Community Works Program III
Overview
During the last 20 years Albania has made impressive progress passing from a centralized, backward system to a market-based economy. Accordin to INSTAT, for the period 1998-2009 , the GDP increased by 7.1%, accompanied by a considerable reduction of poverty level in rural areas. However, concerning the highland areas, the level of poverty has not undergone noteworthy changes. The poor population is concentrated in highland rural regions.The poverty gap between highland rural areas and coastal or urban areas has widened more due to the migration of population towards urban centers and abroad.Depopulation of highland rural areas because of migration led to the lack of investments and maintenace of the existing rural road network.In the recent yeras, Albania has achieved a sustained economic growth and has undertaken economic reforms which have led to macroeconomic sustainability, governance improvement, investment development in the private sector,provision of public social services, turning the attention towards ruaral regions.
Being aware of the rural poverty and infrastructure problems, the Albanian Goverment started in 1998 negotiatians with the World Bank for Community Works Program I, which aimed at alleviating infrastracture problems through improvements in small socio-economic infrastracture based on the developemnt priorities of the local governments and communities as well as at encouring local economic development.
Challenge
About fifty-five percent of the present population lives in rural areas and about eighty percent of the rural population lives in poverty. The poverty of the rural population is accompanied with lack of basic public infrastructure services hindering thus the development of economic potentials in those areas.The lack of adequate roads hinders connection to local markets and access to educational, health and cultural centers, at the same time it presents a serious hindrance to the development of tourism. All these issues considered, the rehabilitation of the rural infrastructure has become on of the main objectives of the national rural development strategy
In addition to the lack of the adequate road infrastructure, another issue to be addressed is the lack local strategic plans which would assist the local governemnt units in identifying potentials of economic development.Many donors, including local and central government, invest for the rehabiliation of infrastractucte without giving due consideration to local priorities and efficient planning systems. Moreover communes do not dispose the necessary human and financial resources for a sustainable maintenance and functioning of the improved infrastructure. To this end, the Local Governemnt Units need more autonomy concerning assignment of revenues and responsibilities.
Approach
The provision of public services in Albania is in a transitional phase, from a highly hierarchical centralized system to a decentralised decision-making structure formalised by the 2000 legal reform which, inter alia, broadly assigned responsibilities to local governments.In spite of the progress being made by Albania on the decentralisation agenda, still these local government units are fragile and need technical and financial assistance. To pursue further the work initiated with the implementation of Community Works I &II Program, the Albanian Development Fund through Council of Europe Development Bank financing has undertaken the implementation of Community Works III Program which aims at improving the living conditions of the inhabitants in rural areas by (i) promoting a sustainable socio-economic development (ii) improving basic infrastructure , (iii) increasing community participation in decision-making and (iv) strengthening government institutions at local level. The program covers sixteen (16) communes which are geographically overspread and which not only possess special features of tourism but display also different needs in the context of capacity building.The two main components of Community Works Program III consist in: (i) provision of technical assistance in capacity building for LGU-s via Local Development Plan Preparations and (ii) investments for the implementation of infrastructure projects to support these LDP-s. The Program became effective in November 2008.
Results
Community Works Program III displays a satisfactory progress in both
components being that of the provision of technical assistance in capacity
building for LGUs and the implementation of infrastructure projects as well.
During the first phase of investments, the identification of the
communes which have access to a local development plan drafted either through
the assistance of ADF or of any other organization has been carried out.
Consequently, based on these plans, 45 infrastructure subprojects have been
identified, out of which 43 have completed the Civil Works and 2 subprojects are
still under implementation phase.
Concerning the first phase of investments, the current progress of the 16
subprojects is as follows:
- The Civil Works for the 16 subprojects have been finalized:
- All subprojects financed under this phase have stepped
into the Defects Liability Period;
- The Works have been accomplished at the rate of 100%;
- Disbursements have been accomplished at the rate of 99%.
Concerning the second phase of investment, the current progress of the 14
subprojects is as follows:
- The Civil Works of the 14 subprojects have been
finalized;
- The Civil Works of all subprojects financed under this
phase have been completed;
- As of June 2011, nine (9) subprojects have finalized the
Defects Liability Period;
- Five (5) subprojects have stepped into the Defects
Liability Period;
- The Civil Works have been accomplished at the rate
of 100%;
- Disbursements have been accomplished at the rate of 95%.
Referring to the third phase of investments the current progress of the
nine (9) subprojects is as follows:
- The Civil Works have been completed in seven (7) subprojects;
- As of June 2011, all subprojects financed under this
phase have been completed and stepped into the Defects Liability Period;
- The Civil Works have been accomplished at the rate of 100%;
- Disbursements have been accomplished at the rate of 85%.
Referring to the fourth phase of investments the current progress of the
six (6) subprojects is as follows:
- The Civil Works have been completed in two (2) subprojects;
- Two (2) subprojects are under implementation phase;
- Four (4) subprojects are under Defects Liability Period;
- The Civil Works have been accomplished at the rate of 97%;
- Disbursements have been accomplished at the rate of 60%.
Referring to the results attained up-to-date by the component of technical
assistance provision, they are as follows:
- Five Communes (Tregan, Fushë-Kuqe, Orikum, Drenovë and
Kutalli) are equipped with Local Development Plans:
- Tourism Development Strategies have been drafted for 6
LGUs: Ishëm, Kryevidh, Qender Vlorë, Petran, Drenovë and Orikum;
- Referring to Fushë Kuqe Commune, the Sectoral Plan for
the Development of Ecotourism which is oriented according to the resources of
this Commune has been drafted;
- Referring to Tregan Commune, in Elbasan Region, the Spa
Management Plan has been drafted;
- Referring to Kutalli Commune, in Berat Region, the Plan for the Production
of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables has been drafted.
Toward the Future
Community Works Program III, whose cost is estimated at 14, 38 million
lekë, is funded by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Albanian
Government and Local Government Units. This Program, which became effective in
November 2008, is expected to be finished by December 2011. The beneficiaries of
this Program are about 20.000 inhabitants from the 16 selected communes located
countrywide. According to the approved work plan, these subprojects are expected
to come to term by September 2011.
The implementation of this Program will improve the living conditions of
the rural population by drafting local development plans for the communes which
possess potentials for the economic development especially in the sector of
tourism.
It is worth mentioning that this project represents a novelty in the
scope of ADF’s activities because these strategies assist in ADF’s and commune’s
investment orientation towards strategic goals and analyzed interventions which
boost the economic development.
