Bashki të Forta                                          (Strong Municipalities)

Bashki të Forta is Helvetas Albania’s flagship governance initiative, designed to strengthen municipal councils, improve service delivery, and institutionalize performance management across all 61 municipalities. Citizens benefit from improved governance and services delivered according to agreed minimum and affordable standards, ensuring sustainability and accountability nationwide. In its second phase, the programme focuses on municipal performance management, performance-based grants, stronger municipal councils, and better services in waste management and preschool education.

Municipal Performance

Helvetas Albania supports the development of a country-wide performance management system, complemented by a performance-based grant scheme. Municipalities are incentivized to improve governance and service delivery through measurable standards, embedding accountability into everyday practice.

Local Accountability

Municipal councils are strengthened to ensure citizens’ voices are represented in decision-making. Transparent processes and participatory governance mechanisms guarantee that accountability is not symbolic but embedded in municipal operations.

Policy Development

Helvetas Albania works with systemic actors to define minimum affordable standards for service provision and good governance. Policies are co-designed with institutions, ensuring ownership, sustainability, and institutionalization across Albania’s governance framework.

Technical Assistance

Continuous knowledge transfer and capacity building are provided to municipalities and systemic actors. Support includes training, coaching, practical tools, and guidance for improving planning, service delivery, and accountability. This ensures reforms are not only implemented but institutionalized, enabling local administrations to independently uphold democratic and transparent practices.

Impact & Metrics

• Citizens benefit from improved municipal services such as waste management and pre-school education.

• Municipalities receive performance-based grants, linking funding directly to accountability and results.

• Municipal Councils enhance transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement by livestreaming council meetings and conducting regular public consultations.

• Nationwide reach: systemic reforms extended to all 61 municipalities in Albania.

Partnerships & Sustainability

Helvetas Albania collaborates closely with systemic actors in local government, ensuring reforms are co-owned and institutionalized. Capacity building of municipal councils and administrations strengthens governance capacity, while sustainability is embedded into every intervention.

Human Dimension

Citizens experience tangible improvements in services and governance standards. Municipal officials and systemic actors engage in workshops and training sessions, building long-term capacity. Inclusiveness is mainstreamed, ensuring women and marginalized groups are represented in governance processes.

Legacy

Through its 6 components, Bashki të Forta has contributed to a structural shift in Albania’s local governance system, moving from fragmented support to institutionalized, performance-based and citizen-oriented governance across all 61 municipalities.

• Municipal Performance: Established Albania’s first nationwide municipal performance management system covering all 61 municipalities, and linked governance performance to performance-based grants, embedding accountability into local financing and service delivery.
• Municipal Councils & Local Accountability: Strengthened municipal councils as functional oversight bodies by introducing structured transparency tools, including public consultation mechanisms and increased openness of council proceedings.
• Waste Management: Supported the introduction of standardized municipal waste management systems, helping municipalities adopt more coordinated, accountable, and sustainable service delivery approaches.
• Preschool Education: Improved governance and management of preschool education services through standardized tools and capacity building in municipalities, contributing to more consistent service quality across local governments.
• Women in Politics: Strengthened women’s representation and leadership in local governance through the restructured Alliance of Women Councilors and expanded participation in municipal decision-making processes across all 61 municipalities. Contributed to the implementation of 89 gender-focused municipal initiatives in 2024, up from 68 initiatives in 2023, covering welfare, education, public services, economy, youth, and gender-based violence
• TALGA – Training Academy for Local Governance: Contributed to the establishment of Albania’s first permanent national training academy for local government, creating a lasting institutional platform for continuous professional development of municipal staff and elected officials.  

Project website