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Start Date: October 2002 Completion Date: October 2005
URI is associated with SIPU International, a Swedish company, contracted from SIDA to implement Decentralization and Regional Development in Korça Region. Project developed in two main components; the decentralization aspect by assisting policy makers to fasten the process through addressing issues that relates to regional development and other issues such as decentralization of sectors such as health, education and physical planning. The main project activities deal with strengthening capacities of Local Government Units in the region of Korca, assisting them to develop and implement economic development plan. The project includes assistance to the Ministry of Local Government to develop legal aspects and regulations for the regional exclusive functions.
The project involved two levels of governance and all sectors of economy; households, business community and regional and development institutions are broadly involved in the project. The project developed within the existing legislation framework as well as result of the project new legislation that facilitates regional development will be considered at the national level.
A permanent URI decentralization expert is associated with SIPU International expert to assist the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralization with implementation of the Decentralization Action Plan.
The first phase of the project has included five modules of six months each.
The first module, the inception, was spent clarifying what the project should focus on. After discussions of clarification with the Regional Council, the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralisation (MLGD) and with SIDA Tirana, it was decided that out of the 34 local governments on the first level (communes and municipalities) in the region, nine pilot communes would be selected for special support.
The priority of project interventions were formulated in a process of workshops, seminars and conferences involving hundreds of representatives from local governments – elected officials as well as experts – and other categories of actors in the region. This thorough process created a strong base upon which project planning and concrete capacity building on local, regional and national level was founded.
A function analysis was conducted in order to find out how the Regional Council was organised and capacitated to meet the goal and objectives of the project outlined in the LFA.
Based on information acquired from the activities mentioned above, the project developed work plans for the modules 2 – 5 that outlined activities necessary to reach the aim and objectives of the project.
The following five activity areas were identified:
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Supporting democratic governance
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Participatory development planning
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Methods and skills development (focusing on the areas of democratic governance, financial management, physical planning and modern methods of development planning)
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Strengthening Regional council capacity
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National level activities
All five activity areas have been on the agenda in each of the modules two to five, but to a different extent.
All prepared manuals once completed and approved from the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralization will be available in our web page
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