partners - albania programs

MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE STORIES
All Small Grant recipient organizations receive targeted training and technical assistance
from Partners Albania to help them achieve their project objectives and results, improve
their organizational and financial management, and reinforce their watchdog efforts and
advocacy skills.
It is encouraging that cooperation among Albanian NPOs has increased over the past two
years, and networks have been established to enhance effectiveness and share experiences,
actions and lessons learned. The 2005 NGO Sustainability Index reports that, “…NGO
relations with the new government are dramatically better than with the old. Improved
relations are expected to have a positive impact on NPO participation in policy making.”
Several joint advocacy initiatives implemented by partnerships or coalitions of NPOs have
been funded and assisted by Partners-Albania through the DGA Small Grant program. The
following report highlights some of the main accomplishments of these programs between
January 2006 through September 2006.
FOLLOW - UP TO PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION PROCESS FINDINGS
Implementing Organizations: Society for Democratic Culture (SDC) and Albanian
Institute for Election System Development (AIESD)
The civil society movement organized under the slogan “Civic Action for Election Reform”
got engaged when the politicians seemed to be less interested to do the proper change in
the Election Code…
- Press release of an International Workshop to exchange experiences between organizations
that observe elections in the countries of East and Central Europe
Following the 2005 Parliamentary Elections, the Society for Democratic Culture (SDC)
and Albanian Institute for Election System Development (AIESD) opened a participatory
debate at the national level on the improvement of the administration of the electoral process.
Both organizations were members of the Albanian Coalition of Domestic Observers,
a coalition of seven local organizations funded by the DGA Small Grant Program that
observed the July 2005 Parliamentary Elections in 12 prefectures in Albania.
So far, elections in Albania have failed to fully meet international standards for democratic
elections. The 2005 Parliamentary elections were the first to be held under a new Election
Code, adopted in 2003 and subsequently amended. They were conducted in a manner that
nearly complied with most international standards for democratic elections. Nonetheless,
a series of irregularities and flaws were reported that cast doubt over the electoral process.
Voters’ lists, cases of violence and intimidation, and problems with the management of the
voting and counting procedures were issues identified by international and local observers
that should be improved before the next elections.
SDC and AIESD formed a network called “Civic Action for Election Reform” consisting
of ten organizations interested in improving the administration of elections. The network
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