The “Albania Local Governments 2024” Report, prepared by the Institute for Albanian Municipalities (IAM), a member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Turkish World Municipalities (TDBB), has been published.
The Institute for Albanian Municipalities (IAM) is a civil society organization aiming to contribute to local, regional, and national development. Within the framework of good governance and decentralization principles, IAM strengthens the capacities of local governments through research, training, and consultancy.
The 2024 Local Governments Report prepared by IAM presents in detail the performance of municipalities across the country, the challenges they face, and the progress made. While the report provides comprehensive analyses in critical areas such as regional reform, financial management, public service delivery, and inter-institutional cooperation, it also brings transparency and efficiency goals in local governance to the agenda.
The report aims to inform policymakers, central and local governments, international organizations, and citizens. Within this framework, strengthening local autonomy, increasing transparency, and enhancing the capacities of local governments are among the main objectives of the report.
Local government in Albania consists of two levels: 61 municipalities and 12 district councils. Municipalities consist of cities, neighborhoods, and villages, while district councils comprise several municipalities. Both levels have executive and legislative bodies defined by law. Under the current administrative structure, municipalities are distributed across 12 regions.
The report also highlights successful projects and strategies implemented by some municipalities. Examples include effective use of own resources, innovative infrastructure projects, and strengthening communication with citizens. These examples are presented as models that could inspire other municipalities.
The main problems highlighted in the report include:
- Limited delegation of authority from the center: Municipalities remain dependent on central government financing and do not have full decision-making autonomy.
- Fragile financial capacity: Income disparities between municipalities are evident, with rural municipalities lagging behind urban areas in terms of access to investment and resources.
- Quality and sustainability of public services: Problems persist in areas such as environmental management, infrastructure, agricultural services, flood and fire protection, water supply, and the circular economy.
- Limited citizen participation: Public involvement in decision-making processes often goes no further than formality; mechanisms for public consultation need to be strengthened.
- Lack of alignment in organizational structures: The structure of municipalities does not fully correspond to realities such as demographic change and population decline.
- Insufficient institutional coordination: The unclear role of regional councils and lack of inter-institutional coordination constitute an obstacle to effective local governance.
Methodology of the Report
The report was prepared using an extensive dataset that includes official state data, municipal budget and investment reports, field observations, and expert assessments. In addition, interviews with mayors, local government representatives, and civil society organizations strengthened the report’s solution- and recommendation-oriented approach. By combining qualitative and quantitative analyses, the report provided a detailed evaluation of municipal performance.
The report offers a strategic roadmap for building a more transparent, participatory, and effective local governance system in Albania. It emphasizes that, through cooperation between central and local governments as well as civil society, a more functional and citizen-oriented model of local government can be established.
Among the main activities of the Institute are: enhancing the administrative skills of public officials and building new capacities; increasing the efficiency of human resources; strengthening rural leadership and supporting gender equality; improving decision-making processes at both local and central levels; helping municipalities adopt sustainable and effective management models; establishing joint service networks among municipalities; increasing citizen participation; and reinforcing transparency in local governance.
