Regional Development Program Northern Albania
Implementation period: January 2011 – December 2014
Donor: Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC)
Fund: 386.300 Euros
Implemented in: Region of Shkodra, Lezha, Albania
Implemented by: ÖAR, Intercooperation and Co-PLAN
The “Program for Regional Development Northern Albania” comes as an effort to actively support regional development in the regions Shkodra- Lezha, where disparities between urban-rural populations are even bigger. This program is supported by donor agencies in Switzerland, Austria and has a value of over 4 million EUR, to be implemented in a period of 4 years. The overall objective of the program is to clearly contribute to an equitable social and economic development of both regions and, in addition, to support the Albanian’s Government efforts in accordance with the National Strategy for Development and Integration. The program aims to converge national development practices and regulations with those of the European Union, in line with Albania’s ambition to become a future member of the EU.
The program has four expected results:
1. An effective institutional framework for decentralization, aimed at just development results, is supported;
2. The capacities of regional councils for regional development planning and delegated functions are strengthened;
3. The comprehensive process of planning and budgeting of regional development in the regions of Shkodra and Lezha is developed and institutionalized;
4. Regional development is accelerated through initiatives for projects and effective implementation.
Although the main partners are the two district councils, namely that of Shkodra and Lezha, RDP has supported national level, local governments, and other local and regional stakeholders. RDP will support legal and institutional framework, regional participatory planning, mid-term budgeting, and the implementation of projects and initiatives with a clear focus on capacity development of partners. Management and the ability to absorb future EU funds will ultimately depend on the capacity of regional councils and local government units to design and manage projects, which is the essence of RDP’s. The Regional Council of Shkodra and Lezha are the direct beneficiaries of the project.
For further information, you are pleased to visit the official website of the project, or alternatively contact us by clicking here.