​Projects to support the parliamentary administration


The Swiss Parliamentary Services (SPS) have been providing support to the Parliament of the Republic of Albania since 2019, both in the sphere of civic education and awareness raising among the public – which was successfully completed in 2020 – and in the area of parliamentary control. The SDC is carrying out a project on Support to Parliament and Civic Education (PACEP) for the period 2018-2022, which is designed to strengthen the capacities of the parliamentary administration of the Albanian Parliament and to support it in its legislative, representative and oversight roles. Project goals also include empowering citizens and supporting their involvement in political life. The SDC works with two partner organisations operating in Albania for the implementation of this project: the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

SUPPORT IN THE AREA OF CIVIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

At the end of the SPS’s first mission, which took place in April 2019, the Albanian parliamentary administration expressed interest in collaborating with the SPS on three projects, namely the development of a civic education campaign similar to the role-playing game, ‘Mon point de vue‘, developed by the SPS; the creation of a new approach to the guided tours of the Albanian Parliament; and the development of a virtual 3D tour based on the virtual tour of the Swiss Parliament Building. In order to implement these projects, a working group has been established in each parliamentary administration.

The long-distance exchanges, a study visit in Switzerland and two additional missions in Albania have led to the speedy completion of the three projects between June 2019 and October 2020.

The 3D virtual tour of the Albanian Parliament (Plenary Building and Headquarters) is now available in Albanian and English.

SUPPORT IN THE AREA OF PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL

Collaboration in parliamentary control began with a three-day seminar in Tirana in May 2019, during which the representatives of the secretariat of the Federal Assembly’s Control Committees (CCs) and their Albanian counterparts explained how oversight is exercised in their respective parliaments. Following this initial exchange of views, the Albanian parliamentary administration was interested in developing a handbook for MPs on how to exercise parliamentary control, based on the Vademecum of the CCs. In October 2019, an Albanian working group participated in a workshop in Bern on the use of the CCs’ handbook and their working methods in the context of parliamentary oversight. Long-distance exchanges continued during 2020. The Albanian handbook was published in 2021.



Study visit to Bern on public relations and civic education, October 2019



Study visit to Bern on public relations and civic education, October 2019



Study visit to Bern on parliamentary oversight, October 2019



Study visit to Bern on parliamentary oversight, October 2019