A European Union-funded report on public administration reform in Albania has highlighted its key achievements and challenges in the past two years.
The report, published by the Institute for Democracy and Mediation, is part of a three-year project, launched in 2018, aimed at monitoring reforms in the public administrations of western Balkan countries.
It focuses on the strategic framework of public administration reform, policy development and coordination; Public Service management; accountability; service delivery; and public finance management.
In its report, the Institute said the Albanian Government didn’t include civil society in the drafting and consultation of legislation, or in the coordination of policies on public administration.
“This puts into question the effectiveness of planning and implementation of good governance and public administration reforms,” the Institute said.
“Government institutions are not transparent when it comes to reporting on the implementation of strategies and budget expenditures,” it said.
The Institute’s report also revealed “significant shortcomings” regarding Government transparency, accountability, openness, and public engagement in drafting and implementing policies.
On a more positive note, the report found nearly 70 per cent of strategies contained evidence-based findings produced by non-Government organisations.
“Despite proper legislation in place, it remains unclear whether civil society feedback was ever considered even during formal consultations, as the Government produced no public consultation reports,” the Institute said.
Albania’s Department of Public Administration, the Agency responsible for recruiting Public Servants, is generally assessed positively.
“It regularly announces vacancies and publishes job requirements in a clear manner,” it said.
“Recruitment criteria for Civil Servants are merit-based and non-discriminatory,” the Institute said.
Tirana, 3 August 2021
