Kursori.org, an e-learning platform, in quarantine empowering itself for a well-paid and online labor market.

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Our most useful database in times of quarantine Kursori.org .The ODK and AIS have applied in the last two years an e-Learning platform for enabling young people to develop their digital skills, a program that enables training on skills for an innovative market of Information Technology. The database is designed to assist students in Kosovo and the high school students of Lezha and Kurbin, Albania, to develop for a safe job market. From today, our e-Learning platform Kursori is open to everyone. Young people and anyone else may obtain three levels of skills to develop their capacity, so they can make the most of it to benefit the most and not waste their time while in quarantine. Kursori.Org is supported by the European Delegation as an activity of the Open ICT Education for Youth Employability Project and is financed by an EU IPA cross–border project. The objective of the project is to foster youth employability providing open access to critical ICT knowledge and skills, and strengthening cross–border cooperation between the educational institutions. In times of quarantine, this is a useful tool for professional training and development that allows you to work from home. We are opening this platform for everyone, it’s in Albanian. Click, register and become skilled. A great team of Tech Leaders is there to assist you.

What the Health Sector is procuring includes small purchases for the safety of the regional doctors;

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What are our Health institutions purchasing through negotiations for emergencies or through common purchasing procedures? We have a track record of all the public health sector investments and purchases. In the past two weeks, a few purchases have been recorded for the reinforcement of hygienic protection for health buildings. Link health tenders
Other transparent procurements for the following institutions are being updated with accessible and well-structured documents on our databases:
Tenders for Local Government Units: Open Procurement Municipality and subordinate institutions. Link
Tenders of the Central Purchasing Agency, purchases for executive institutions Link
Transparent procurements by the Albanian Road Authority, tenders for infrastructure Link
Tenders by state-owned companies (SOCs) buying, the major suppliers of massive services, such as drinking water, electricity, etc. Link

Tender for the Reconstruction Program for the State-Supported Share

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Open Procurement Albania publishes information for procurement procedures worth of 9.4 billion Albanian Lek (76,42 million Euros) for Homes and Schools damaged by the Earthquake. The Government opts for Limited Procedure, avoiding open bidding competition. The 20-days timeframe for submission of requests by interested competitors is not respected.

Data, documents, and information on every stage of such procedures can be easily accessed in our database for transparent procurement: http://www.openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/list

The Albanian government through the Albanian Development Fund has announced contractions worth 900410 141 (nine billion and four hundred million and ten thousand and one hundred and forty-one Albanian Lek). Equivalent to 76,42 million Euros). Purpose of tender: Construction of Homes and Schools in the regions affected by the Earthquake (November 2019) The financing is from the state budget. The procedure applied is the limited procedure (not open). This procedure requires interested parties to submit a request to the authority, and then the authority selects the bidders based on the eligibility criteria, and not on the bids they have submitted. The selected companies or operators are then notified of their selection and asked to submit their bids to the authority, which selects the best bid. This non-open procedure is envisioned by the Law on Public Procurement (Law No. 9643, Article 31). The law requires such procedures to be used only when it is necessary to make a difference between the selection phase, where candidates are qualified/disqualified, and the phase of deciding who the winning operator is following a review of their bids. The Limited Procedure is to apply in specific cases and requires legal arguments. With the bidders already known (through the selection phase), the process is more likely to present risks for the competition and efficiency compared with the Open Procedure. The contracting authority would have to carefully argue why it opted for this procedure. Such arguments are not found in the information made available for the public regarding the tender documents, or in any reports by the Albanian Development Fund.

The list of procedures published on 10 and 11 March includes:

  1. Reconstruction of individual houses in areas affected by the earthquake. As part of the reconstruction process. Reference of this procedure REF – 53475-03-09-2020 with a fund limit of 5 525 192 288 (five billion and two hundred and twenty-five million and one hundred and ninety-two thousand and eighty-eight Albanian Lek). The scope of the Framework Agreement includes the reconstruction of individual houses as per the model projects (1+1, 1+2, 1+3) in the territory of Durrës, Kamza, Kavajë, Rrogozhinë, Krujë, Kurbin, and Lezha municipalities. Mirdita, Shijak, and Vorë. According to the Standard Document, the house reconstruction can be done as a group or separately on the site of existing houses, as designated by the mandatory local plans. The procuring authority is the Albanian Development Fund. The interested parties are only given nine calendar days (not working days) to submit their bids. Based on Law No. 9643 and No. 34, and Decision No. 914 of the Council of Ministers, the time available for bidders to submit their tenders is 20 days, which is a criterion that the Authority has not met, putting the procedure at risk. The tender submission deadline is set in contradiction with the 20-days deadline. On this procurement passport, under Open Procurement Albania, you will find the documents accessible for the public. LINK http://openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/view/id/293
  2. Equally, a Lot Procedure was announced on March 17th for a total fund limit of 4,175,217,853 (four billion and one hundred and seventy-five million and two hundred and seventeen thousand and eight hundred and fifty-three) Albanian Lek without VAT. The budget available for 2020 is 1,043,804,463 Albanian Lek without VAT. Lots include:
  3. Lot 1. Reconstruction of schools in areas affected by the earthquake funded by the Reconstruction Fund through the budget approved by Decision No. 212, dated 11. 03. 2020 on The use of the Reconstruction Fund to fund reconstruction of schools. The fund limit without VAT is 511 405 370 Albanian Lek (without VAT). http://openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/view/id/297
  4. Lot 2. Reconstruction of schools in Kavaja Municipality for an amount of 490 413 615 Albanian Lek without VAT. The buildings to be reconstructed under Lot 2 include the 9-year elementary school “Selman Daci”, the 9-year elementary school “Ramazan Jangozi”, the 9-year elementary school “Kastriot Derveni”, the 9-year elementary school “Gjon Luka” in Luz village, which cover all a surface of approximately 10 691 m2. The tender was announced on 17th of March, while the deadline for the submission of bids is 27th of March. LINK http://openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/view/id/298
  5. Lot 3. The Reconstruction of Schools in Durres Municipality consists of 845 723 696 Albanian Lek without VAT. The schools included in Lot 3 are: the 9-year elementary school and the kindergarten “Bedrie Beziqi”, kindergarten “Met Hasa”, the 9- year elementary school “Neim Babameto”, the 9-year elementary school “Qemal Mici, the 9-year elementary school “Hasan Koci” with a total construction surface of approximately 18 438 m2. Linku http://openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/view/id/299
  6. Lot 4. The Reconstruction of Schools in Durres Municipality 2, value 850 692 969 Albanian Lek. The schools to be reconstructed under Lot 4 include “Shaqe Mazreku” School, the United High School “Rexhep Mezini”, the 9-year elementary school and kindergarten “Adem Gjeli”, 9-year elementary school “Xhelal Shtufi Shkafanaj”, 9-year elementary school “Njazi Mastori 2+3”, pre-elementary school and kindergarten, 9-year elementary school “Haradinaj Brothers” with a total construction surface of all buildings of approximately 18 545 m2. LINK http://openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/view/id/300
  7. Lot 5. The reconstruction of schools in Kavaja Municipality and Rogozhina for 414 766 205 Albanian Lek without VAT. The schools to be reconstructed under Lot 5 include: the vocational school “Charles Teleford Erickson”, “26 Marsi” vocational school, the dormitory in Golem, the 9-year elementary school in Gose village, the pre-elementary school and kindergarten in Vile Bashtove, which cover all a construction surface of approximately 9041 m2. http://openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/view/id/301
  8. Lot 6. The reconstruction of schools, Kamëz Municipality, value 621 757 340 Albanian Lek without VAT. The schools to be built under Lot 6 include the 9-year elementary school “Halil Coka”, the secondary school “Sulejman Elezi”, the kindergarten “Niko Hoxha”, the kindergarten “Lidhja e Prizrenit” in Paskuqan, the kindergarten “Halit Coka”, which cover all a total surface of approximately 13 555 m2. Link http://openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/view/id/302
  9. Lot 7. The reconstruction of schools in the municipality of Shijak for an amount of 440 458 658 Albanian Lek without VAT. The schools covered by lot 7 are: the 9-year elementary school Ramadan Subashi, 9-year elementary school Ahmetaq, Kindergarten in “Kodër Bërxullë”, “Marqinet” Kindergarten, “Lidhja e Prizrenit” Elementary School, “16 Shtatori” High School, Kindergarten number 1, “Vlashaj” Kindergarten, “Kajo Karafili” High School with total construction are of all schools approximately 92602 m2. http://openprocurement.al/sq/albaniandf/view/id/303

Dear friends, we wish you are well and safe in these difficult weeks of Covid 19 pandemic. Our staff is teleworking since the 10th of March. Each of us is safely working from home, being in online communication with each other, our collaborators, and targets groups. In these difficult days we continue to disclose data, ensure transparency and assess risks related with payment and public contracting to strengthen information, transparency and accountability. Our motto: Follow Taxpayers’ Money

Kërkesë për Informim mbi masa kapacitete import terapi intensive Covid 19

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Together for Life (OJF) dhe Instituti Shqiptar i Shkencave / Open Data Albania OJF i kanë drejtuar një kërkesë për Informim, mbi masa kapacitete import terapi intensive Covid 19, Ministrisë së Shëndetësisë.

Kërkesën e plotë për Informim e gjeni Këtu

Super tenders in times of epidemics. The Albanian Government allocates 9.4 billion Albanian leks (about 76.42 Million Euros) to Post-Earthquake Reconstruction following the November 2019 Earthquake.

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Tender and Procurement in times of epidemics. The Albanian Government has not stopped its usual procurement procedures. The post-earthquake reconstruction program has just begun tendering in March. Open Procurement Albania publishes procurements, worth a total fund limit of 9.4 billion Albanian leks (without VAT) for houses and schools, which were damaged by the earthquake. The Government opts for “limited procedure”, avoiding open bidding competition. Based on Law No. 9643/2006 article No. 34, and Decision No. 914/2014 of the Council of Ministers, the time available for bidders to submit their tenders is 20 days, which is a criterion that the Authority has not met, putting the procedure at risk. The tender submission deadline is set in contradiction with the 20-days deadline. The procurement was announced on March 10th, the deadline for document submission was March 19th, i.e. nine calendar days only. The list The list of tenders is updated on our web-database for public procurement procedures conducted by the Albanian Development Fund.

Our Project Open Contracting Albania and Red Flag Index Impact, media coverage, and public pressure

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There have been dozens of media articles published every month based on the data provided by the system for Transparent Procurement and Red Flag algorithm. The articles are generally of a reporting nature and quite discrete usually in the arguments they provide. The information available has helped especially fact based journalism. There have never been so many articles in the media on public tenders and contracts.

Potential Audience

Citizens; Media Representatives; Citizens Advisory Panels of Municipalities, Citizens Counsels, local and central government institutions interested in good models of opening up public information; Stakeholders and representatives of organizations involved in watchdog or advocacy processes; Parties interested in implementation of Open Contracting models.

The information has encouraged model of reporting, investigative, reactive, and very civilized journalism

Some of the titles of these articles in English are listed below:

  1. Contract for Skenderbeg Square, an additional amount of money for Fusha Sh.p.k.

https://exit.al/en/2018/11/16/e1-million-more-to-fusha/

  1. Fusha wins Vlora Boulevard tender in another dubious procedure

https://exit.al/en/2018/03/28/fusha-wins-vlora-boulevard-tender-in-another-dubious-procedure/

  1. Municipality of Tirana gives 360 thousand EU in a suspicious tender

https://exit.al/en/2019/02/19/municipality-of-tirana-gives-e360-thousand-in-a-suspicious-tender/

  1. Here are the 50 business companies which have won most of the municipality tenders.

https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/investimetja-50-subjektet-te-cilat-kane-marre-me-shume-tendera-nga-bashkite

  1. Elbasan municipality carries out tenders without competition and in conflict of interest

http://www.qualityjournalism.com.al/2018/08/25/bashkia-elbasan-tendera-jo-transparente-dhe-hije-konflikti-interesi/

  1. The entire State on Fusha shpk (business). More than 43 million lekë in contracts from the Local Government

https://exit.al/2018/08/gjithe-shteti-per-fusha-shpk-mbi-e43-milione-kontrata-nga-pushteti-lokal/

  1. Shkodra and Tirana mayors sign tenders beyond their mandate

http://shekulli.com.al/tirana-e-shkodra-kryebashkiaket-firmosin-tendere-pertej-mandatit/

  1. Tenders without competition. Voltana Ademi (Shkodra mayor) turns the municipality into her own property

https://www.gazetatema.net/2018/10/08/tendera-pa-gare-voltana-ademi-e-kthen-bashkine-e-shkodres-ne-prone-te-saj/

  1. Albanian Development Fund disqualifies 10 companies from the race, except for the winner

https://www.faktor.al/2019/03/07/fondi-shqiptar-i-zhvillimit-skualifikon-10-kompani-pervec-fituesit-emri-i-kompani-shume-te-njohur/

  1. Which are the companies that have got most of the tenders this year, with Fusha shpk leading

http://www.rd.al/2018/07/kush-jane-5-kompanite-qe-kane-fituar-me-shume-para-nga-tenderat-ne-3-vite-kryeson-fusha-shpk/

  1. Tirana municipality tender conducts suspicious tender for maintenance of the lighting system.

https://shekulli.com.al/bashkia-tirane-tender-i-dyshimte-per-mirembajtjen-e-ndricimit/

  1. The High State Audit: the Urban Renaissance Project, Belsh municipality conducts illegal tenders, municipality reaction.

https://www.gazetatema.net/2018/05/29/klsh-rilindja-urbane-e-belshit-u-be-me-tendera-te-paligjshem-reagon-bashkia/

  1. Kavaja mayor conducts ten suspicious tenders within the year

https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/kryebashkiaku-i-kavajes-10-tendera-te-dyshimte-brenda-vitit

  1. 10% of the municipality tenders are awarded on clientelism bases

https://lapsi.al/2018/05/29/10-e-tenderave-te-bashkive-jepen-me-klientelizem/

  1. Luxury and corruption in the Prime Minister’s Office

https://exit.al/2019/05/luks-dhe-korrupsionin-ne-ndertesen-e-edi-rames/

  1. 6 million Euros for 400 pine trees. Tirana Municipality Tender, Democratic Party reports the case to the Posecutor’s Office

http://www.panorama.com.al/2-6-milione-euro-per-400-pisha-pd-kallezon-penalisht-veliajn-ja-dy-akuzat/

  1. Municipalities allocate 62 billion lekë more for tenders before the Elections

https://a2news.com/2019/05/14/bashkite-62-miliarde-leke-me-shume-per-tendere-para-zgjedhjeve/

  1. On the edge of elections, Mayor Veliaj allocates 1 more billion lekë for tenders

https://gazetamapo.al/para-zgjedhjeve-veliaj-1-miliarde-leke-me-shume-tendera/

  1. Klos Municipality awards 3 tenders to the mayors company

https://portavendore.al/2019/05/20/bashkia-klos-tre-tendere-ish-kompanise-se-kryetarit/

  1. Tirana municipality announces tender over 104m lekë for Youth Park

https://portavendore.al/2019/05/01/bashkia-e-tiranes-shpall-tenderin-mbi-104-milione-leke-per-parkun-rinia-ja-si-do-te-jete/

  1. Call for tenders for the Zogu i Parë Boulevard announced, 7 million $ for600 meters.

https://portavendore.al/2019/03/13/hapet-tenderi-per-bulevardin-zogu-i-pare-7-milione-dollare-per-600-metra/

  1. Ten companies win half of the 1 billion tenders of municipalities

https://portavendore.al/2018/09/12/dhjete-kompani-fitojne-gjysmen-e-tendereve-1-miliardesh-te-bashkive/

  1. Tirana municipality conducts 103 suspicious tenders for 6 months

https://portavendore.al/2018/12/07/bashkia-e-tiranes-103-tendere-te-dyshimte-per-6-muaj/

  1. Elbasan municipality, conducts tenders without competition and suspicions of conflict of interest

https://portavendore.al/2018/08/29/bashkia-e-elbasanit-tendere-pa-gare-dhe-hije-te-konfliktit-te-interesit/

  1. Municipalities spend 58 million lekë for parties and decorations.

https://portavendore.al/2019/01/04/bashkite-harxhojne-58-milione-leke-per-festa-dhe-zbukurime/

  1. Another illegal contract of 4 million euro signed by Tirana Municipality for the company of Member of Parliament Abazi

https://exit.al/2018/12/tjeter-kontrate-e-paligjshme-prej-4-milione-euro-nga-bashkia-tirane-per-alko-impex/

  1. Unbelievable misappropriation, The State Budget is shared between friends and members of parliament. Unbelievable figures

http://www.droni.al/2019/04/07/super-vjedhje-buxheti-i-shtetit-eshte-ndare-me-miqte-dhe-deputetet-shifrat-te-marrin-frymen/

  1. Scandal! We have no water, but 100 million go to the physical security of the water supply facility

http://www.standard.al/2019/04/16/skandali-nuk-kemi-uje-por-100-milion-leke-shkojne-pe-kompanite-qe-ruajne-ujsjellesin/

  1. Red flag tenders in Finiq Municipality

https://sarandaweb.net/tenderi-me-flamur-te-kuq-ne-bashkine-finiq-2-leke-me-pak-se-fondi-limit/

  1. 10% of Municipality Public Procurement appeared to be problematic

https://exit.al/2018/05/prokurimet-publike-te-bashkive-10-perqind-e-tendereve-me-probleme-konkurrence/

  1. Skanderbeg Square, the battle of billions of lekë over the last 10 years

https://faktoje.al/sheshi-skenderbej-dhe-beteja-miliarda-lekeshe-e-dekades-se-fundit/

  1. Fusha Company wins another tender without competition, setting a record of 43 contracts without competition by Mayor Veliaj.

https://lapsi.al/2019/04/15/kompania-fusha-fiton-nje-tjeter-tender-pa-gare-rekord-43-kontrata-nga-erion-veliaj/

  1. Sharra landfill takes away public money, and here are the payments made

https://balkanweb.com/landfilli-ne-sharre-vjel-parate-publike-e-private-ja-shifrat/

  1. Million lekë of tenders for the customers and insignificant amount of money for the citizens, a corruptive precedent with the Pazari i Ri

http://open.data.al/sq/lajme/lajm/id/2431/Miliona-per-klientet-therrime-per-qytetaret-precedenti-korruptiv-i-Veliajt-tek-Pazari-i-Ri

  1. 350 thousand dollars for a tender. Activist: this is why Spiropali must resign

http://open.data.al/sq/lajme/lajm/id/2416/350-mije-dollare-tendera-aktivistja-Pse-duhet-te-dorehiqet-Elisa-Spiropali

Our Project for Empowering Youth in Tech Industry, BootCamp with students of kursori.org

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Empowerment of Youth through online training and employment opportunities in the Tech-Industry market. This is the impact of the project implemented by two organizations in Kosovo and Albania, the ODK and AIS. The project enabled school students from non-developed areas such Kurbini and Lezha to be trained and mentored at three levels via the platform Kursori.org. Thirty of the best students, trained and distinguished for their developers’ skills worked together during the BootCamp to program business ideas. In the end, the works were presented in front of Tech-Industry businesses representatives in Albania and Kosovo, who are looking for junior staff in their companies. BootCamp is on of the activities of our Open ICT Education project for Youth Employability, funded by the European Union in Albania as part of the IPA Cross Border Cooperation Albania-Kosovo. You may find the successful works conducted in the Bootcamp on our site and on the social networks of AIS and ODK.

Open Corporations Albania, business data in the country, database audience grows

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The Open Corporates Albania website, which provides information of an economic nature, in the Albanian language, reaches a record number of clicks. Over 20 thousand unique users every month, i.e. 40% more than last year, Open Corporates Albania has resulted to be a favorable website for the information it provides for business companies contracted by public institutions. In January 2020, according to Google Analytics, the website reached a total of 32899 unique users and 1 million page views. Although 90% of the information is only available in the Albanian language, the website is also clicked in other countries as well. Thus, 78.4 % of the clicks come from Albania; 4.2% from neighboring Italy, third comes USA with 3.4% of the clicks, followed by Kosovo, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, and France. Currently, the website is being maintained and updated with data by AIS team, a non-governmental organization promoting Open Data in Albania

Open Data promotes investigative journalism, facts about fraud through tenders

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1 in 3 tenders without fair competition, open data encourage investigative journalism to denounce corruption with taxpayers’ money On January 7th, the TopStory investigative show on Top Channel denounced forms of fraud through public procurement tenders. Shocking facts were brought to the program for one in every three tenders without fair competition. 300 million euros of taxpayers’ money results to be lost every year, abused and misappropriated through tenders with clientelist elements. AIS, an organization promoting Open Data in Albania, contributed to this courageous TV investigation through data released: Specifically: Data about tenders and contracts with problems regarding competition published on the Open Procurement Albania portal; information about clientelist companies published in the Open Corporates Albania portal, and data on the payments from the State Budget published on Spending Data Albania . For the last four years, AIS has been publishing data and assessing the risk of irregularities in tenders, known as RedFlag procurement, identifying information and gaps for every tender held by municipalities ; Albanian Development Fund ; Albanian Road Authority ; Health Sector; Central Purchasing Agency; Public-Owned Agency;

7 January 2020, Top Story Media Programme: 1 in 3 tenders with no fair competition. Open data promote investigative journalism and enable reporting of corruption over Albanian taxpayers’ money

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On January 7th, Top Story, an investigative show, reported on forms of fraud with public procurement tenders in the country. Journalist Entela Barjamaj and the national Top Channel TV team introduced shocking facts on Top Story, such as one in every three tenders being conducted without fair competition.  300 million Euros of taxpayers’ money seem to be lost every year due to abuse with, and misappropriation of, clientelist tenders.

AIS, the organization promoting open data in Albania contributed to this courageous television investigation through data released from three important open data databases. Namely:

In addition to open data released from our databases, including clear and denouncing arguments, contribution to this programme was also made by Director Aranita Brahaj, who elaborated on the shortcomings of tender procedures.

Corruption is one of the most problematic issues for the country. Justice institutions or anticorruption mechanisms in the country are weak to non-existent. Nevertheless, media and watchdog organisations continue to report facts and contribute against abuse with public money. For four years, AIS has been publishing data and assessing risk of tender irregularities, known as Procurement RedFlag, providing information and identifying issues with every tender conducted by municipalities, the Albanian Development Fund, the Albanian Road Authority, the health sector, and public-owned companies.

Top Story program and Promo are available on YouTube channel