Presentation by SIGMA expert Jolanda Trebicka from Albania, on the Analysis of the Albanian monitoring and reporting requirements and practices, made at a seminar organised by SIGMA for representatives of the Albanian Office of the Prime Minister and selected line ministries, Tirana 9 February 2017.

1. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Analysis of Albanian Monitoring
and Reporting
requirements and practices
Jolanda Trebicka
SIGMA expert
9 February 2017

2. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
The review process
• In 2016 the OECD/SIGMA analysed
current monitoring and reporting
requirements based on the Prime
Minister’s Order No 93, Chapter 5 ‘’
Accountability, Reporting and Monitoring
System’’
• 22 strategies were reviewed and
analysed

3. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Aspects of Review
The following aspects of the sector and crosscutting
strategies were analysed to identify the strengths and
weaknesses that have an impact on the quality of
monitoring and reporting:
– Quality of objectives defined in the strategy;
– Use of indicators
– Definition of activities and outputs
– Institutional set-up for monitoring
– Frequency of reporting
– Timeframe and validity period
– Linkages between strategy and Medium Term Budget
Programmes.

4. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Quality of objectives.
• Most strategies have a fairly well balanced
number of objectives with an average of 3-5
objectives to be met under each pillar.
• Only one strategy includes a large number
of defined “strategic goals” and objectives
(strategy for Combating Organised Crime
2013-2016 includes 17 strategic goals and
42 objectives under 5 pillars).

5. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Use of indicators
There is no unified practice in the use and
design of indicators:
– Out of 22 strategies, only 2 strategies have a very
concise monitoring system with targets to be
met for each year from 2014 to 2020.
– Other strategies suffer from:
• the lack of baselines values,
• imperfect formulation of indicators,
• lack of SMART targets.
– 3 to 5 average number of indicators per each
objective

6. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Definition of activities and
corresponding outputs.
• Only 2 out of 22 strategies have clearly defined
activities and corresponding outputs
– Different approaches to formulation of activities and
output indicators.
• Mix formulation of activities = as measures, actions
or milestones.
• In some cases activities have sub-activities (e.g.
Inter-sectoral National Strategy on Integrated Border
Management 2014-2020 includes 611 activities and
sub-activities).
• There is a common practice to define outputs to be
delivered by each activity;
– In most cases the outputs are not quantified.

7. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Institutional set-up for monitoring
• 12 strategies are sector strategies and 9 strategies are
crosscutting.
• All strategies have a section dedicated to co-ordination of
monitoring of the strategies.
– 13 strategies assign such responsibility to a national
committee/ council,
– 6 strategies indicate that co-ordination and monitoring
will be carried out by the inter-ministerial groups
– 1 strategy does not indicate a specific structure for
monitoring the strategy, but transfers the responsibility
for monitoring to the Strategic Planning Committee.
• The role of IPMGs identified in 3 strategies.
• Only 3 strategies indicate the participation of the civil
society or interest groups in monitoring of strategies.

8. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Frequency of reporting
• Even though PM Order No 93 envisages
annual reporting, the frequency of reporting
is different.
FrequencyofMonitoringandEvaluation
Onlyannual
report
Semi-annualand
Annual
Quarterly,
Semi-annually,
Annualreports
Noreporting
indicated
Midterm
Evaluation
Numberof
strategies
7 2 6 6 7

9. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Timeframe and validity period
• Different timeframe and validity period.
– Ranges from 3 to 15 years.
• Only 8 strategies aligned with the NSDI in
timeframe.
Timeframe of Strategies
Timeframe 2011-
2015
2009 -
2015
2011-
2017
2015-
2017
2013-
2020
2012-
2020
2014 -
2020
2015-
2020
2010-
2025
Number of
strategies
1 1 1 1 1 1 8 7 1
Validity
period
(years)
5 7 7 3 8 9 7 6 15

10. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Linking with MTBP
• For this purpose only 5 strategies are analysed. Only
in case of Market Surveillance Strategy the objectives
are directly linked with the MTBP.
• For the others almost none of the objectives of the
analysed strategies can be easily found in the MTBPs,
however, a large number of activities under
objectives can be matched with different MTBP
programmes.
• On the other hand, the MTBP, even though it has a
very detailed list of programmes, does not provide a
clear description of strategic priorities and the
programme objectives are often substantially
different from those stated in analysed strategies.

11. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
SIGMA Recommendations
•Develop and adopt a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system
• Outcomes (performance indicators) monitored and reported on an annual basis,
• Implementation of the action plans on a 6-monthly basis
•Strengthen the role of the Strategic Planning
•Annual progress report is disused by the Strategic Planning Committee
•Introduce thematic Strategic Planning Committee sessions where strategies would be discussed
•Expand the scope of monitoring and reporting framework
•Strengthen the role of the Parliament
•Design and adopt the evaluation framework for sector and crosscutting strategies.
Establish an effective monitoring and reporting system
•Develop a new framework for strategy development and adopt it as a new Prime Minister’s
Order
• Work with ministries to ensure an optimal number of objectives and activities.
•Introduce a general requirement for all future strategies to develop action plans
•Reduce the number of activities in strategy action plans – make the strategies more focused and
strategic
•Introduce minimum standard requirements on how to develop indicators
Improve planning stage (strategy development) in order to ensure effective monitoring
and reporting

12. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Thank You