Towards Democratic Local Governance Programme

Institutional Capacity

The Training Academy for Local Governance in Albania (TALGA) is the country’s first and only academy dedicated to strengthening local administrations. By focusing on sustainable waste management, TALGA builds institutional capacity, embeds systemic reforms, and ensures municipalities can independently uphold democratic and transparent practices.

During the inception phase of G2G Matra Programme, the project focused on stakeholder alignment, institutional coordination, and the establishment of cooperation mechanisms between Albanian and Dutch partners. A Steering Committee was established, pilot municipalities were selected, and thematic priorities were identified in close consultation with national and local stakeholders.

The programme currently works with four pilot municipalities:

• Elbasan – Digital Governance

• Korçë – Integrity and Anti-Corruption

• Shkodër – Local Economic Development

• Kavajë – Inclusive Service Delivery and Gender Equality

Through cooperation with Dutch municipalities and institutional partners, the project aims to support practice-oriented learning, municipal reform initiatives, and long-term institutional capacity development.

Accountability & Participation

The programme applies a participatory and partnership-based approach throughout its implementation. During the inception phase, extensive consultations were conducted with municipalities, national institutions, civil society organisations, and development partners to identify priorities and ensure local ownership.

Workshops, consultations, and municipal exchanges contribute to strengthening dialogue between national and local levels, while supporting more accountable and responsive local governance practices. The programme also promotes inclusive participation by encouraging the involvement of women, youth, and civil society actors in municipal reform processes.

Policy Development

It contributes to Albania’s decentralisation and public administration reform agenda by supporting institutional capacity development, local governance reform, and professional training systems for municipalities.

Through support to TALGA and cooperation with national institutions, the programme seeks to strengthen local governance practices aligned with EU integration priorities, including transparency, accountability, integrity, inclusive service delivery, and citizen-oriented administration.

Technical Assistance

Support is provided through institutional strengthening, thematic cooperation, and knowledge exchange between Albanian and Dutch partners.

During the inception phase, activities focused on:

• stakeholder consultations,

• thematic assessments,

• pilot municipality selection,

• establishment of municipal partnerships,

• coordination with national institutions and development partners.

Once TALGA becomes fully operational, future phases of the programme will support:

• training of trainers,

• curriculum development,

• municipal training programmes,

• peer-to-peer exchanges,

• action learning initiatives.

Partnerships & Sustainability

Implementation is carried out through a partnership between The Hague Academy for Local Governance, Helvetas Albania, and VNG International, in cooperation with Albanian and Dutch institutional partners.

The project promotes long-term sustainability through institutional ownership, stakeholder coordination, and integration within Albania’s local governance reform agenda. Coordination with development partners, including Switzerland (SDC), Sweden (Sida), and other local governance initiatives, supports complementarity and avoids duplication of efforts, and strengthens synergy..

The long-term objective is to support TALGA’s development as a sustainable national platform for local government capacity development and peer learning.

Human Dimension

Local ownership and inclusive governance are central to the approach. Municipal representatives, local stakeholders, and civil society organisations are engaged throughout the design and implementation process to ensure that activities respond to practical local needs.

By supporting thematic cooperation in areas such as integrity, digital governance, local economic development, and inclusive service delivery, the programme seeks to strengthen municipal capacities and contribute to more transparent, responsive, and citizen-oriented local governance practices.

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