Turning Donor-Funded Innovation into a National Transparency Standard for LGUs

We are pleased to note that the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Protection of Personal Data (IDP) has adopted the transparency template developed and promoted by Helvetas Albania as a required standard for municipal councils across Albania.

Originally designed and piloted with municipalities through the Bashki të Forta Project (funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC and Government of Sweden), this transparency program provides a structured framework for informing citizens on key areas of local governance, including municipal councils, commissions, regulatory frameworks, meetings, public consultations, decisions, and requests for information.

Its formal uptake by IDP reflects an important step in transferring know-how from donor-funded programs to system actors. This ensures sustainability, institutional ownership, and consistent application of transparency standards across municipalities.

A concrete example of how practical tools developed through development cooperation can be embedded into national systems, strengthening transparency, accountability, and local democracy.