Local Development Planning and Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in Albania - Community Works Project II (CWP II)

Contract under MixTecnic, under Albanian Development Fund/World Bank financing

Start Date: March 2005;           Completion Date: April 2006

In spring 2005 MixTecnic, a consulting  company, based in Tirana, was subcontracted to implement and oversee the project implementation in five chosen pilot communes: Maminas, Vithkuq, Veliopja, Xarra and Kastriot.

Main task Mixtecnic and URI undertook are:

• Introduce LDP/PME concepts and process to selected communes and provide necessary training for key participants.
• Assist selected communes in development and preparation of Local Development Plans for submission to Commune Councils.
• Provide technical assistance that builds the capacity of communes in long-term strategic planning and project implementation, as well as participatory monitoring and evaluation.
• Prepare recommendations for modifying the structure and methodology of LDP/PME based on concrete experience of the pilot program and for scaling up the program to additional communes and municipalities upon completion of the pilot program.

Key steps that were involved in the implementation of this activity included the following:

Step One: Obtaining Local Commitment - A series of meetings was organized with the Heads of five selected communes and with the commune council to achieve commitment and buy-in from the local elected officials.

Step Two: Providing Direction - A two day training workshop was conducted with the LDP/PME group on LDP/PME and the proposed structure and methodology, as well as sessions on general management practices, such as how to hold effective meetings, how to effectively facilitate community meetings, and so on. 

Step Three: Getting Started - The LDP/PME Group held planning meetings to chart out their respective courses of action, timeframes, and roles and responsibilities.

Step Four: Gathering Information - The LDP contains a Situational Analysis, which comprises data collection, a household survey (200 households were interviewed in each commune), and a SWOC analysis (with the Commune Council and head of villages) as its primary pillars. 

Step Five:  Village Participation - An important precept of the LDP was that it involved the input and participation of as many residents as possible—and that this representation was inclusive of members from all commune villages and those societal groups typically excluded from local political participation, including women, youth, seniors, and other groups. The Village Vision fair was conceived as an interactive forum for gaining citizen insight and input into the LDP, as well as an opportunity for educating the general public about the LDP in particular, and the workings of local government in general. The fairs were organized by the local commune staff, LDP&PME group members with assistance provided by the MixTecnic/URI Local Coordinators in its organization and facilitation.

Following are the data about the participation in village fairs:

• Maminas:  402 pjesmarres/142 women
• Kastriot: 383 pjesmares/35 women
• Vithkuq: 155 pjesmarres/33 women
• Xarre:  236 pjesmarres/48 women
• Velipoja   395 participants / 42 women
  
  

Step Six: Compiling Data, Input into Preliminary Framework – After the survey and SWOC analyses were conducted, an information package for each commune was prepared which included:

• Compiled data and a report for the household surveys
• Commune information
• Synthesized information for the village fairs
• Information for the SWOC analyze conducted with the commune council, and the head of the villages