|
  
Subcontract to: Management System International (USA) under USAID funding.
Start Date: January 2002 Completion Date: September 2004
Under this task URI has produced:
A set of indicators to measure the performance of the Urban Department of Elbasan city, by drafting a set of expected outcomes for short medium, and long range. The use of a simplified monitoring and evaluation and baseline information means is introduced for an annual review of progress, tightening up the management and thereby reducing the potential opportunities for corruption in licensing process. Focus Group Surveys are organized with the participation of targeted citizen groups asked for their perception of their role as clients, and satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the service.
Follow up with public awareness and transparency has been one of those activities successfully implemented during this assignment. Under this task URI has assisted the City Information Centre with training and materials to improve communication with Elbasan citizenry; improve reporting and enhances centre capacities to deal with customer requests and complaints, introducing proper ethical behavior by civil servants.
Leaflets and other materials are produced to cover necessary information for the role and functions of the Municipality in its direct responsibilities for public service delivery. Materials have covered also areas of taxes and fees citizens are due in turn of services they receive from the city. Posters with information about local taxes, amounts, time for paying and obligations were distributed in the main Elbasan institutions.
Public Awareness and Transparency
-
Several workshops are organized at Elbasan and Korca Municipalities, on Internal and External Reporting and on Communication skills. Staff from the two Information Centers and other staff from all municipality departments, as well as mini municipalities participated in these workshops.
-
Internal reporting & record keeping system were introduced and approved. Main elements agreed upon and frequently used by now: meeting agenda, meeting minutes, ground rules for meetings, parallel and vertical reporting.
-
A Manual on Communication with Citizens was prepared by URI (link with Deliverable) This manual now is part of the Internal rules and regulations of Elbasan Municipality, as so approved by the Municipality Council. The Manual includes tools the Municipality uses for transparency increase and citizen involvement in the local governance.
-
URI has assisted Elbasan Municipality with ethics program. It includes training and implementation of the Code of Ethics. Several meetings were held with Mayor and his staff, and the final version was discussed in meetings with representatives from all departments, with the assistance of the MSI consultant. A final version of the Code of Ethics was prepared and than approved by the Municipality Council, to be part of the municipality internal regulations. These codes are being prepared under the guidance provided by URI book “The preparation of the Codes of Ethics for the Local Administration and Local Councils”.
URI has assisted the Municipal Council of Elbasan with an Ethic Program, including approval f an Ethic Code from the Municipal Council, implementation, training, enforcement, establishment of an ethic committee sitting rules and sanctions for elected and appointed officials This model code of conduct for public officials has three objectives: to specify the standards of integrity and conduct to be observed by public officials, to help them meet those standards of integrity and to inform the public of the conduct it is entitled to expect of public officials.
In the second phase the Elbasan experience was replicated in three other cities: Korca, Tirana, Lushnja. Work mainly consisted in:
-
Streamlining administrative procedures to eliminate barriers and reduce abuse of power. Municipal managers identified those processes and transactions that they considered to be vulnerable to corruption as priorities to be addressed through this program. Citizen participation in conducting these reforms is encouraged.
-
Implementing internal controls within government departments;
-
Creating more open and transparent governmental procedures and decision making;
-
Instituting codes of conduct for municipal officials and staff that would address such issues as conflicts of nterest, among other.
Special attention was given to Tirana Municipality that was assisted to finalize the Internal Regulations that were adopted right after election of the Municipal Council.
Supervision of public works is still weak in Albania, related to works done by third parties subcontracted by local governments, such as road construction, water supply, sewage system and others. Whether it is because of corruption or bad management, in many cases, civil works done by private companies as directly contracted by local governments, often are below the requested quality and have serious problems, right after the very short liability period. Supervision of these works is done by technical supervisors, hired by local government. More than often, these supervisors work to protect the investor and the local government, but those who suffer a the very end are only citizens, as direct beneficiaries of these works. URI has prepared a manual on Works Supervision and Hand Over (link with Studies) assisting with training and other elements citizens groups in 4 cities in Albania, Elbasan, Korca, Shkoder and Tirana to supervise the works (civil works) implemented by private companies, as contracted by respective local governments.
Other Activities:
As a member of the Albanian Coalition Against Corruption (ACAC), under this assignment URI chairs the Steering Committee represented by its Executive Director. Organization of monthly forums in cooperation with ACAC secretariat identifies topics and speakers, moderate the forum and prepare press releases are the main responsibilities of the Steering Committee Chairperson.
 |
| |
