Open Society Foundation for Albania

	11 July 2007 Debating some amendments of the law on the right for information 10 July 2007 Presentation of the project for a sharing budget 29 June 2007 Increasing the management capacity of the municipality and involvement of citizens in the decision-taking process 25 June 2007 Amendment proposal for the law 8503 regarding the right for information 21 June 2007 The employment of students graduated abroad in the public administration 30 May 2007 Dialog civil society - government aiming at the reduction of informality 11 May 2007 Second report on the activity of Albanian Parliament is published 4 April 2007 Memorandum of the farmers for exports complying European standards 29 March 2007 Monitoring of the parliamentary process of drafts law debating 28 March 2007 The civil society is in favor of the creation of a state committee against blood feud 16 March 2007 Monitoring of the migration strategy 26 February 2007 Signature of the Memorandum of Understanding 18-20 February 2007 Parallel counting of votes 13 February 2007 The Civil Society demands the relaxation of conflictuality of the election campaign 3 February 2007 Local elections 2007 online by the MJAFT Movement 30 January 2007 Seminar on “Improving public transportation in the region of Tirana” 23 Janauary 2007 Memorandum of civil society to protect its own constitutional rights 18 January 2007 Call of the civil society for a civilized election campaign 22 December 2007 Winners announced for the “Public-private partnership” contest 19 December 2006 Workshop "Albania's Interim Agreement with the EU and its effects on the Albanian Business" 1 December 2006 Debate of the civil society about the new draft law concerning the State Police 21 November 2006 Presenting the findings of the survey “Albania and the EU – Perceptions and Realities” 18 November 2006 The Conference “Albania and Greece – Mutual perceptions” 6-10 November 2006 Seminar on the challenges of European Integration 3 November 2006 Debate about book policies in the countries of Western Balkans 3 November 2006 AUBG closes recruitment ceremony with fourth-grade students of high schools in Tirana 1 November 2006 Organization that builds school wins case against Albanian government 14 October 2006 Standards in pre-university education 10 October 2006 Presentation of the monitoring report ivote.com - January-July 2006 16 September 2006 Historical turns and the return of memory

10 July 2007

The Albanian Centre for Economic Research (ACER), the Albanian Centre for Development and Integration (ACDI) and the Centre for Urban Research (URI), supported from the Open Society Foundation for Albania (OSFA) have presented to the public some of their first products, during the implementation of the project- “Citizens and the administration in their way of cooperation: a budget that has to be understood and influenced”.

The project in its entirety aims transparency enhancement, a higher responsibility and availability in financial management of public funds, promotion of community participation in all of this, and narrowing of corruptive ways of action. After the first phase some conclusions have been formulated, to be transmitted to the respective agencies, to the media and the civil society.

During the activity were presented the results of a monitoring of the health and education budget, as well as a manual to be used from the employees of both ministries of Health and of Education, for a better planning and managing the financial sources, through rendering the process more transparent.

The budget of Health sector, apart from improvements made, remains one of the lowest among countries with modest average income. The ratio budget financing and contributions remains still a problem. Albania still has a 7 fold lower contribution level compared to other countries of the region. The monitoring staff recommends that after the approval from the Parliament of Albania of the national strategy for development and integration, in October 2007 the primary objectives have to be revised, their aims also, and all conclusion have to be taken into account in the draft budget for the year 2008. They also recommend the creation of a data base of the groups of interest, the calendar of consultations, as some steps that will influence positively the reforming process.

The budget of Education sector for the year 2007, there is a good co-incision through planning of expenditure of foreseen programs, and the limits of values at disposal approved from the middle-term budgeting program for the period 2007-2009. But the postponement of the approval of the national strategy for development and integration has created a difference through the advised priorities, with the priorities foreseen from this middle-term budgeting program 2007-2009. From a strategic forecasting point of view in the Education field, there is a consistent improvement, because if we consider the middle-term budgeting program, the main criteria is the distribution of financial sources; whereas in the strategy the policy of MASH (Ministry of Education and Science) has become a priority. The organizers recommend de-centralization of the investment fund in municipalities, district cities and communes, and the creation of a data-base for the interest groups.