Country: Albania
Client: European Union
Project duration: 06/21 – 12.25
Overall project value: 5,115,030 €
Background of EU4SI
The Republic of Albania became a potential candidate country for the EU Accession. Even if Albania is an economy in transition, has been showing significant economic growth for the last decade and slowly decreasing excepted by the considerable losses due the earthquake in 2019 and COVID-19 pandemic – still Albania is on a high level of poverty and social exclusion and remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. 34,5% of the Albanians are living below the poverty line.
An underfunded social security system has led in order to address the funding of the system, and to address other issues related to social care, a significant, comprehensive reform process in 2012 that resulted in the Law on social care Services. The law created the Social Fund and delegate responsibilities to the municipalities. However, the significant funding and operationalisation issues remain. Due to the fact that a high number of youths not in education, employment or training, an evolving understanding of disability exists, Gender equality is still a significant issue and intergenerational growing support for minorities do not reach by a deficiency of financial resources.
Objectives of EU4SI
The aim of the overall project is to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Albania to successfully implement reforms in the area of social inclusion.
The Internationaler Bund (IB) was part of the consortium that won the related tender. The consortium is led by GOPA Consultants.
The technical assistance will consist of three major strands of activity that focus on the following key issues, corresponding to the three specific objectives:
- To improve accessibility and quality of integrated social care services at the local level;
- To promote social inclusion in employment and employability for youth, men and women;
- To enhance inclusive quality learning and promote educational attainment in pre-university education for all girls and boys - with a special focus on children from disadvantaged backgrounds;
The results to be achieved by the contractor are
- A functional integrated system of social and community care social services in local government units;
- Financial and regulatory framework for modern social care practice and standards;
- Enhanced capacities of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports (MEYS) and other stakeholders for the implementation of inclusive education framework;
- Increased inclusion in the labour market and employability of youth, women and men and populations at-risk of exclusion;
- Extended vocational education and training offer to all municipalities (including rural areas) and to the most at risk groups;
- Enhanced policy dialogue and coordination, monitoring and evaluation.
Type of Services Provided
- Strengthen capacity in the area of social inclusion
- Functional Integrated System of social and community care services in local governance units
- Providing with capacity building principles and practices for financial resource allocation to local governments and implementing agencies developed. Financial and regulatory framework for modern social care practice and standards established
- Enhanced capacities of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and other stakeholders for the implementation of inclusive education
- Increased inclusiveness in the labour market and employability of youth, women and men and populations at-risk of exclusion
- Extended vocational education and training offer to all municipalities and to the most marginalised groups
- Training and capacity building of social care workers providing of instruction material
- Developing and Training needs assessment for social workers, curriculum, online platforms
- Feasibility Studies on ALMM aimed at NEETs, on digitalisation of the employment sector, on online VET and skills development conducted
- Advising to improving human resource capacities
- Enhanced policy coordination, monitoring and evaluation
