JUSTICE FOR ALL PROJECT IN QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER 1, 2018 – DECEMBER 31, 2018

JUSTICE FOR ALL PROJECT IN ALBANIA

QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER 1, 2018 – DECEMBER 31, 2018

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

Submitted to: USAID/Albania on January 18, 2018

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.

2

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2 COMPONENT 1: STREAMLINED, EXPEDITIOUS AND TRANSPARENT COURT PROCEEDINGS 3 EXPECTED RESULT 1.1: COURTS PERFORM THEIR FUNCTIONS MORE EFFICIENTLY, AVOIDING UNPRODUCTIVE HEARINGS AND UNNECESSARY DELAYS. 3 EXPECTED RESULT 1.2: COURT SESSIONS TAKE PLACE IN COURTROOMS WHERE THE HEARINGS ARE VERBATIM RECORDED AND ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. 7 EXPECTED RESULT 1.3: PUBLIC HAS EASY ACCESS TO THE COURTS 9 EXPECTED RESULT 1.4: JUDICIAL LEADERSHIP IS STRENGTHENED AND UNDERTAKES AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE JUDICIAL REFORM PROCESS. 10

COMPONENT 3: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM 20 EXPECTED RESULT 3.1: CORRUPTION & OTHER ECONOMIC CRIMES BETTER EXPOSED TO THE PUBLIC 20 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 23 EXPECTED RESULT 3.3: A MORE POLITICALLY ENGAGED AND INFORMED CITIZENRY IS PROMOTED 24 EXPECTED RESULT 3.4: INDEPENDENT AND OPEN MEDIA IS STRENGTHENED 26

ANNEXES (SUBMITTED SEPARATELY)

INTRODUCTION The East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI) is pleased to submit the following quarterly report covering activities for the Justice for All Project (hereinafter referred to as “the Project”) for the reporting period. The following deliverables were completed during the quarter: ● Completed facilitation of the Sixth and Seventh Meetings of District Court Judges. ● Completed the Justice without Delay (JWD) Interlocutors Meeting for the District Court of Kavaja. ● Completed the JWD first implementation period data collection for the District Courts of Vlora, Fier, , Tropoja and Gjirokastra. ● Completed the JWD Implementation Reports for the first six months of implementation for the District Courts of Vlora, Fier, and Berat as well as annual report for Korca. ● Completed the upgrade of the BackUPChain Software for Central Audio Recording Archive. ● Completed Memorandum of Understanding between USAID Albania, Court and Central Judicial Archive. ● Completed one ToT on Advance Training Methods with SoM. ● Completed two joint meetings with High Judicial Council (HJC) lay members and candidate judges. ● Supported the General Meeting of Judges (GMJ) preliminary preparations phase. ● Supported the organization of the first constitutive meeting of the HJC. ● Supported the drafting process of the HJC first meetings acts. ● Supported the establishment of the Albanian Forum of Women Judges (AFWJ). ● Awarded 2nd Phase grant to Gender Alliance Development Center (GADC) for supporting Faktoje. ● Completed constituting Faktoje’s Editorial Board. ● Provided on-the-job mentoring and advice to Faktoje. ● Supported Faktoje events and participation in three media forums/conferences. ● Completed Faktoje exchange visit with Croatian fact-checking service Faktograf. ● Supported BIRN Albania to provide a training course for court and crime reporters. ● Completed one investigative journalism grant. ● Completed negotiations and signing of MOU with UK Embassy for further support to Albanian media

Details concerning these activities are provided below, tracking the Project components and expected results.

4

TABLE OF ACRONYMS

AC Appeal College ACQJ Albanian Center for Quality Journalism AFWJ Albanian Forum of Women Judges BIRN Balkan Investigative Reporting Network BUC BackUpChain Software CAP Court Administration Program CAPWG Court Administration Program Working Group DIMS Developing an Investigative Mindset DJUT Department of Journalism, University of Tirana DoPA Department of Public Administration GADC Gender Alliances for Development GMJ General Meeting of Judges HC High Court HCJ High Council of Justice (old) HJC High Judicial Council (new) HJI High Justice Inspectorate HPC High Prosecutorial Council IDRA Institute for Development Research and Alternatives IMA International Media Adviser IMO International Monitoring Organization IQC Independent Qualification Commission (vetting panels) IT Information Technology JAC Justice Appointment Council JBAO Judicial Budget Administration Office JWD Justice Without Delays MOF Ministry of Finance MOJ Ministry of Justice MPRO Media and Public Relations Officer NCSS National Center for Social Studies PC Public Commissioners SCI Social Contract Institute SoM School of Magistrates

6

COMPONENT 1: STREAMLINED, EXPEDITIOUS AND TRANSPARENT COURT PROCEEDINGS EXPECTED RESULT 1.1: COURTS PERFORM THEIR FUNCTIONS MORE EFFICIENTLY, AVOIDING UNPRODUCTIVE HEARINGS AND UNNECESSARY DELAYS.

STOCKTAKING ASSESSMENT OF JWD COURTS During this quarter, the Project collected data for the preparation of the first implementation reports in the district courts of Vlora, Fier, Berat and Gjirokastra. The project created a calendar of data collection activities for the first and second year of the implementation of JWD in the courts of Tropoja and Durres, with the data having been collected for Tropoja; data for Durres will be collected early next quarter.

The first six-month implementation reports for Vlora, Fier and Courts were completed and are attached as Annex 1A.

In Vlora District Court, the implementation report comparing the results of the baseline and implementation for criminal and civil cases reflects strong improvements by reducing the average length of proceedings and increasing the productivity of hearings, although the court did not manage to reach all the goals set in its action plan – see below for the results in civil cases. The findings in criminal cases under the New Procedure Code show that 85% of the hearings are productive. The Project in collaboration with the court will establish follow up actions in order to assist the court to reach the established goals.

Implementation Report Results for Vlora District Implementation Report Results for Vlora District Court Court

Fier District Court managed to reach and partly surpass the goals set in its action plan by reducing the average length of proceedings and increasing the productivity of hearings. Defendants and their representatives as well as the prosecutors were the main actors causing hearing postponements during the implementation period. The findings from the criminal cases under the New Procedure Code show that 84% of the hearings are productive and the results for civil proceedings can be

seen below. The Project in collaboration with the court will establish follow up actions in order to assist the court to reach the established goals.

Implementation Report Results for Implementation Report Results for Fier District Court Court

In Berat District Court the goals set in the action plan were reached and surpassed for both criminal and civil cases. Civil case results are noted below.

Implementation Report Results for Berat District Implementation Report Results for Berat District Court Court

After the finalization of the reports for Tirana District Court, the Project and its partner, OSCE, met with the Chief Judge and Chancellor to discuss results and further steps to assist the court in achieving its goals. The organizations agreed to hold a joint meeting early next quarter between the Chief Judge and the Head of the Tirana Prosecution Office to discuss the role of prosecutors in efficient court hearings and how to improve the current situation in view of the recent criminal procedure amendments. Tirana court judges will participate in the regional round table on the procedural law changes organized under the JWD initiative early next quarter. The Chief Judge of Tirana District Court will serve as an expert of the Magistrates School in this event.

The second year implementation report for Korca analyzing cases adjudicated in 2016 was completed and is attached as Annex 1A.

8

In Korca District Court, findings show that the initiative has been sustained throughout 2016, and the court continued to reduce the length of proceedings and increase the productivity of hearings.

Annual Implementation Results for Korca District Annual Implementation Results for Korca District Court Court

Annual Implementation reports have been drafted and are currently under review for Kukes, Korca (cases adjudicated in 2017) and Puka and Kruja (cases adjudicated in 2016 and 2017) and will be finalized next quarter.

IMPLEMENTATION OF JWD IN ADDITIONAL COURTS During this quarter, the initial six months implementation of JWD continued in the District Courts of Gjirokastra, Lushnja, Përmet and Saranda.

The Assistants to the Chief Judges of Korca, Durres, Lezha, Kavaja, Vlora and concluded this quarter their work in their respective courts.

Gjirokastra District Court completed implementation of the first six months of JWD during this quarter. The court clerk submitted her third and last report summarizing the length of the proceedings and the reasons for postponements, as well as active measures taken by the court. Some of the active measures included: reporting the absence of a prosecutor to the Prosecution Office Head; accepting only one request for postponement due to a lawyer’s unavailability and appointing an ex-officio lawyer; requesting parties to be prepared to submit their final conclusions in the next hearing; and reminding institutions that do not submit timely replies to the court that they will be fined. Approximately 800 court customers (parties, representatives of local institutions and public) were informed about the initiative and the commitments of Gjirokastra judges.

Lushnja District Court completed the sixth and last month of the first implementation period. The Court Clerk reported in his monthly report that the average number of hearings for a case to conclude was 2.8 in civil and 2.1 in criminal cases. Some of the active measures taken by the court included fines against attorneys who have made frequent unsubstantiated requests for postponements, and dismissal of cases when the initiating party or attorney has unjustifiably failed to attend a hearing. The most critical challenge reported remains the failure to serve summonses

and other court documents. Approximately 600 court customers (parties, representatives of local institutions and public) were informed about the initiative and the commitments of Lushnja judges.

Saranda District Court’s temporary court clerk (who will inform parties about the action plan and will collect needed data) was selected, contracted and trained. The informative leaflet was provided to the court and distribution was started.

Permet District Court’s temporary court clerk was also selected, contracted and trained this quarter, and distribution of the informative leaflet was also begun.

Kavaja District Court organized the Local Interlocutors Meeting. Prosecutors, police, representatives of the institutions involved in trials (e.g., detention institutions, Immovable Property Registration Office, Municipality, Probation Office, Bailiff’s Office, etc.) attended the meeting. The JWD Initiative and the action plan, agreed to by the judges and staff of the court and including concrete measures to address delays, was presented, followed by a discussion regarding possible ways of improve cooperation.

After encountering challenges finding a qualified candidate for the position of the JWD Court Clerk, the Project in collaboration with the Chief Judge realigned the assistant to the Chief Judge of Kavaja District Court duties so that the

Kavaja District Court Local Interlocutors Meeting distribution of the JWD leaflets and the explanation of the action plan could be achieved. After the last vacancy posting resulted in no applications, the Project and the Chief Judge decided to contract the Assistant of the Chief Judge to perform the duties of the temporary court clerk.

Lezha District Court continued its role as one of the champion courts on court efficiency with a Chief Judge who actively represents the court and its work in the community. As reported by the Assistant to the Chief Judge, the court has drafted agreements with local institutions that act as parties in a judicial process aiming to increase their inter-institutional collaboration and the usage of electronic means of notifications. A letter has also been addressed to the Central Directorate of Prisons highlighting the frequent postponements caused by the Shkodra Detention Facility. A simpler version of the evidence inventory form was created for the parties to use when presenting their claims to the court.

Durres District Court reported that during July - September, only 3 % of civil cases had taken more than 5 hearings to resolve, while for criminal cases the results is 5%. The most frequent reason for delay in civil cases continues to be the lack of accurate addresses for service of process. Issues related to the work of experts also contributed to delays. In criminal cases, the notification of defendants is an issue together with the non-appearance of prosecutors, sometimes for supported reasons but sometimes also for unsupported reasons. The Court continues to follow this issue with the District Prosecution Office while sending monthly reports regarding the prosecutors causing delays. During November, the court reported that only 10 % of concluded civil cases had taken

10

more than 5 hearings meanwhile for criminal cases the percentage was only 3 %. The majority of cases is concluded in a maximum of 4 hearings. These results show the continuous commitment of the judges of Durres towards efficiency.

Based on the courts’ performance and continuous excellent collaboration the project will continue to offer assistance to the Durres and Lezha Court. The assistance will consist of the continuation of the services offered to the citizens through the public information officer and with an administrative assistant to the court.

AUTOMATIZATION OF DATA COLLECTION JWD had previously created a data collection application to be used when collecting information on the length of proceedings. The changes to the procedural codes, however, necessitated updating the application and the excel form template. This work has begun and will be completed early next quarter.

INSTITUTIONALIZE AND PROMOTE JWD The Project, in collaboration with the OSCE and the Albanian School of Magistrates, organized two regional workshops on efficiency of proceedings and challenges implementing the new procedural rules in the framework of the JWD initiative.

The first regional workshop was organized in Korça with 26 judges, prosecutors and attorneys from Korça, Pogradec, Gjirokastra and Permet region participating. The second regional workshop was organized in Shkodra, with 27 Judge Voskopi, Korca District Court, sharing best judges, prosecutors and attorneys from Shkodra practices at the Regional Conference. and Lezha participating. The workshop was attended by Appellate Court of Shkodra judges as well.

The project also organized two District Court Chief Judges Meetings which are detailed below. (See Judicial Leadership section).

BACKLOG REDUCTION OF THE HIGH COURT (HC) The assessment of the High Court and its backlog prepared by Project’s international expert Dr. Heike Gramckow has not yet been shared with the High Court due to the status of the Chief Justice, whose appointment is under appeal within the vetting process. With the formation of the HJC, the Project will approach the Chair to gain the HJC’s support in working with the HC.

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

ENCOURAGE MORE OPEN HEARINGS AND THE USE OF DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDING (DAR) All 38 Albanian Courts continue to operate using the enhanced software implemented by the Project and the Project is closely monitoring the nightly transfer of audio files and providing appropriate feedback to Court IT staff when issues are faced. Some of the issues are due to internet or power shortages for brief periods of time, but have been fixed through the appropriate feedback of the Project and the court IT staff, resulting in the backup transfer being completed successfully.

During this quarter, the Project installed a new version of the BackUpChain (BUC) Software (software used for the daily file backup to the DAR Central Repository). The update provides for additional security features within the BUC software. All courts have been upgraded and transfer of files is being conducted as usual. Two quick reference guides for the daily monitoring of the transfer of files from the court server to the central archive, through the backup software, were prepared. A new approach is taken so that ownership of responsibilities is created within the courts regarding the troubleshooting of daily issues such as loss of internet or electrical power. The IT specialists of the courts will rely on a list of issues that they might encounter and specific steps that they need to follow to fix the issue. Meanwhile the project will continue to monitor the daily backup.

An assessment of the Durres Appellate Court server environment was completed in order to understand the technical issues the court experienced during transfer of DAR files, such as lack of stable internet or power connection. A proposal with recommendations on best solutions for a stable environment (internet and electrical power supply) at the server room will be prepared by the project STE in early next quarter and will be shared with the court.

An assessment of the Tirana District Court server environment was conducted after the court completed a simple refurbishment of the server room. The aim was to assess the impact of these changes and their compliance with the proposed recommendations previously provided by the Project. A proposal with further recommendations on next steps will be shared with the court early next quarter.

12

The Project organized a signing ceremony between Tirana District Court, Central Judicial Archive and USAID. Attending the ceremony were USAID Albania Director, Chief Judge of Tirana District Court and the Director of the Central Judicial Archive. A tour of the courthouse and the courtrooms filled with archive folders were conducted followed by the signing ceremony.

The project issued the vacancy notice for the position of temporary court archives employee. USAID Albania Director, Tirana District Court Chief Judge and Central Judicial Archive Director, 292 applications for the 8 vacancies as court signing the Memorandum of Understanding archives employee were received. After shortlisting the 124 applications that completed minimum requirements, 15 candidates were selected to participate in the interview process. Eight successful candidates were selected and contracted. Training is foreseen to be conducted earlier next quarter by the Chancellor and Chief Archivist of the court. Training topics will consist of: court organization and functions, the legal framework related court archives, how the court codex are drafted and used etc. Following a meeting with the Chief Judge and Chancellor of the court, specifics steps towards ensuring the correct implementation of the MOU were agreed.

An assessment on the needed technical infrastructure in the State Archive of the Judicial System building was completed by the Projects IT specialist in order to create a reliable infrastructure for the installation of the printer/scanner to the SAJS. Overall impacts of this initiative include the increase in the number of courtrooms available in the court as records are moved to the SAJS and former storage rooms are converted and outfitted as courtrooms.

EXPECTED RESULT 1.3: PUBLIC HAS EASY ACCESS TO THE COURTS

As described above, media and public relations activities have been conducted in Durres and Lezha District Courts as a part of the JWD initiative, and through the distribution of information to court users, the public, and journalists.

In Lezha District Court, following the BIRN Albania Court Transparency report, the Media and Public Relations Officer (MPRO) has assisted the court on concrete measures to improve transparency, such as updating the court’s transparency program and website. The MPRO assisted and coordinated with the planning and implementation of the courts signing on an MOU with the Municipality. As part of the 16 days of activism against gender based violence the MOU “on the mechanism of cooperation of work for the referral and treatment of domestic violence cases.” supports the continuous improvement of the security and welfare of community members who suffer from domestic violence through a coordinated response system.

The Durrës District Court MPRO, in collaboration with the IT specialist of the Court, prepared a short informative video on how to obtain archived documents at the court through an online application. The video was posted in the courts website, Facebook page and YouTube channel. During this quarter, around 2,200 persons have been assisted by the Information

Poster on the online application for the archived Corner of the Court, who also updates the court’s documents – Durres District Court Facebook page and website.

The project is assisting the Serious Crimes Appellate Court and District Court of Durres to improve public access by creating a web based application that will derive information from the CMS and make it readily available to the court visitors via a touch screen display. The touch screen application will make available information to the public during all court business hours, and will shorten the queues at the information counters which are open for only 2-3 hours per day. The Serious Crimes Appellate Court has already purchased a touch screen display, and a draft of the features and functionalities was produced and shared with the court.

The project collaborated with the Secretary General and the IT officer of the HCJ so that concrete steps can be taken to ensure a transparent judicial council once it will be established. Following the recommendations of the project, the Secretary General applied for a new domain for the High Judicial Council to the appropriate Albanian institution. The project STE reviewed how technically the current website of the HCJ functions and how feasible it is to be adopted with new features for the new institution. A short website concept memo was prepared and will be shared with the new council next quarter.

EXPECTED RESULT 1.4: JUDICIAL LEADERSHIP IS STRENGTHENED AND UNDERTAKES AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE JUDICIAL REFORM PROCESS.

DISTRICT COURT JUDGES LEADERSHIP MEETINGS The project met with the Director of the Office for the Administration of the Judicial Budget regarding a request for assistance submitted on behalf of the Court Leadership meeting for extra human resources to be provided to the appellate courts. Both the Project and the Office will explore opportunities to assist the courts to fulfill their legal mandate.

The Project facilitated the sixth District Court Judges Leadership Meeting on October 29 and 30, which was hosted by the District Court of Pogradec and attended by 19 Chief Judges out of 22 District Courts. During the first day, discussions were held on issues relating to court experts, the postal service and delivery of notifications. During the second day, discussions focused on issues related to the postal service and delivery of notifications. A working group was established to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the postal service to improve this function.

The meeting served as well as a forum for BIRN Albania to present the main findings of the Court Transparency Report. Chief judges of the Appellate courts, Administrative courts (first instance 14

and Appellate) as well as the Chief Judges of the Serious Crimes Courts (first instance and appellate) and the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the High Court joined the meeting, bringing the number of participants to 30. Chief Judges and BIRN shared their opinions in order to improve the cooperation between media and courts, by also mentioning the limitations because of lack of human resources and lack of control on the IT infrastructure of the court.

The Project facilitated the seventh meeting on December 7, which was hosted by the Kukes District Court, and was attended by 14 Chief Judges and EURALIUS experts as observers. Key documents produced and shared were:

 Letter to the Minister of Justice “Request on issues related to the provision of free legal aid” - sent by Chief Judge Naqellari of Lezha Court;  Letter the Minister of Justice “Request on issues related to expenses in courts” - sent by Post Office Representatives participating at the Chief Judge Naqellari of Lezha Court; Judicial Leadership Meeting  Response to the needs assessment of the infrastructure framework for the provision of primary state aid guaranteed by the state - sent by Chief Judge Naqellari of Lezha Court;  Draft of general criteria for experts to be included in court lists - prepared by Chief Judge Naqellari of Lezha Court;  Order on payment of psychologists in criminal cases - prepared by Chief Judge Belishta of Korca Court (amendments based on the discussions will be presented to the next meeting for adoption);  Brief guide to the procedural rules related to court notices - prepared by Chief Judge Naqellari of Lezha Court;  Draft contract with the Postal Services - prepared by Chief Judge Hajro of Tirana Court; the Chief Judges of Tirana and Shkodra will participate in the negotiation of the contract, while Lezha will work on a standard notification form. New documents produced will be distributed for adoption at the next meeting; and  Issues related to transcription of DAR - prepared by Chief Judge Hajro of Tirana Court.

Working with the Court Chairpersons and in collaboration with the Director of the Office of the Administration of the Judicial Budget (ZABGJ) the Project supported ZABGJ’s training of 43 Chancellors and Courts’ Budget Specialists on the new legal framework for court budgets which was slated for implementation on 01 January 2019. .

MONITORING THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The Project continued to observe Assembly activities related to establishing the new justice institutions. No substantial development was noted regarding the abolished portions of the legal framework including those addressing the new Council’s plenary session and judge’s disciplinary liability. The Parliament’s opposition group boycott ended in December, however the political crisis is ongoing and a lack of consensus on critical issues persists.

The Project attended a special session on establishing the committee to monitor the implementation of the law on governance bodies. This ad hoc committee will be in place until all new justice institutions are operational. Mr. Artan Spahiu, Elbasan Public University professor, was unanimously elected as the Chairperson, and Mrs. Lindita Rusmali, a current Assembly employee, was elected secretary. The Project plans to meet with the Committee next quarter to discuss the transitory period priority needs.

The Project attended the Laws Committee hearing sessions on the 2019 draft budget of JBAO and HCJ. The JBAO Executive Director provided a comprehensive analyses on the court system human resource needs. The MOF agreed to increase the number of employees by 20 instead of the 83 requested, while full support was offered for the judge’s new salary scheme. The HCJ draft budget was based on old indicators, except for the inspectors with magistrate status who will receive the new salary rate. Next quarter, the Project will provide technical assistance to the HJC, given its expanded mandate, to draft a thorough justification for the new budget to be presented to the Assembly. This technical assistance will be linked to capacity building on strategic planning designed to strengthen the judiciary’s justification for budget submissions.

VETTING PROCESS The vetting process proceeded slowly this quarter with few monitoring reports being issued. There appears little understanding of the repercussions for the delay or priority subjects terminations. The decision reasoning deadline of 30 days has not been respected in an increasing number of cases. Double standards were applied in similar cases and different adjudicating methodologies among panels were applied. Political pressure persists.

After one year, the process was concluded for only 77 out of 800 magistrates. Moreover, the priority lists have yet to be concluded, creating an obstacle for the establishment of the High Justice Inspectorate and functioning of the Judicial Appointment Committee.

Dismissal of High Court judges significantly impacted citizen’s access to justice and fair trial standards. The situation remains uncertain as two of the judges remain are under appeal within vetting upon the IMO’s recommendation.

The vetting delay is problematic in appellate and district courts due to lack of the required number of judges to adjudicate criminal cases. At the end of the quarter the chairpersons of Korca Courts of Appeals and of the District Courts of Vlora, Puka and Berat District Courts were dismissed. The hearing session for Saranda, Shkodra and Courts Chairpersons are scheduled in January 2019. Next quarter, in collaboration with EURALIUS, the Project will provide technical assistance to the HJC to address issues such as judges temporary assignments, delegation scheme design, and Deputy Chairperson elections a process.

JUDICIAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT To support ongoing reforms and improve judicial leadership, the Project facilitated the formation of the Albanian Women Judges Forum (AWJF). The Forum will create opportunities for professional growth, networking, mentoring, and support for women judges and for those seeking to become a judge. The Forum will act as an effective and visible platform for women to exercise

16

judicial leadership, to effect change in how the courts perform, and to conduct projects in the community to build trust in the judiciary and within the justice sector to create more gender responsive judicial institutions.

Twenty-six judges participated in the 1st meeting in October and were provided with a chance to meet with senior US Judge James Reihl, who spoke with them about how such Forums have successfully tackled issues related to how domestic violence cases are handled in the courts. At a second meeting in November 51 women judges established the forum, by approving their establishment act and statute. The Chairwoman and the Managing Board of 7 Members were selected. Judge Joana Qeleshi, Chief Judge of Durres District Court was selected as Chairwoman.

Next quarter, with the assistance of the Project, the Forum will conduct a full strategic planning process, develop and implement key projects to address core issues such as access to justice, domestic violence and women in the justice sector while also seeking affiliation with the International Association of Women Judges.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO HIGH JUDICIAL COUNCIL This reporting period witnessed a historical achievement for the rule of law and the future of the judiciary in Albania with the establishment of the High Judicial Council (HJC) on December 12, 2018. The Project monitored the General Meeting of Judges (GMJ), which upon a high turnout of 336 judges elected the six remaining judge members. The Project provided technical support for the GMJ, and advice to the High 4 October 2018 – The inaugural meeting of women Court working group tasked with voting judges to discuss formation of Albanian Women regulations and ballot design. In addition, the Judges Forum Project observed the voting process and provided logistical support.

The HJC held its first official meeting on December 20, 2018. Several informal meetings were held in advance with the HJC’s oldest member, Mrs. Fatmira Luli, who by law was charged with chairing the first meeting in the absence of an elected chair. In collaboration with EURALIUS, the Project provided assistance on developing the agenda and drafting the chairperson and deputy chairperson election regulations. The Project also provided the HJC members with individual sets of supporting documents such as the Constitution, the justice reform laws and the procedural codes. At the meeting, Mrs. Naureda Llagami, the civil society representative, was elected the Chairperson and Mr. Maksim Qoku, an academia representative, was elected as the deputy Chairperson. Several decisions were made on pressing issues regarding the procedures for the newly graduated magistrates vetting process and the Anti-Corruption and Organized Crimes Court judges’ temporary appointment. The meeting was attended by the EU Delegation, USAID, EURALIUS, as well as the Chairperson of the Monitoring Committee of Justice Reform Implementation and the Ombudsman. Throughout the quarter, the Project engaged in a number of

activities designed to build the capacity of the new council and the HJC administration and lay the foundation for a smooth transition.

In October, the Project collaborated with EURALIUS to conduct a meeting with HJC Lay members and HCJ senior administration to discuss strategic planning best practices. Judicial Leadership Expert, Judge James Reihl, shared the main challenges to effective strategic planning and the need for effective communication, accurate data, and alignment of sectoral and cross sector policies and strategies 17 December 2018 – The HJC informal meeting on and donor coordination. The Project presented a human resources issues before the constitutive strategic planning process and timeline that will meeting. begin in February 2019. The Project spent considerable time with HJC senior administration building their capacity to fully support the strategic planning process.

Throughout the quarter, the Project continued its ongoing support to HJC senior management to facilitate the transition process. The Project offered advice on the first acts drafting process and supported the Legal Department with drafting the court deputy chairperson voting regulation. The latter was the very first act approved by the HJC, following the IQC dismissal of Puka, Korca and Berat District Courts Chairpersons. The voting process was successfully completed in three courts and will resume in January 2019 in Saranda, Shkodra, Kurbin, followed by other courts throughout Albania. The HJC Chairperson approved a deployment plan for members to attend and support the election process. The Project will continue to monitor the process and provide technical support as needed.

The organizational layout and human resources needs was discussed at a joint meeting of HJC members, HCJ Secretary General and senior administration held on December 17, 2018. It aimed at establishing a forum for brainstorming the most pressing needs of the incumbent employees, following the transitory merging of the two administrations (HCJ and JBAO), as well as the future recruitment phases.

The Project worked closely with the HJC HR Director and the EURALIUS short term international expert tasked with mapping the transfer and recruitment process of the incumbent and new employees to develop an organizational layout for the HJC. Meetings were conducted with Department of Public Administration on the applicable rules of civil servant law and respective bylaws. The structure and the respective budget will be presented to the Assembly for approval early next quarter. The Project will continue to collaborate with EURALIUS to ensure a proper workload analysis, position and task analysis and recruitment process support an appropriate organizational structure.

The Project continued to coordinate with EURALIUS on the priority acts. A joint meeting was held on October 31, 2018 with HJC lay members, candidate judges, HCJ Secretary General and senior administration to discuss 10 priority acts to be drafted to ensure a soft start of the new HJC’s 18

work. Participants raised several concerns regarding candidates vetting and the weights of supporting agencies findings, HJC capacity to further investigate, candidates formal criteria required by law and the risk to become obstacles to the process. The project will follow the process closely and provide advice as needed.

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE The Project supported the MoJ to finalize the Instruction “On the Establishment, Administration and Making Available for the Public of the Electronic Registry of Experts”. The MoJ addressed the comments and suggestions provided by the Project and approved the Instruction. Upon approval of the Instruction, the Project is helping the MoJ to plan and develop the Registry of Court Experts.

The MoJ organized a round table to discuss the draft sublegal acts that it prepared regarding the law no. 111/2017, dated 14.12.2017 “On State Legal Aid.” The Project worked with the MoJ to invite the Chief Judges of the District Courts and share the draft sublegal acts for their comments. As a result, four Chief Judges attended the meeting and provided comments. The Project will support the Chief Judges in collecting and consolidating their comments before they are sent to the MoJ. The Project also attended a consultative meeting organized by the MoJ on the 9 - month implementation report of the Cross sector Justice Strategy and on the updated Action Plan of this Strategy.

The Project is coordinating with EURALIUS to assist the MoJ for the consultation process of draft CoM Decisions drafted in the framework of the justice reform. The Project will support the organization of the consultations, and the collection of comments from stakeholders.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO THE SCHOOL OF MAGISTRATES: COURT MANAGEMENT TRAINING Meetings were held throughout the quarter with Vangjel Kosta, the SoM faculty member overseeing the Court Administration Program (CAP), to keep him apprised of progress in completing the remaining modules. The Project continued the editing and translation process for the completed modules and it is expected that publication will occur by Q3 of this work plan year.

In October, the Project organized an Advanced Faculty Development Program for SOM trainers selected to serve in the initial CAP. Participants were introduced to adult learning theory, needs assessment techniques and advanced teaching strategies. They practiced these skills by preparing presentations from their respective CAP modules. Participants expressed positive feedback on learning experiential learning methods employed in the CAP. Following the Advanced Faculty Development Program, the Project met with trainers individually to provide guidance on finalizing their modules. Next quarter, the Project will offer four pilot trainings of the CAP on Strategic Planning, Human Resource Management, Caseflow Management and Performance Standards modules to be held from January through May 2019.

The SoM Executive Director requested support on the magistrates and chancellor testing examination. An intensified training strategy for incumbent chancellors is under consideration. The court chancellors will stay in office only if successfully passing the HJC formal evaluation and the 70 % score of the SoM testing to be conducted within 6 months after the HJC establishment. The Project will meet with SoM faculty next quarter to discuss best practices in entrance examinations and post training exams.

DONOR COORDINATION The Project continued close coordination with other international donors operating in the field 24-26 October 2018 – Advanced Training of of court administration. Two meetings were held Trainers with SoM working group on Court respectively in October and November with CoE Administration Program. experts on court administration, court facilities and court security issues. In addition, the Project participated in CoE seminar on court administration held in October. A draft seminar report aimed at identifying the roles and competencies of chairpersons, chancellors, legal advisors and assistants and making recommendations for further improvements based on CEPEJ standards. The Project also participated in discussions related to various chancellor issues, such as the supervisory relationship to other court employees, low salaries, and proposed testing methodology. The Project will follow up on these issues with the HJC and the SoM in the next quarter.

COMPONENT CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES: The delays in the vetting process and legislative activities impasse remained a serious challenge this quarter. Slow progress in the implementation of this phase of justice reform has led to a sharp increase in the backlog of cases awaiting trial. The role of the Albanian Directorate of Classified Information, responsible for performing background assessments of judges and prosecutors, has been at the center of controversies. The lack of clarity over the evaluation criteria is a serious concern. The vetting law contains loopholes allowing the resignation for judges and magistrates thereby avoiding the evaluation and assessment process. These issues, which are increasingly becoming public, will weaken public trust and confidence in their new institutions. The Project is poised to work with the new HJC to ensure that public trust and confidence is addressed as a central overarching issue in their strategic plan and through proactive measures such as media relations. Despite these challenges, Component 1 achieved success in strengthening the skills and abilities of the HJC senior management to effectively address pressing issues and needs arising in the transitory period. The Project laid the groundwork for working with the HJC and senior management on strategic planning, human resource and budgetary issues, information technology and drafting internal rules and sublegal acts. In addition, the Project supported the HJC in preparations for the General Meeting of Judges, the first constitutive HJC meeting and the first plenary HJC meeting. The formation of the AFWJ was a significant accomplishment with tremendous potential for improving the leadership of the courts by promoting and empowering women judges, advance gender responsive courts and ensure women’s equal access to justice.

20

STEPS FOR NEXT QUARTER • Lead the HJC strategic planning process for the development of an 18-month interim plan. • Conduct strategic agenda workshop for HJC. • Conduct training for HJC, Secretariat, and senior administration on strategic planning. • Support revision of the Cross Sector Justice Strategy Action Plan reflecting the HJC Strategic Plan. • Support the HJC new organizational structure and budget process. • Provide technical assistance to the Legal Department on priority acts drafting. • Conduct training for HJC administration on the fundamentals of court administration. • Liaise between courts and HJC on the drafting of internal rules of courts. • Provide technical assistance to MOJ on drafting sub-legal acts that directly affect HJC and the courts. • Facilitate grant making opportunities for NGO’s/CSO’s to promote access to justice. • Facilitate communication with SoM to incorporate court administration into continuous training calendar. • Publish CAP Strategic Planning Module. • Complete editing the CAP modules. • Complete pilot trainings on Strategic Planning, Caseflow Management, Human Resources Management and Performance Standards and Measurement. • Establish the CMWG as a shared entity between HJC and SoM. • Complete a strategic planning process for the AFWJ. • Implement committee structure for the AFWJ. • Develop relationship between AFWJ and International Association of Women Judges and obtain membership. • Complete AFWJ initiative and training plan on How Courts Address Gender and Domestic Violence. • Initiate planning for AFWJ conference planned for October 2019.

COMPONENT 3: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

EXPECTED RESULT 3.1: CORRUPTION AND OTHER ECONOMIC CRIMES ARE BETTER EXPOSED TO THE PUBLIC TRAINING ON INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AND CORRUPTION:

Following successful trainings in Tirana on Developing an Investigative Mindset (DIMS) for journalists during March-June 2018, the Project organized two training sessions on investigative journalism in the digital era for students of Shkodra and Elbasan University on 3 and 4 December 2018.

Twenty-six students attended the first of three trainings for journalism students at Shkodra University. The course aimed to relate an investigative approach in the digital age with special consideration given to how a journalistic story is pitched/told and written. Trainer Michael Alexander took the students through the important elements of investigation and storytelling and putting the journalistic basics in 3 December 2018; DIMS Trainings. IMA Michael Alexander interacting with the students of the frame of digital evolution. The students Journalism and Communication Department in responded well and enthusiastically to the Shkodra University. practical tasks. Groups had to pitch a story which could be shot/edited on smartphone and requires journalistic investigation. These formed the basis on some practical work they are being asked to produce between the first and second training (in January 2019).

The training in Elbasan attracted a very large number of students – 58 – more than twice the 25 which had been asked for attendance. A core group of 25 students who would best benefit from the practical side of the training were identified. The students became increasingly confident during the training. They pitched their stories competently and understood the concept of needing to have a full comprehension of their story components for an effective pitch. (Annex 3A)

During the next quarter, two rounds of training will be organized for journalism students in Shkodra and Elbasan.

GRANTS TO JOURNALISTS TO SUPPORT INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING:

During this quarter, journalist Fatjona Mejdini finalized and published her story entitled “Coins and Risks: the harsh reality of Roma beggars in Kosovo streets.” The IMA and Project staff advised the journalist on pursuing the story and telling the story in an attractive form for the public. The story sheds light on the present situation of Albanian Roma beggars in Kosovo and the risks they face passing the border between two neighboring countries. The story is published in the website of www.kallxo.com and by Albanian Centre for Quality Journalism (ACQJ). The story has been republished in various Albanian and Kosovo news websites as well.

The Project decided to interrupt further support to journalist Sokol Çobo pursuing a story on early release/escape for serious criminals escaping justice on discussable “medical grounds”, due to unresponsiveness of the journalist to continue working on the story. Despite the fact that a number of meetings have been organized during the third quarter aiming at advising the journalist and encouraging him to provide more in-depth information and improve the storytelling style, he failed to complete the article.

Journalist Elton Qyno approached the Project with a new proposal for an investigative story focusing on hydro power plants’ concessions in the country and cases of misuse of power and public money. Three such cases were presented to the Project, while the idea and the story itself

22

are being evaluated on several aspects; from public interest to importance of fact-based reporting uncovering corruption as well as real possibilities to pursue the story.

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 MEDIA CAPACITY ASSESSMENT TOOL (MCAT)

To evaluate Faktoje capacities and impact at midterm, IDRA assembled a panel made up of 20 people who read and absorb news and media coming from different socio-demographic profiles. They were asked to rate the Faktoje website on 10 performance indicators ranging from impartiality, relevance to site design and user-friendliness. After discussing, the panelists gave their scores from 1 to 5. The result presented in the Midline Report was very promising, with the Faktoje output and site getting an average mark of 4.5 out of 5. Comparing to the average mark of 4.1 for overall satisfaction in the baseline report, the midline report has evidenced a slight growth in the overall satisfaction. The report also has a selection of comments and suggestions from the panelists many of which Faktoje will act upon. See Annex 3B.

Indicators Baseline Midline Evaluating the 3.9 4.2 Content Indicators Evaluating the 4.2 4.5 Effectiveness

Overall 4.1 4.5 Satisfaction

Source: IDRA midline report for Faktoje

MENTORING, CAPACITY BUILDING AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING:

During the reporting period, the IMA and the Project staff have been mentoring and advising journalist Fatjona Mejdini to complete her story on children trafficking between Albania and Kosovo, through digging into official and unofficial data and statistics as well as guiding on getting relevant information and sources to enrich this article. Guidance has been provided to journalists Elton Qyno to search more and relevant information into court files which would be the backbone of his possible new investigation on public concessions and abuses of power related to the construction of Hydro Power Plants.

EXPECTED RESULT 3.3: A more politically engaged and informed citizenry is promoted. CORE PROGRAM GRANT TO BIRN ALBANIA - Court and Crime Reporting:

During the reporting period, the network of local reporters in each of 12 regions in the country has been engaged as a core pool of reporters covering court and crime stories in their respective regions. This pool of reporters received on-the-job training by the editorial team of BIRN Albania through capacity building support and mentoring. As a result, during this reporting period, the pool of local journalists produced 22 stories on court and crime; 18 news and 4 in-depth analyses. Tirana had a bigger number of court and crime stories with 48 articles prepared and published by the junior journalist and BIRN Albania staff. (ANNEX 3C)

BIRN held a three-day training course in Tirana from November 24-26 2018 for local journalists on court and crime reporting techniques, the transparency of the courts and mobile video reporting. Fifteen journalists representing all the regions of Albania attended the training course, at which the journalists were presented with the recently-published BIRN Albania report on the transparency of courts in Albania and told about techniques of how to use court websites and databases to identify leads. A special session on mobile video reporting was held during the training session by Ivana Dervishi, BIRN Albania’s multimedia journalist, at which the latest techniques of using cellphones to shoot video were presented.

Meanwhile, BIRN Albania has provided ongoing coverage of the vetting process, by attending and reporting on every judge or prosecutor undergoing the vetting process. Based on the characteristics of the process, BIRN Albania has provided the audience with a file for each judge and prosecutor undergoing the process which includes three articles. The first is published before the vetting hearing, containing a report on the individual’s assets and the declaration forms. The second article on each official includes a report on the hearing session held by the Independent Qualification Commission. The third article has covers the decision of the commission on each subject of the vetting process. Beside the 11 articles on the individual analysis, during this reporting period and under this project BIRN Albania has published 28 articles on the hearing sessions and decisions of the Independent Qualification Commission, as well as 12 articles on appeal cases, creation of new judicial institutions, as well as in depth analysis on the written decisions published by the vetting commission.

CORE PROGRAM GRANT TO BIRN ALBANIA - Investigative Stories

Three investigative pieces have been completed based on in-depth original research and focused on stories of high relevance and importance; two produced by BIRN Albania editors and journalists and one produced by a local journalist, mentored and supported by BIRN.

Investigative stories produced by BIRN and local journalists 12 Oct 2018: Si e ‘fshehu’ gjyqtari Artur Malaj vilën 3-katëshe nga vetingu, Besar Likmeta, Aleksandra Bogdani https://www.reporter.al/si-e-fshehu-gjyqtari-artur-malaj-vilen-3-kateshe-nga-vetingu/

24

19 Oct 2018: U inaugurua nga Rama me polifoni, por rruga e Lumit të Vlorës nisi si “ndërtim i paligjshëm”, Elton Qyno https://www.reporter.al/https-www-reporter-al-u-inaugurua-nga-rama-me-polifoni-prokuroria-con- ne-gjyq-ndertuesit-e-rruges-se-lumit-te-vlores/ 7 Dec 2018: Kompania e lidhur me “Balfin’ përfitoi 1.5 milionë euro për licensën e naftësjellësit të Bankers, Edmond Hoxhaj, Besar Likmeta https://www.reporter.al/kompania-e-lidhur-me-balfin-perfitoi-1-5-milione-euro-per-licensen-e- naftesjellesit-te-bankers/

CORE PROGRAM GRANT TO BIRN ALBANIA - COURT TRANSPARENCY ASSESSMENT

In close cooperation with the Project, BIRN Albania presented and discussed with the Chief Judges on 30 October 2018 the Court Transparency Monitoring report prepared by the organization. The results of this monitoring which took place during February-April 2018 highlighted that most of the courts in the country failed to fulfil at least 50 per cent of the indicators reviewed. The level of transparency arrives at a medium of 48 percent in all 38 courts and the Constitutional Court and the main issues are related to the updated program of transparency, lack of a public relations coordinator in courts and anonymization of data referring to the court cases. The findings of this monitoring report indicate courts have scored higher transparency level included in the “access to court” and “cases and courts decisions” whereas the less transparent categories at national level are “financial transparency” and “internal organizations”. The baseline report will be followed by another report in a year’s time, while BIRN Albania will work closely with the Project to train court staff to the requirements of the law on freedom of information and the legal framework on proactive transparency, based also in the requirements of the chief justice. During this reporting period, at least 5 courts have contacted BIRN Albania for more details and information regarding their proactive work to improve transparency level towards public and journalists.

30 October 2018, BIRN Albania, Executive Director Kristina Voko presenting the Court Transparency Monitoring Report to the court chief judges.

BIRN OUTPUT AND REPUBLICATIONS: The BIRN Albania output indicators have shown a substantial improvement in the last quarter both on their webpage and social media:

Reporter.al webpage Users 143,300 Visits 287,908 Pageviews 397,994 Facebook Posts (articles posted) 655 Shares 3,042 Posts’ Likes 25,941 Comments 2,001 Impressions 5,175,823

EXPECTED RESULT 3.4: Independent and open media is strengthened.

SUPPORT FOR FAKTOJE – ALBANIA’S FACT CHECKING SERVICE

The Project Worked Closely With The Albanian Fact-Checking Service Faktoje to sharpen skills of fact-checkers in finding public interest’ stories/political statements and fact-check them in a professional way as well as raise visibility of Faktoje in Albanian media scene. Below are the main activities held during the last three months: The Project organized on 10 October 2019 a workshop with the Faktoje team as well as representatives of GADC and NCSS to discuss the needs of the fact-checking service and provide training/guidance on the operation. The workshop focused on the experience of the Albanian fact-checkers during the visit to Croatian “Faktograf” and participation in the “Empowering Investigative Journalism” 4 October 2018 Andi Bora, (Faktoje’s Journalist) conference during 3-5 October 2018. Fact- and Elira Canga (Justice for All-Media Team checkers discussed on their ideas to elections Leader) during an exchange visit with Faktograf, coverage as well as training needs for the future. fact-checking mission in Croatia. On October 19, 2018, Faktoje had a discussion with the IREX Technical Adviser, Tara Susman-Pena, on methods of advancing audience- engagement for Faktoje. The expert provided useful information on different methods of audience measurement, as a tool of better understanding the audience and encouraging its engagement in the fact-checking. Faktoje team explained the present ways the service has been interacting with the audience and asked for more advice on raising visibility and attract public’s attention on fact- checked stories. The IREX expert also suggested development of a special application for Faktoje in mobile phones aiming at making it easier for the audience to follow and react. Other suggestions included different surveys in the website of Faktoje which would help the team specifically understand the audience and better serve it.

26

Two Faktoje fact-checkers, Inva Hasanaliaj and Anxhela Ruci, participated a training on access to information organized by Council of Europe on 7-8 November 2018 in Vlora. The training focused on ethical reporting, access to public information as well as professional journalistic standards.

Two Faktoje members, Andi Bora and Klevis Paloka, participated a training focused on data journalism organized by Open Data Albania on 2 November 2018 in Korca.

PRESENTATIONS/VISITS:

The Project organized a first presentation of the Faktoje team to the Media Development Office of OSCE Presence in Albania. Senior Media Development Officer Irina Radu and local media expert Andi Balla were introduced to the daily work of the Albanian fact-checking service, mission and vision as well as methodology in selecting stories and fact-checking them. This is the first event of an action plan prepared by the Project aimed at making Faktoje more visible to the public and international organizations and possible donors. The discussion focused on a future sustainability strategy as well as promotion of Faktoje and further improving professional standards. Ideas for cooperation were shared as well with regard to the organization of international fact-checking conference as well as grants for independent production for the Public Broadcaster, to be launched soon by OSCE. The Project, in close cooperation with Faktoje and GADC, organized a first introductory visit of Advisory Board members to the Faktoje team and newsroom on 6 December 2018. Three Board members, Erjon Tase (Media Expert), Dorian Matlija (Legal Expert) and Llazar Semini (Journalist) participated, and learned more about the role and vision of the Albanian fact-checking service, the fact-checking methodology, and challenges ahead. They gave advice on the quality of fact-checked stories, the impact on public, as well as on a communications strategy. The first official meeting of the Board is planned to take place in mid-January 2019.

Faktoje was presented at the annual “Media Development Forum” organized by the OSCE and its partners as a good model of fact-based reporting. Faktoje editor Alma Janka explained its mission, methodology and main difficulties encountered in verifying public officials and politicians’ statements.

STUDY TRIPS/REGIONAL EXCHANGES: The Project organized an exchange between members of the Faktoje team and the Croatian fact- checking service - Faktograf. Faktoje and their Croatian counterparts shared experiences and discussed challenges they face in checking facts and political statements starting with accessing public information. Faktoje’ editor Alma Janka and journalist Andi Bora got firsthand experience with a variety of the elements of the Croatian fact-checking operation, fundraising opportunities as well as professional standards and managerial support. Special attention was placed on the Faktograf’s previous and successful coverage of electoral promises with an eye towards applying lessons learned during the upcoming 2019 local elections. During the exchange the team also participated the “Empowering Investigative Journalism” conference organized by Robert Bosch Foundation in Zagreb on 3 - 5 October 2018. The conference gathered 40 journalists and media practitioners from the Western Balkans and Europe to discuss cooperation possibilities and primary challenges to investigative reporting in the digital era.

Faktoje also participated in the regional conference “Media for Citizens, Citizens for Media” held in Novi Sad, Serbia on 23 November 2018. This conference discussed on ways to make public more media literate as well as how to counter misinformation and disinformation online.

PERFORMANCE OF FAKTOJE:

Faktoje fact-checked and published in its website 46 stories during the quarter. It posted 4 – 5 texts or videos per week. The number of visitors to the Faktoje website went up to 3,309, according to Google analytics data embodied in a recent report of NCCS. (ANNEX 3D)

Journalists, professionally led and organized by the editor, have posted qualitative materials that in various cases have been redistributed by other online media, often giving credit to and quoting Faktoje.al. This contributes to raising the site’s credibility and number of followers on Faktoje’s YouTube Channel.

Eleven videos have been produced by Faktoje staff while videos on students’ protests as well as deforestation of Lura national park attracted many viewers and raised visibility on the Albanian media as well.

Despite this registered impact, an IDRA midline report conducted this period and focused on performance indicators for all five journalists of the team showed a very slight improvement of 0.1 points compared to the previous baseline report. The total score in the overall assessment of the indicators was assessed at a total of 2.4 points out of 5. (Annex 3E). This means that further training, mentoring and capacity building activities are needed for the team. In the next quarter, a data journalism and in-depth reporting training and an election reporting training will be conducted by experienced international trainers, aiming at sharpening skills of Faktoje journalists.

Component Challenges and Successes:

This quarter the Component 1 team achieved success in:

• Organizing, in close cooperation with Component 1, an open discussion of chief judges on the present level of court transparency. The discussion focused on the court transparency report prepared by BIRN Albania and ways of improving the transparency’ level of justice institutions in the country. • Finalizing and publication of journalist Fatjona Mejdini’s story on child trafficking between Albania and Kosovo, which was republished in diverse online media. • A growing impact of Faktoje’s webpage on Albanian’ audience. • Designing, planning and coordinating in a timely fashion all activities aiming at strengthening media standards and professionalism in the country, funded by UK Embassy in Tirana (see separate report, attached as Annex 3F).

The main challenge with regard to the fact-checking operation remains the quality of fact-checked stories in accordance with criteria of public interest, accuracy and truthfulness. In this regard, further training on editorial judgment is needed for Faktoje team to boost their capacities.

28

Steps for Next Quarter

• Organize the first meeting of the Editorial Board of Faktoje • Design, prepare and organize an international conference on fact-checking in April 2019 • Conduct two workshops for Faktoje on daily operation and professional concerns • Organize one training on Data Journalism and in-Depth Reporting for Faktoje team members • Organize one training on Data Journalism and in-Depth Reporting for local reporters • Organizing one intensive training on Elections Reporting for Faktoje team • Organizing one intensive training on Elections Reporting for local reporters • Organize four condensed DIMS trainings for students of journalism in Shkodra and Elbasan • Assist GADC in completion of vacant posts for Faktoje (one deputy-editor, one journalist, one coordinator and one executive director) • Organize and manage the internship process at Faktoje for 4 students of journalism • Start the membership application process for Faktoje at IFCN.