Water Supply and Environmental Lake Protection Shkodra - CH
Water Supply and Environmental Lake Protection Shkodra - CH
Water Supply and Environmental Lake Protection Shkodra - CH
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Swiss Cooperation Office Albania<br />
Swiss Agency for Development <strong>and</strong> Cooperation (SDC)<br />
SUPPORT TO ROMA SOCIAL INCLUSION IN ALBANIA<br />
Domain<br />
Democratisation <strong>and</strong> Decentralisation<br />
Subdomain<br />
Social Inclusion<br />
Duration<br />
26 August 2012 – 31 August 2016<br />
Budget<br />
<strong>CH</strong>F 3’000’000.-<br />
Location<br />
Nation-wide<br />
Partners<br />
• UNICEF<br />
• Ministry of Labor, Finance <strong>and</strong> Interior<br />
• State Social Services<br />
• Roma NGOs <strong>and</strong> other civil society rep<br />
• Regional <strong>and</strong> local government<br />
Beneficiaries<br />
• Roma community<br />
• Government of Albania<br />
Donors<br />
• Switzerl<strong>and</strong><br />
Contacts<br />
• Detlef Palm, dpalm@unicef.org<br />
Representative UNICEF Albania<br />
www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/albania<br />
1. Context<br />
• Albania is still in its transition period <strong>and</strong> its social<br />
safety net has still to be strengthened so as<br />
to address conditions perpetuating poverty <strong>and</strong><br />
vulnerability among marginalized communities.<br />
The current social protection policy has only focused<br />
on provision of economic aid <strong>and</strong> has not<br />
yet included social care <strong>and</strong> other services designed<br />
for more vulnerable groups such as Roma<br />
<strong>and</strong> Egyptian communities. There has been<br />
very little delivery of social care services <strong>and</strong> no<br />
involvement of social workers in special services<br />
such as those for disabled people, Roma, elderly,<br />
children <strong>and</strong> women in need of special care<br />
<strong>and</strong> protection.<br />
• As recent migration patterns in Switzerl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
the EU indicate, there is a high risk for poverty<br />
<strong>and</strong> exclusion regarding the Roma people, well<br />
known as a special group in need. Without a<br />
functional social protection system able to address<br />
key causes of poverty, chances are that<br />
inequity (<strong>and</strong> its related migration) will likely continue<br />
to increase. Roma integration in Albania<br />
has recently gained importance as one of the 12<br />
priorities set by the EU before the country received<br />
c<strong>and</strong>idate status. In addition, the social<br />
reform context in Albania is conducive for positive<br />
change.<br />
• For the social care system in Albania to become<br />
effective there has to be an integration of laws,<br />
regulations, policies, procedures, <strong>and</strong> institutions.<br />
Whereas the legislation <strong>and</strong> national<br />
strategy is in place there is a lack of reform implementation.<br />
Switzerl<strong>and</strong> is well-positioned <strong>and</strong><br />
very interested in supporting the social care reform<br />
as part of its wider efforts in assisting Albania’s<br />
integration agenda. Therefore, in partnership<br />
with UNICEF, the Swiss Cooperation in<br />
Albania has undertaken to support the Government<br />
of Albania’ reform of the social services<br />
system in order to increase the pace of the Roma<br />
community’s social inclusion.<br />
Swiss Cooperation Office<br />
Rruga Ibrahim Rugova 3/1 Phone +355 42 240 102 www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch<br />
1019 Tirana, Albania Fax +355 42 234 889 tirana@eda.admin.ch
Swiss Cooperation Office Albania<br />
Swiss Agency for Development <strong>and</strong> Cooperation (SDC)<br />
2. Impact <strong>and</strong> Outcomes<br />
• The main impact of this project will be a<br />
functional <strong>and</strong> sustainable social services<br />
system that benefits socially disadvantaged<br />
populations including Roma.<br />
It will build on the work <strong>and</strong> experience<br />
made in the social sector by<br />
UNICEF, where models for child protection<br />
services <strong>and</strong> coordination at the local<br />
level have been developed <strong>and</strong><br />
tested. The project will also build <strong>and</strong><br />
promote the expertise of <strong>and</strong> coordination<br />
with other Swiss-funded interventions<br />
that include Terre des hommes,<br />
HEKS, the Roma Education Fund <strong>and</strong><br />
the Albanian NGO “Ndihmë për<br />
Fëmijët”.<br />
• The two main outcomes of the project<br />
will be as follows:<br />
• A national policy framework that is<br />
used by local government units <strong>and</strong><br />
service providers to effectively fulfil<br />
the social <strong>and</strong> economic rights of<br />
the most marginalized populations.<br />
• Situations of extreme marginalisation<br />
in impoverished <strong>and</strong> minority<br />
(Roma <strong>and</strong> Egyptian) communities<br />
are effectively addressed by local<br />
duty-bearers, bringing immediate<br />
practical improvements in people’s<br />
lives.<br />
• Key outputs for this project include:<br />
• Provision of building blocks of the<br />
overall policy development for the<br />
integrated social care service reform<br />
(e.g. data supply, institutional<br />
strengthening/training, public funding,<br />
<strong>and</strong> monitoring/supervision<br />
schemes).<br />
3. Strategy <strong>and</strong> Activities<br />
• All activities foreseen under this program will<br />
target (but not exclusively) the Roma community<br />
as most marginalized in Albania. Other<br />
vulnerable groups <strong>and</strong> the whole population<br />
will benefit from this systemic improvement<br />
of social service provision. The existing<br />
network of 1’300 Albanian State Social Services’<br />
administrators will be an important<br />
component of the future outreach system,<br />
equipped with skills in social work <strong>and</strong> thus<br />
enabled to better serve the population. A<br />
Steering Committee will guide the project with<br />
participation from the Swiss Cooperation,<br />
UNICEF, the Ministry of Labour, Finance, Interior,<br />
Education <strong>and</strong> other stakeholders.<br />
• Priorities include:<br />
• Residential care services are to be transferred<br />
to local government units <strong>and</strong><br />
gradually switched to more effective <strong>and</strong><br />
efficient community based services<br />
• An increase in the involvement of local<br />
government <strong>and</strong> civil society in the planning<br />
<strong>and</strong> delivery of social services<br />
• The clarification of the accountability for<br />
ensuring availability of services, especially<br />
for the most disadvantaged <strong>and</strong> vulnerable<br />
population groups<br />
• The drafting, implementation, monitoring,<br />
<strong>and</strong> improving of the st<strong>and</strong>ards of services<br />
for all groups in need<br />
• A focus on the social inclusion of Roma<br />
populations, especially children in need.<br />
• Conversion of these provisions <strong>and</strong><br />
norms into practical <strong>and</strong> need<br />
based arrangements by regional<br />
<strong>and</strong> municipal governing bodies.<br />
Swiss Cooperation Office<br />
Rruga Ibrahim Rugova 3/1 Phone +355 42 240 102 www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch<br />
1019 Tirana, Albania Fax +355 42 234 889 tirana@eda.admin.ch