Judith Geerling

The wider objective of the project is : To enhance the effectiveness of national and local authorities in countering discrimination and protecting LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual) rights in Albania.

The specific objectives:

• Improving reporting, registration, investigation and prosecution of incidents of discrimination and hate crime at national and local level
• Improving cooperation between institutions and civil society organisations involved in reporting and handling incidents of discrimination and hate crime at national and local level
• Establishing or improving local public policies for the protection of LGBTI persons against discrimination and hate crime
  Improving cooperation between national and local public authorities and local LGBTI communities or organisations
• Exchanging experiences gained in the course of the project between stakeholders and with other countries and stakeholders in the region

The expected results of the project are:
1. Improved reporting, investigation, registration and prosecution (or other types of follow-up) of incidents of hate crime and discrimination in Albania, in particular at local level
2. Improved cooperation between the police and other stakeholders involved in fighting LGBTI discrimination, at central and decentralized level

For outcome 1:

• Raising knowledge and awareness of police officers on LGBTI orientation, by specially designed information campaigns based on applied sociological and marketing insights.
• Achieving coverage throughout the countries of police officers specifically skilled to deal with discrimination complaints and hate crime in a victim-oriented way, by training events geographically spread across the country.
• Improving the interface between police and the criminal justice chain, by information to and discussion with judges and prosecutors, with presentations by local and international (Dutch) experts at professional meetings where the project will add on this element to already existing meetings.
• Increasing sustainability by steps towards inclusion of relevant knowledge, attitudes and skills in the curriculum of the Police Academie, with a study visit to the Netherlands and reciprocal visits to Albania and subsequent online accompaniment by Police Academy staff.
• Reporting according to OSCE and Council of Europe standards will be introduced by a workshop, and accompanied through the end of the project period.

For outcome 2:

• Raising interest among municipalities for the concept of municipal LGBTI policies, by presentations at meetings of National Associations of Municipalities and an offer of trainings to municipalities.
• Formulating of recommendations on municipal LGBT policies, including a study visit to the Netherlands to get acquainted with Dutch experience in this field.
• Local LGBT communities will be offered trainings on self-organizing, setting up a local NGO and interacting with local government in a productive way. Municipalities will be chosen in which LGBTI communities not or not well organized; locations in which municipalities themselves are undergoing training will be prioritized.
• Finally, a major conference on local LGBTI experiences will be held at which the local policies and practices will be presented and highlighted together with best practice from the Netherlands and from other Western Balkans countries. This effort will be focused on all western Balkans countries given the relative ease of involving these additional countries. Well-designed paper and audio-visual records on municipal experience in LGBTI policies will be produced.

The project is contracted by the European Commission and financed by the EU’s Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (“MADAD”).
This project is carried out in cooperation with the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD), Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM), and KL Denmark (KL).

Programme Objective:

The wider objective of the project is to strengthen the long-term resilience of targeted sub-national governments and their host, refugee and IDP populations to deal with displacement.

The specific objectives:

• SO1: To improve the capacities of sub-national governments to engage in holistic, area-based planning and consider different scenarios that respond to the needs of host, refugee and IDP populations.
• SO2: To improve service delivery to generate greater social stability outcomes, based on the needs of host, refugee and IDP populations.
• SO3: To empower sub-national governments and service providers to facilitate local economic development and to have better access to municipal investment that benefit the extension of safe public services and create economic opportunities for host, refugee and IDP populations.

The expected results of the project are:

R1 Enhanced capacities of sub-national governments to engage in holistic, area-based planning and consider different scenarios that respond to the needs of host, refugee and IDP populations:
1.1 Sub-national governments spatial planning capacities in target areas are strengthened.
1.2 Spatial scenarios are designed and provide concrete logic for sustainable municipal service delivery and municipal investment.
1.3 Users of municipal services are more aware and interested in service delivery.

R2 Increased service delivery that is responsive and generates greater social stability outcomes, based on the needs of host, refugee and IDP populations:
2.1 Sub-national governments and service provider capacities in target areas are strengthened.
2.2 Local Governments implement service delivery projects in a more efficient and responsive manner, in line with longer-term scenarios.
2.3 Users of municipal services are more aware and interested in service delivery.

R3 Empowered sub-national governments to facilitate local economic development and have better access to municipal investment that benefits the extension of safe public services and economic opportunities for host, refugee and IDP populations:
3.1 Capacity of local governments of local governments for projects beneficial to both host community and refugees to manage investment project and its procedures is strengthened.
3.2 Identification and formulation process for municipal investment projects benefit the extension of safe public services and creation economic opportunities for host communities and refugees are enhanced.
3.3 Economic growth potential and resilience of the local economy hosting target groups enhanced.
3.4 Social stability potential and resilience of the local economy hosting target groups enhanced.

Activities:

• Financial and administrative management of the project
• Setting up and maintaining internal and external M&E cycles in accordance with the donor’s requirements (IATI and AKVO)
• Coordination of joint programming with UNDP, UNHABITAT and international donors (e.g. GIZ)
• Development of (emergency) scenarios and a longer-term urban areas vision
• Capacity development for assessment and strategic planning (design and construction) for selected service delivery
• Analyzing, advising and drafting of national policy papers on relevant subjects based on relevant pilot and field experience
• Co-design internal processes for pilot projects for procurement, implementation and monitoring to enhance service delivery for each location
• Co-implement pilot projects in targeted locations to enhance service delivery in line with a spatial scenario plan and territorial development vision
• Municipal service quick wins, pilots, benchmarking, asset management, training and community outreach activities for improved and more inclusive service delivery
• Technical assistance, training and feasibility studies to help local governments and executing agencies to identify and formulate for municipal investment projects
• Establishment of working groups in participation of host community representatives, refugee/IDP and business owners
• Capacity development to design municipal investment projects to the guidelines and standards of investment financing institutions
• Identify priority investment projects together with sub-national governments
• Develop capacity to develop bankable projects, including necessary feasibility study, environmental impact assessment, and audits.

The project is contracted by the European Commission and financed by the EU’s Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (“MADAD”).

This project is carried out in cooperation with the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD), Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM), and KL Denmark (KL).

The wider objective of the project is: To strengthen the long-term resilience of targeted subnational governments and their host, refugee and IDP populations to deal with displacement.

The specific objectives:

SO1: To improve the capacities of subnational governments to engage in holistic, area-based planning and consider different scenarios that respond to the needs of host, refugee and IDP populations.
SO2: To improve service delivery to generate greater social stability outcomes, based on the needs of host, refugee and IDP populations.
SO3: To empower subnational governments and service providers to facilitate local economic development and to have better access to municipal investment that benefit the extension of safe public services and create economic opportunities for host, refugee and IDP populations.

The expected results of the project are:

R1 Enhanced capacities of subnational governments to engage in holistic, area-based planning and consider different scenarios that respond to the needs of host, refugee and IDP populations:

1.1 Subnational governments spatial planning capacities in target areas are strengthened.
1.2 Spatial scenarios are designed and provide concrete logic for sustainable municipal service delivery and municipal investment.
1.3 Users of municipal services are more aware and interested in service delivery.

R2 Increased service delivery that is responsive and generates greater social stability outcomes, based on the needs of host, refugee and IDP populations:

2.1 Subnational governments and service provider capacities in target areas are strengthened.
2.2 Local Governments implement service delivery projects in a more efficient and responsive manner, in line with longer-term scenarios.
2.3 Users of municipal services are more aware and interested in service delivery.
R3 Empowered subnational governments to facilitate local economic development and have better access to municipal investment that benefits the extension of safe public services and economic opportunities for host, refugee and IDP populations:
3.1 Capacity of local governments of local governments for projects beneficial to both host community and refugees to manage investment project and its procedures is strengthened.
3.2 Identification and formulation process for municipal investment projects benefit the extension of safe public services and creation economic opportunities for host communities and refugees are enhanced.
3.3 Economic growth potential and resilience of the local economy hosting target groups enhanced.
3.4 Social stability potential and resilience of the local economy hosting target groups enhanced.

Approach

• Financial and administrative management of the project
• Setting up and maintaining internal and external M&E cycles in accordance with the donor’s requirements (IATI and AKVO)
• Coordination of joint programming with UNDP, UNHABITAT and international donors (e.g. GIZ)
• Development of (emergency) scenarios and a longer-term urban areas vision
• Capacity development for assessment and strategic planning (design and construction) for selected service delivery
• Analysing, advising and drafting of national policy papers on relevant subjects based on relevant pilot and field experience
• Co-design internal processes for pilot projects for procurement, implementation and monitoring to enhance service delivery for each location
• Co-implement pilot projects in targeted locations to enhance service delivery in line with a spatial scenario plan and territorial development vision
• Municipal service quick wins, pilots, benchmarking, asset management, training and community outreach activities for improved and more inclusive service delivery
• Technical assistance, training and feasibility studies to help local governments and executing agencies to identify and formulate for municipal investment projects
• Establishment of working groups in participation of host community representatives, refugee/IDP and business owners
• Capacity development to design municipal investment projects to the guidelines and standards of investment financing institutions
• Identify priority investment projects together with subnational governments
• Develop capacity to develop bankable projects, including necessary feasibility study, environmental impact assessment, and audits