Admin, Author at National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania

Call for applications for the NPO Academy 2019

NPOs Academy is a non-formal education space for enhancement of skills and development of competences of CSOs executives in Albania through a unique curriculum, up to date learning methodology and diverse professional expertise. During the four years of implementation 70 NPOs executives and high managers benefited knowledge and practical skills, cooperation, networking and partnership opportunities with similar organizations in the country and abroad.

The purpose of the NPO Academy is to create the next generations of professional and committed NPOs executives who will become change actors to contribute to the development of Albanian society.

The NPOs Academy 2019 will be organized in by the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania, a three year project financed by European Union, implemented since January 2019 from Partners Albania for Change and Development in partnership with Albanian Centre for Population and Development and European Movement in Albania under the component of building and strengthening NPOs capacities in Albania

We encourage applying in the Academy executives of Albanian NPOs in the position of the Director, Program Manager and Chairpersons of the Board/Assembly, who aim the enhancement of capacities and their professional development in the sector, to build effective organizations serving the public and interest groups.

Please read the Brochure to know more about the program, criteria and application process.

The deadline for submission of the Application is 11 April 2019!

In case of question or further information, please contact Ms. Xhoana Zeqo, Coordinator of National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania at info@resourcecentre.al.

Application Form	Download
Information Brochure	Download

Call for applications for the NPO Academy 2020

NPOs Academy is a non-formal education space for enhancement of skills and development of competences of CSOs executives in Albania through a unique curriculum, up to date learning methodology and diverse professional expertise. During the five years of implementation more than 90 NPOs executives and high managers benefited knowledge and practical skills, cooperation, networking and partnership opportunities with similar organizations in country and abroad.

The purpose of the NPO Academy is to create the next generations of professional and committed NPOs executives who will become change actors to contribute in the development of Albanian society.

The NPOs Academy 2020 is organized by the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania, a project financed by European Union, implemented by Partners Albania for Change and Development in partnership with Albanian Centre for Population and Development and European Movement in Albania under the component of building and strengthening NPOs capacities in Albania

Please read the Brochure to know more about the program, criteria and application process.

The deadline for submission of the Application is 7^th February 2020!

In case of question or further information, please contact Ms. Xhoana Zeqo, Coordinator of National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania at info@resourcecentre.al .

Application Form	Download
Information Brochure	Download

Call for applications for the NPO Academy 2021

NPOs Academy is a non-formal education space for enhancement of skills and development of competences of CSOs executives in Albania through a unique curriculum, up to date learning methodology and diverse professional expertise. During the five years of implementation more than 108 NPOs executives and high managers benefited knowledge and practical skills, cooperation, networking and partnership opportunities with similar organizations in country and abroad.

The purpose of the NPO Academy is to create the next generations of professional and committed NPOs executives who will become change actors to contribute in the development of Albanian society.

The NPOs Academy 2021 is organized by the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania, a project financed by European Union, implemented by Partners Albania for Change and Development in partnership with Albanian Centre for Population and Development and European Movement in Albania under the component of building and strengthening NPOs capacities in Albania

Please read the Brochure to know more about the program, criteria and application process.

The deadline for submission of the Application is 8^th February 2021!

In case of question or further information, please contact Ms. Xhoana Zeqo, Coordinator of National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania at info@resourcecentre.al

Application Form	Download
Information Brochure	Download

CALL FOR ENGAGEMENT OF EXPERTS IN THE ROSTER OF TRAINERS/COACHES OF NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN ALBANIA

Partners Albania for Change and Development is looking for experienced training and coaching experts at the national and international level, to extend the network of collaborators in various fields of services and support to civil society organizations in Albania through the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania.

We invite all interested experts with experience in training and coaching of NPOs in the areas below, to send their expression of interest.

-Organizational development and governance;

-Accountability, Responsibility, and Public Trust in NPOs;

-Legal framework governing non-for-profit organizations in Albania;

-Financial management and reporting;

-Strategic planning;

-Project proposal writing;

-Project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation;

-Organizational sustainability, fundraising techniques and alternative revenue sources for nonprofits; (i.e. Crowdfunding, collaboration with the private sector and philanthropy etc.);

-Revenue generation (SWOT analysis on products/services, business and marketing plan development);

-Effective and strategic communication of CSOs;

-Mobilization of Constituency, Sector and Cross-sector Collaboration, Networking and Coalition building;

-Advocacy and lobbying;

-Participatory governance and effective participation tools in policy making;

-Solidarity and volunteering – EU voluntarism programs.

Read the full TOR below

Terms of Reference for Engagement of Experts in the Roster of Trainers/Coaches of National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania

Download

Call for expression of interest for support in management of the situation Covid19

The Covid-19 pandemic emergency, accompanied by quarantine conditions, has created a series of challenges for the work of the non-profit sector. These challenges, among other things, require new alternative forms of work for the staff of organizations as well as the provision of services to beneficiaries. In these conditions, Partners Albania and the National Resource Center for Civil Society, after an assessment of needs made in this regard over the past week, found that the need of organizations to have access to online platforms as a way to continue their activity, combined this in many cases with the need for training in their use, is high.

In response to these needs there will be TWO PACKAGES of rapid support:

One-year access on the ZOOM platform, the costs of which will be covered by Partners Albania and the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania. Given that nowadays ZOOM is one of the most used platforms globally, demand for it runs very high. Through a special agreement, we have the means to make a number of accounts available to the sector and all our beneficiaries, with all the functions the platform enables. Requests can be submitted through this form https://forms.gle/17UgcmkyuhUiQVVh49, filling it by April 13. Only selected organizations will be notified of this application by April 17.
Please note that ZOOM platform, alongside many others, is also offered free of charge (with some limited features such as for virtual meetings shorter than 40 minutes etc.) that can be used freely. Because of this, we will carefully evaluate the purpose of use (eg, services as opposed to simply online meetings / meetings), the nature of what is expected to be communicated (eg, demonstration / exercise instructions with pictures, group training over 10 people), internet access to enable the use of technology, audience size, and frequency of communication (the more frequent, the more priority).

Provide online training for the use of a series of online platforms and creative tools. Given the wide range of applications, tools and platforms available, in most cases it is difficult to choose the right one. As part of these trainings, participants will have the opportunity to get acquainted with some of them, to assess which is appropriate and the most economical for the needs they have, as well as to exercise in their use. To register for the training, please complete and send by April 16 the application you find at the following link: https://forms.gle/57VKjXJQQg9zhsP1g8.
All applicants according to the selected dates will be further notified of the training logistics.

Call for Tender – Development of a Website For National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania

Partners Albania for Change and Development is looking to contract a company or individual, to develop a New website for National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania.

The deadline for submitting tenders is March 29th, 2024, at 17:00.

Download the tender documents below.

Civil society organizations recommend to the Albanian Assembly to send the draft law “On the Registration of Non for Profit Organizations” to the Venice Commission for a Legal Opinion and to avoid its approval in conditions of urgency.

Following the commitment to facilitate the consultation process with the sector on the Draft Law “On registration of non-profit organizations” and advocacy, with responsible institutions, on February 26, 2021, 119 civil society organizations addressed the representatives of the Albanian Parliament with a statement through which they recommend to the Assembly to send for Legal Opinion to the Venice Commission the draft law “On the Registration of NPOs” and to avoid its approval in emergency conditions! Find the full statement HERE

The initiative for a new draft law is very positive and welcomed by civil society organizations, which have been requesting one for years, but we note with regret that the spirit of state institutions responsible for drafting, proposing and reviewing this draft law has been exclusive to a sector such as civil society in the country, which is directly affected by it.

We reiterate that in the drafting of the law by the Ministry of Justice, the organizations representatives were invited to give their contribution for this draft law in the final process. Despite the short consultation deadlines, the NPO representatives offered their input in this process, but the Ministry of Justice reflected a very low number of suggestions and did not provide explanations for the reasons or arguments for rejecting the other ones.

Hearing session in Parliament

After the draft law was forwarded to the Assembly, in October a Request was sent to the Assembly for a hearing session which was organized a few months later, on February 24, 2021, and moreover one day after the approval of the draft law in principle by the Law Commission.

In the hearing session in the Law Commission, the discussions by the representatives of the CSOs highlighted a series of principle issues that the draft law has. Despite the expression of readiness to listen to the NPOs and welcome their comments, the statements articulated during the hearing by some members of the Law Commission had biased marks against the sector.

Both the Assembly and the Ministry of Justice earlier in the communications, presented that this draft law addresses the recommendations of MoneyVal of the Council of Europe while issues raised by the civil society sector do not affect the recommendations of MoneyVal.

Following the hearing session, the Law Commission invited the NPOs to a meeting on February 26, 2021, to continue with the discussions on the issues raised. The statement was widely shared with the civil society sector, the donor community, responsible institutions and the media which reflected developments on this issue.

Meeting with the Law Commission

Under the coordination of the Resource Centre, a group of NPOs representatives, once again presented to the Commission all problematic issues, emphasizing once again the position of NPOs that as long as the draft law has a series of principle issues, cannot be put for discussion article by article related to them. The representative group also, on behalf of the NPOs, submitted to the Commission the above request mentioned to address a legal opinion to the Venice Commission and to avoid its approval under the state of emergency.

After the meeting, the Committee on Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights, sent the table with comments and proposals on the draft law. For more information, refer to the document. We find that some of the comments and suggestions have been reflected while other issues of concern have been added recently. The amount of the fine, provided in Article 48 of the draft law “Administrative Offenses”, is an intimidating, disproportionate measure with a very negative effect on the activity of the sector. It is considered a serious violation of the principle of proportionality of the fine in relation to the importance, the consequences caused and the circumstances of the administrative offense (Article 18, Law 10279). It also contradicts the Law 10279, On Administrative Offenses, where in article 10, point 1 it is determined that the measure of fine can be fixed or with minimum and maximum limits.

In the situation of tight deadlines, Partners Albania immediately forwarded comments on this revised draft to the Law Commission.

The People’s Advocate (Ombudsman) Institution supports the continuation of consultations for the approval of the draft law “On the registration of NPOs”

The People’s Advocate (Ombudsman) Institution has closely followed the ongoing debate regarding the drafting and approval of a draft law “On the registration of NPOs” in the Republic of Albania and has expressed its support for civil society organizations.

The People’s Advocate recommends to the Albanian Assembly not to rush into the adoption of an unconsulted and uncoordinated draft law with civil society actors and calls on all stakeholders to make their constructive contribution with efficiency, seriousness and the interest of citizens in mind. For more

Code of Standards for non-profit organizations in Albania: A self-regulatory practice for good governance, transparency and accountability of the non-profit sector

CODE OF STANDARDS FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN ALBANIA
A SELF-REGULATORY PRACTICE FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE NON-PROFIT SECTOR

After an active process of almost two years of consultation and cooperation between civil society organizations throughout the country, we are pleased to announce the establishment of the Code of Standards (CS) for Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) in Albania.

The Code of Standards introduces a self-regulatory mechanism for the sector, aiming to improve the work effectiveness of non-profit organizations, good governance, transparency and accountability.

It is a set of principles and commitments on how organizations operate, how they are governed, how they manage resources, how they are transparent and accountable to all stakeholders, how they build relationships with supporters and donors, how they manage conflicts of interest, etc.

Conceived as a sector contribution to the sector, the Code is a practice established based on international and regional experiences and models of standards for civil society organizations such as the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) and The Global Standard for CSO Accountability.

The working group consisting of 16 civil society organizations, worked and further adapted the Code of Standards to the dynamics of development of the non-profit sector in Albania and drafted the Code of Standards as well as an implementation framework that enables monitoring and self-assessment of the organization.

As a self-regulatory mechanism undertaken by the free will of NPOs, the Code of Standards is a tool that promotes learning and change, strengthens relationships with partners and stakeholders, and increases the legitimacy and credibility of CSOs.

The implementation of the Code of Standards

The Code of Standards for NPOs is a public tool, accessible and open to all NPOs.

It is a self-regulatory tool, which means that the responsibility for compliance with the Code rests with the members of the Code, who conduct a self-assessment based on a set of verifiable indicators set out in the Self-Assessment Framework of the NPO Code of Standards.

Conceived as an enabling mechanism, the Code is structured in 4 guiding principles and 7 commitments that member NPOs must meet and maintain for more accountability and a common standard. Based on the accompanying Self-Assessment Framework of the Code of Standards, any organization can conduct a self-assessment of its own and subsequently express interest for membership in the Code.

All organizations that need to work further for improving of one or more standards will be supported through concrete recommendations as well as resource materials and good practices that can be adapted by them.

Membership of the Code and its implementing structures

Membership of the Code will be public and will constitute the Assembly of the Code of Standards. It will also serve as an analytical, dialogue and support structure for and with the non-profit sector. Membership in the SC will be renewed every four years through a full evaluation process by the Code Committee and every 2 years through a Self-Evaluation process, with self-declaration of the members.

The first Assembly of the Code of Standards consists of the 16 initiating organizations of the working group of the Code as follows, which conducted the self-assessment and presented to the membership how they meet the commitments of the CS.

Fulfillment of the basic obligations and requirements set out in the Code of Standards and the Self-Evaluation Framework of the Code by NPOs will be ensured by the Code Committee, which will serve as an evaluation structure for NPOs willing to join or maintain membership in the CS. The Committee is a voluntary structure, consisting of 5 members proposed and elected by the Assembly of the Code, based on a set of professional and organizational criteria predetermined.

The first Committee of the Code of Standards voted by the Assembly consists of:

Ana Majko, Initiative for Social Change (ARSIS)
Blerta Cani, Albanian Disability Rights Foundation (ADRF)
Kristina Voko, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network – BIRN Albania
Mihallaq Qirjo, Resource Environmental Center, Albania (REC Albania)
Mirela Arqimandriti, Gender Alliance for Development Centre (GADC)

Partners Albania, through the National Resource Center, will play the role of Secretariat of the Code of Standards by facilitating and coordinating the implementation of the Code. The Secretariat will also be responsible for informing and raising awareness on the CS as well as its promotion within the country, in the region and beyond as an important mechanism in raising the standards of the activity of the sector in Albania.

Code of Standards for NPOs in Albania and its developing experience, part of the journal of the Global Standard on CSOs Accountability

Partners Albania and the National Resource Centre, as the initiator and facilitator of the drafting process of the Code of Standards for NPOs in Albania, had the pleasure to be part of the latest edition of the Global Standard for CSO Responsibility newspaper. The Global Standard for CSO Accountability is a standards reference model, created by 10 international organizations, that aims to transform the way organizations understand and practice accountability. It includes 12 dynamic accountability commitments that enable CSOs, regardless of their size or scope, to improve their accountability practices and consequently their effectiveness.

Mrs. Ariola Agolli, Manager of the National Resource Centre and Mrs. Xhoana Zeqo, Project Manager at Partners Albania, shared their experience on the process of developing the Code of Standards for Albanian NPOs. The importance of developing a self-regulatory accountability mechanism for the sector by the sector, the challenge of developing a practice of
standards that is as comprehensive and representative as possible according to the development dynamics of the sector and its promotion to all stakeholders, were some of the other issues addressed in interview. The full article can be found HERE

Comments on the Draft Law “On Volunteering”

Following the notification from the Minister of State for Youth and Children regarding the public consultation on the Draft Law “On Volunteering,” we hereby submit a series of comments and […]

Author: Admin