Developing tools to increase Local Government Public Integrity and Ethics

February 2019 – IDM has kicked off the implementation of the project on “Increasing local government public ethics and integrity”. The aim of the project is to build institutional capacities of Albanian municipalities to put in place a coherent and effective integrity system and promoting integrity management practices at the local level with the end objective to improve the level of transparency and accountability of municipalities towards citizens.

The project targets all the 61 Albanian Municipalities in a two stages approach: the development of two instruments: a) The integrity risk assessment methodology (IRA methodology) and b) Standard Code of Conduct with Implementation Toolkit for Local Government Units and then the consultation process and the second stage includes the implementation of the proposed IRA methodology in six pilot municipalities.

In this context, IDM experts have drafted the integrity risk assessment methodology and the Standard Code of Conduct and during February and March both documents were consulted through 4 regional dissemination workshops, involving around 85 representatives of local executives, representatives of Municipal Council and technical staff from administration of 40 municipalities in Albania. These workshops served as a platform for discussion and exchange of information on best practices of integrity and ethics management, while the same time getting the necessary feedback and comments to fine tune both documents. In the meantime, these meetings provided an opportunity to discuss with key local stakeholders the selection criteria and opportunities for municipalities expressing interest to be part of pilot municipalities.  Once the consultation process completed, all comments and feedback gathered, were reflected to further consolidate and validate the integrity risk assessment methodology and Standard Code of Conduct.

In the second stage, includes the implementation of the proposed IRA methodology in six pilot municipalities. Local Integrity Plans shall guide municipalities in treating integrity risks, so that risk levels are reduced and resilience of local government to integrity violations is strengthened. Thus, during this phase IDM will mentor and assist the IWGs of 6 pilot municipalities in the organization of in-house IRA and planning activities for the drafting of municipal integrity plans during main stages of the IRA process.

In the frame of Consolidation of Territorial and Administrative Reform – STAR 2 project, IDM Albania has been contracted  by UNDP to provide consultancy service on “Increasing local government public ethics and integrity”.