members organized a meeting with Faktoje staff

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One of the ToTs at UT DoJ with the De Montfort university experts, which was planned for end of February, was not held, as plans changed at the university. The university exam period was postponed to February 15-March 9, instead of January 31-February 17. The postponement came as a result of delays caused by schools being closed in November due to the earthquake in Albania. This rescheduling was only reported in the beginning of February and affected plans to deliver the ToT on February 27-28. As a result, the Project postponed the ToT until mid-April. Due to COVID-19 response measures and the general lockdown in both Albania and the UK, the ToT was also included in the no-cost extension plan that will be submitted to the British Embassy at the beginning of April. In addition, two activities that were planned for March 2020 were postponed due to the ongoing pandemic: the UK study tour for UT staff and AHC’s final roundtable event. Both of these activities have also been included in the no-cost extension request that will be submitted to the British Embassy at the beginning of April.

Steps for next quarter:

✔ Continued support for Faktoje: ✔ Launch, monitor, and evaluate the online campaign on how to spot disinformation and fake news; ✔ Complete the redesign of Faktoje’s website and launch the new website; ✔ Provide support for Faktoje to explore new opportunities for grant applications, strengthened networking and extend coverage; ✔ Monitor BIRN’s Albania implementation of activities within the no-cost extension period until June 2020; ✔ Finalize the website for the master’s program in investigative journalism with UT DoJ; ✔ Monitor the implementation of the Court and Crime Reporting course at UT DoJ and finalize the handbook for the course; and ✔ Follow up with participants in the Beyond Fences initiative and provide support for students to progress with their short films production.

MoU with British Embassy

✔ Prepare and submit the final report for current MoU with the British Embassy;

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✔ Plan for activities that were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the no- cost extension; and ✔ Track progress of the new project proposal for an upcoming MoU with the British Embassy, especially in relation to Faktoje as their new funding for this period is solely dedicated to the COVID-19 emergency.

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