Strengthening the capacities of Albanian municipalities in the twinning of cities

The Albania Sustainable Development Organization (ASDO) partnered in the project “Strengthening the Capacities of Albanian Municipalities in the Twinning of Cities,” led by the Association of Albanian Municipalities. This initiative, funded by the European Commission under the Europe for Citizens program, ran from December 1, 2012, to November 30, 2013.

As part of the project, ASDO organized two two-day training sessions. The first session took place in Tirana at the University of Kamza on April 25-26, 2013, while the second was held in Saranda at the University of Saranda (a branch of the University of Tirana, Faculty of Economy) on May 23-24, 2013. These events brought together approximately 60 participants from diverse universities and professional backgrounds.

Ms. Ariana Haxhiu, an expert from ANTTARC, delivered the training sessions, sharing valuable insights and expertise with the participants. Young attendees gained knowledge about the EU program, explored opportunities for twinning with European institutions, and learned about scholarships and training programs. Furthermore, the training sessions encouraged participants to embrace a stronger sense of European identity and cultural integration.

Training methodology

The training program was designed and implemented through meticulous preparation. Comprehensive handouts were developed and distributed to all participants to ensure effective learning. During the sessions, a variety of techniques were employed, including brainstorming, lectures, case studies, small group work, discussions, and group presentations, to achieve the training goals and objectives.

Throughout the training, an interactive and participatory approach was prioritized. Methods that encouraged participants to ask questions and share their ideas on various topics were actively utilized. Theoretical concepts were carefully integrated with practical group exercises, enabling participants to develop skills related to the covered topics. By combining theoretical knowledge with examples from town twinning programs successfully implemented in European countries, the training aimed to inspire participants to generate innovative ideas and identify potential resources for their own town twinning initiatives.

Skills developed

• Understanding community and partnership concepts
• Understanding positive impact of twining programs
• Understanding communication process as important factor on building partnership
• Understanding the importance of public speaking and using this skill to build partnership with media and other actors of the society.
• Understanding of Project Cycle Management, the project phases and logical framework;
• Informing about Europe project for citizens;
• Informing about application form.
• Understanding the importance of building partnership;
• Understanding BE program on twining;
• Being informed about application form on Town twining program.

At the end of the second day of training, all participants voluntarily participated in a local area cleanup. This activity aimed to promote environmental care and encourage involvement in voluntary work.

Another initiative implemented by ASDO involved distributing and completing a questionnaire with all project participants. During various meetings, including training sessions, workshops, and launch conferences, ASDO shared questions to gather insights on several topics. These included participants’ perspectives on the twinning identity, their feelings about the initiative, its potential impact on daily life, and future steps to ensure the sustainability of the twinning process.

The questionnaire featured open-ended questions, encouraging respondents to share additional information or comments they deemed important. ASDO thoroughly analyzed the responses, and the final conclusions have been incorporated into this report.

The questionnaire contained the following questions:

• Have you participated in any twinning projects by the Commission and/or other twinning assessments or reviews? If so, in what way (in working level, twining universities etc.)?
• After the seminar, do you have clear and sufficient knowledge for identifying the applicability of twinning projects and benefits?
• Do you think one proper way to introduce and promote the implementation of twinning projects in Albania?
• What mechanisms promoting twinning in Albania are considered more appropriate to apply and what difficulties are believed to face when applying?
• What questions need clarification regarding the issues raised in these seminars?
• What aspects of these activities should think treat or discuss in future workshops?
• After the seminar, do you have a clear understanding about what is to be understood in TWINNING and Europe for Citizens Program?
• Please identify: a) significant negatives of twinning: b) significant positives of twinning: c) what worked best in twinning: d) the major failures of twinning.