Improving Community Resilience

UNDP Albania

Improving Community Resilience (ICR)

Summary

“Improving Communities’ Resilience” (ICR) is a three-year project (2023-2026) to be implemented by UNDP Albania with funds from United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The overall objective of the ICR project is to support resilience-building of vulnerable communities, through a comprehensive approach that tackles identified drivers of exclusion, marginalization, discrimination, and violence. Through this project interventions integrated support service provided by local government bodies, in partnership with civil society actors, to the individuals in need will be modelled to help fulfil their mandate.  

Overall, the project will seek to improve social cohesion, livelihoods and meet the needs of marginalized women and men in Albania (to include Albanian women and girls, persons with disabilities, religious and ethnic minorities, Afghan evacuees LGBTQIA+, etc). The program will seek to establish a sustainable working model that will help improve social cohesion, livelihoods and address the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities in Albania.

Taking into consideration the existing challenges and the enormous concrete needs in this area as well as the ambitious objectives of the proposed program, UNDP will partner with the selected local government units as well as will work in close collaboration with Ministry of Health and Social Protection, relevant local public and non-public actors, local CSOs, UN agencies including UN Women, UNICEF, EU, international development partners, and media.

Partnership with CSOs with experience in providing integrated social care support services to the most vulnerable women and men will be key especially for interventions relevant for the three resilience centers that will be established and made functional in three selected municipalities.

Background

Albania has embraced and affirmed that it is fully committed to implementing the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” in the context of its national development and as part of its intended pathway toward accession with/ becoming a member of the European Union (EU). Over the years the Government of Albania (GoA) has adopted a range of significant strategies and action plans regarding further priorities for gender equality, women empowerment, social protection reform and for the promotion of social inclusion and has built the legal framework of the social protection system with the vision of providing integrated social services capable to ensure the inclusion of all vulnerable groups and persons. Nevertheless, the development of Albania’s systems for providing populations at risk of poverty or social exclusion with access to social protection, healthcare, employment skills and inclusive education has faced several challenges, the main ones being low levels of coverage, weak mechanisms for inclusivity, weak allocative and technical efficiency, and limited resources.

Over the recent years, Albania experienced two major external shocks within a short period of time: on 26 November 2019, Albania was hit by a very strong earthquake that caused damage to people and the economy, and since March 2020 the country has also been challenged by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted on economic activity and social life in the country. Post pandemic situation has deepened pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political, and economic systems which in turn amplify the negative impact of this crisis.

The ICR project is relevant given the emerging concrete needs of the country’s most vulnerable populations and priorities of the GoA as it intends to empower the vulnerable women and men and the civil society organizations advocating their interests to become, together with the competent Albanian state structures at central and local level, and service providers (public and non-public), the drivers of change for resilience, enjoyment of human rights and equality, social cohesion and livelihoods.

Resilience centers that will be established in three selected municipalities will serve to further build knowledge on the model of social care integrated services with public and non-public partners at local level. Further on, these centers will serve as a convener and catalyst for adequately facing the challenges and finding adequate solutions with vulnerable people at the center. Finally, resilience centers will serve as reference models for elevation and strategic replication in other municipalities. 

Main results are achieved focusing on:

  • UNDP partnering with relevant national and local actors provided substantial contribution to further strengthen local institutional response mechanisms through the full functioning of the Resilience Centers, (RCs) in Kurbin, Lezha and Durrës municipalities for promotion and protection of the rights, safety, and inclusion of marginalized women and men, in particular women and girls, affected by discrimination, and/or abuse, including gender-based violence (GBV). In partnership with World Vision Albania, Community Development Center ‘Today for the Future’ and Different and Equal organizations the RCs are established and running in Kurbin, Durres and Lezha, offering integrated social services to the most vulnerable women and men, girls and boys in these three municipalities. 
  • UNDP reached 42 partnerships with 3 targeted municipalities, relevant regional service provision offices and CSOs in both co-designing and implementing the RC model. By incorporating these stakeholders into the core activities such as needs assessment processes, development of the RCs profile and typology of services ICR ensures their full commitment and active participation. 
  • These centers serve as Multi-Sectoral Hubs of support, with early warning systems, referral networks and partnerships with relevant institutions and service providers, at local, regional and central levels. Overall, the program seeks to establish a sustainable working model that helps improve social cohesion, livelihoods and address the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities in Albania). 
  • Through UNDP support the Resilience Centers in the three municipalities provide integrated social care support, including:
    •    Tailored services for people with disabilities (physiotherapy, speech therapy, art therapy).
    •    Psychosocial support, especially for children, parents, and youth.
    •    Integrated services for women affected by gender-based and domestic violence (legal and psychological counseling, safe housing, emergency services).
    •    Livelihood support and economic empowerment, focusing on women, violence survivors, and vulnerable heads of households through mentoring, vocational training, and start-up assistance.
    •    Mobile services for those unable to access physical centers.
    •    Life skills courses for all genders and ages to promote healthy conflict resolution, gender equality, positive behavior change, and parenting. 
  • The RCs serve also as a multisectoral information hub to improve coordination, enhance networking and capacity-building among local professionals providing integrated social care services to the most vulnerable populations.
  • UNDP through the RCs facilitated cross-institutional cooperation, fostered the exchange of vital information, and encouraged networking among central and local stakeholders through the co-creation approach for the full operationalization of the RCs. 
  • Joint efforts contributed to the establishment of Kurbin Coordinated Referral Mechanism and the renewal of the commitment of all 15 relevant Durres CRM members and the increase of the professional capacities of duty bearers in all three municipalities (334 professionals, 85% women 15% men) for effective prevention and service delivery with a keen focus on GBV cases. 
  • 10 Needs Assessment and Referral Units (NARU) are established so far targeting the three municipalities and administrative units. 
  • The standardized databased system for all three RCs is in place and started the piloting phase by the professionals at the three RCs.  
  • Empowering women and men right holders with knowledge for protection of their rights and inclusive civic engagement at local level was key. 5739 community members were reached through empowerment, advocacy and awareness raising campaigns. 1275 vulnerable individuals (35% girls, 25.4% boys and 32% women, 7.5% men) were supported through integrated social care services, out of whom, 64 victims of violence (63 women, 1 girl), 190 children with disabilities, 127 children (after school program) and 392 youth empowered (life skills program). 
  • 64 vulnerable women and girls and victims of violence were provided emergency support, mentoring employment programs, psycho-social counseling, referral support, parenting support for women with children with disabilities.
  • The visibility of the Resilience Centers in Durres, Kurbin, and Lezhe was significantly boosted through traditional media. Journalists were pitched in visiting RCs and observe the integrated social services provided, resulting in three TV chronicles broadcasted on nationwide TV channels with more than 1300 viewers only through social media channels, enhancing public awareness and promoting the RCs' model.

Project Outcome

Local institutional response mechanisms (resilience centers) strengthened for promotion and protection of the rights, safety, and inclusion of marginalized women and men, in particular women and girls, affected by conflict, discrimination, and/or abuse, including support for survivors of all forms of gender-based violence.

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