Country: Albania
Website: www.idrainstitute.org
Focal Point: Auron Pasha, Executive Director
Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Tel: +355 69 20 41 036

Mission and vision

The mission of IDRA is to serve as an expertise-providing institute and an effectual bridge between the community and institutions, by being attentive to the problems faced by Albanian society and by enhancing the cooperation and dialogue in a nonpartisan, ethical, and professional way.

The Institute for Development Research and Alternatives aims to bring innovations and concrete solutions for Albanian society’s development and its integration of the values of democracy.

General description of the CSO work in the anti-corruption area

The Institute for Development Research and Alternatives has been one of the pioneer organizations to establish systems to measure the phenomenon of corruption. Since 2005, IDRA has been implementing an annual complex set of surveys aiming to explore the perceptions, attitudes and experiences of the Albanian public towards the corruption phenomenon. The research also aims at evaluating Albanian citizens’ trust in institutions, their level of involvement in democratic processes, as well as their perceptions of good governance. Additionally, the study has evaluated perceptions of actors involved in the judiciary sector in Albania of corruption, good governance, as well as their current level of trust in public institutions.

IDRA has also been involved in working groups contributing to the national Anti-Corruption Strategy of the Government since 2003. IDRA’s work in anti-corruption also includes projects establishing Corruption Proofing in Albanian Legislation as well as preparing methodologies and implementing Corruption Risk Assessment on public and independent institutions.

Specific description of the CSO work in relation to the UNCAC

In relation to UNCAC, IDRA has implemented several projects regarding preventive anti- corruption policies and practices related to public procurement and management of public finances, public reporting and the public sector. For example IDRA has been a local subcontractor of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Project/USAID in Albania (2006-2011). The project, aimed to reduce corruption and improve performance in three key areas of public administration:

• Tax administration
• Public procurement
• Business registration

The project addressed the lack of transparency and public scrutiny that have defined many economic activities in Albania in a two-pronged approach that involves process reform through legislative enhancements and IT solutions, as well as country-wide public education campaign, and promotion of civil society watchdog activities. The “Experience and Perception on Performance of Local Governance” study was implemented in the framework of the project “Assessing corruption levels in Fier and Lushnja municipalities and building capacity of local government and civil society to more effectively interact and co-operate in tackling corruption”. The focus of this project was to strengthen the interaction between local government and civil society by encouraging dialogue and providing means of cooperation in assuring transparency and accountability in local governance and reducing corruption potentials.

IDRA’s work has been notable in building coalitions and promoting citizen participation in government; leading anti-corruption activities; playing a proactive role in public policy debates; informing and educating the public; delivering trainings to the public administration; producing research papers and assisting to eliminate administrative barriers; etc.

Specific description of the CSO work in relation to the review mechanism of the UNCAC

The Institute for Development Research and Alternatives is working to participate in the review mechanism and also is implementing activities to advocate and promote the transparency of the UNCAC review process.

If you or someone from your organization has participated in a workshop on UNCAC and its review mechanism organized by UNODC/ UNCAC Coalition, please indicate who, when and where

Ms. Blerta Kalavace, Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on the United Nations Convection Against Corruption and its Review Mechanism, 25–29 September 2017, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina