6-7 June 2023, Tirana, Albania

ReSPA, jointly with OGP Support Unit supported the Ministry of State for Standards and Services to improve the knowledge of the OGP standards and effective communication between OGP stakeholders by organizing a two-day training Implementation of OGP Participation and Co-Creation of Standards in Albania.

On the first day of the training, trainers Tim Hughes (Lead, Democracy & Participation, OGP Support Unit) and Manjola Hasa (communication expert) introduced to 25 participants (composed of focal points, the national Point of Contact and Secretariat of the Multy-stakeholder Committee) with the most relevant features of requirements & recommendations throughout the OGP process regarding Multi-stakeholder dialogue, information provision, communication and participation during co-creation and implementation of the National Action Plan.

The second day of the training, besides the Secretariat of the Multy-stakeholder committee, was attended by more than twenty representatives of CSOs from Albania. The training sessions focused on the role of CSOs in the overall OGP process, and good practices from EU and WB, while during the discussion different approaches presented by the OGP trainer were provided as the responses to the questions posed by representatives from CSO’s on the envisaged opportunities and possible challenges.

At the beginning of the training Minister Milva Ekonomi addressed participants and thanked them for all their hard work in the co-creation process of developing OGP National Action Plan 2023-2025. Minister Ekonomi later emphasised that this training was an excellent opportunity for the new participants in the OGP processes to acquire knowledge and for the officials who already had the experience to enhance their knowledge on the updated  OGP standards which need to be applied when developing the action plan as well as within its implementation and monitoring.

ReSPA Programme Manager Olivera Damjanović accentuated that “ReSPA, through this training,  supported the building of the capacities of all actors participating in inclusive OGP processes in Albania, responding to Ministries well-recognised need for enhancing the knowledge across the board of all responsible bodies for implementation of OGP  that was addressed in the most opportune time” Damjanović also emphasised, “the sharing of regional experiences and peer learning might be another opportunity for upgrading the knowledge relevant for overall OGP implementation and for enhancing OGP agenda in Albania”.