The Supreme State Audit and the Albanian Institute of Science signed a cooperation agreement

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The Supreme State Audit and the Albanian Institute of Sciences (AIS), engaged through a cooperative agreement for the exchange of data between institutions. The agreement was signed by the chairman of SSA, Bujar Leskaj and the executive director of the Albanian Institute of Science, Aranita Brahaj.

Pursuant to this agreement, SSA will engage in exchanging data of mutual interest, opening a window of communication with the public in order to increase transparency and modernize the institution.
Through this cooperation, it will be created the possibility of using various data published by Open Data Albania which is a serious project appreciated from both within and outside the country for the quality of data and analysis that it prepares and publishes.
Through the implementation of this agreement, SSA is fulfilling the tasks for capacity building and enhancing professional standards in auditing, through training, workshops and other joint activities with the aim to modernize the institution and strengthening the fight against corruption.
Brahaj, in turn, praised the cooperation and new approach of SSA to Civil Society, noting that this cooperation through the exchange of data will generate new ideas and will help in finding defects, improving the fight against corruption. Both sides expressed the determination to implement this agreement and the belief that a sincere cooperation between public authorities and civil society will give concrete results in increased transparency, improved economic analysis by using data on socio-economic indicators in Albania, aiming of improvement of governance.

ZA’LART 2015

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ZA´LART 2015, is a project where the citizens are invited to denounce (report and alert) on an open source platform (website & app mobile), about problems they encounter during electoral campaigns and electoral day. Citizens are empowered with tools that allow them to participate in a real time monitoring process. This project is a new form of democracy that aims to give voice to the common citizens’ through a crowd source platform.

The Albanian citizens will be heard and have the possibility to express a personal opinion on the electoral process. This project is based on ICT for Fair Election and aim to contribute for active citizenship and democratic process of Local Government Election 2015 in Albania. The facts (audio, photo and video), irregularities and information collected, will provide a clear overview of the electoral process and encourage the interested bodies (civic stakeholders and institutions) to undertake appropriate administrative and politic measures.

Open Spending Albania

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The project establishes a platfrom where every ordinary citizen is able to monitor transactions of the state treasury, the day-to-day expenses of each institution, by having access to the amount of expenses, descriptions, beneficiaries and clients of state institutions, be it independent institutions, central government, and local government.

Goal:
The goal of the project is to provide access to well-structured and visualized data on public procurements and spending, supporting citizens and CSOs to participate in a more open government approach

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Albanian Institute of Science with its Open Data Albania team, willing to empower both individuals and the Albanian society with information on how taxpayers’ money is spent, has built a new platform known as Spending Data Albania. Through certain applications, the public has the opportunity to learn how each individual contributes through their taxes to the total budget or to specific budgets by sectors. Similarly, an application known as Money Map and Budget provides information on division of budgets by sectors. The most interesting part of the platform is the Treasury Transactions application. This application and the standard of monitoring the day-to-day expenses made by the state administration is a standard that is being offered to the Albanian citizens at a time when countries with much more advanced democracy or models of access to information have not yet managed to achieve.

The information provided by this platform is exhausting regarding every state budget from January 2012 until the current weeks. This application, the range of information and its philosophy enables the society, the media, and the citizens to have access to information about the ways the taxpayers’ money is spent, as well as about the public assets, based on the slogan “Public Money is my Money”. The entirety of transactions includes also those expenses and transfers made to those selected through public procurement.

We invite the public at large to take this opportunity to inform themselves and invite you to write to us so that we may help you with the technical use of the applications available or by making even more detailed analysis of the Treasury Transaction Monitoring.
This Project is supported by:

The goal is to provide a platform where citizens, through several applications, can get information on everything related to public expenditures. Services offered to the public include monitoring of the state treasury; online tax calculation; money map and budget.

http://spending.data.al/

ACADEMIC´AL – Increasing the Visibility of Scientific Research

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As part of the scope to base our projects ICT Solutions, AIS implemented during the first 6 months of 2013 a platform for the Albanian scientific research. The aim of the platform was to increase the visibility of scientific researchers and their scientific works. The project delivery include a central portal that provides information on researchers including activities, projects engaged, relations with other researchers and institutions. The portal contains data of 300 researchers in Albania and more than 500 documents (publications & result-sets of experiment activity).

http://academical.al/

Open Data Albania

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Open Data Albania is an initiative that embraces the Open Data principles. The project aims to collect from public offices data on socio-economic indicators, process and publish them based on emerging topics and semantic technologies.

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Donor: Open Society Foundation
Duration: Dec. 2013 – Dec. 2014
Module:
* Web Platform
* Advocacy
URL: http://open.data.al

Digitalization of Ethnographic Heritage – “SOTIR” Photo Archive

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Digitalization of 14,000 photographic plates of the 20th century in Albania. The project aims to enforce practices on the conservation of ethnographic objects and cultural heritage of the country.

OGP Albania – Ministry of Finances Censures the State Treasure Public Data

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In the name of the principles of Journalism for Public Information, I would like to share with you a concern over a recent case of State Treasure Public Data being censured.

The Albanian Government is obliged by law and by the respective secondary legislation acts to ensure transparency over every single detail about the way that the Albanian taxpayers’ money and monetary public assets are spent.  Besides, in the context of its commitments for an Open Government Partnership (OGP), our Government is obliged to publish the daily List of Payments sent by the State Treasury to the Bank of Albania for execution. In addition to the date, total amount, and paying authority, such list includes also the identity of the beneficiary, the legal act on which the transaction is based, and other descriptions. Since February 2012, these data have been updated on the website of the Ministry of Finances, under the section Reports – Treasury. The Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Minister of Finances Ridvan Bode, and the Minister for Innovation Genc Pollo have also referred to this process of ensuring respect for the principles of democracy, good governance, transparency, and rule of law. Although the data were published using a technological model not in compliance with the ‘user friendly data’ principle, they were constantly published online from 1 February 2012 – 30 May 2013. Currently, however, the data for February, March, April, and May 2013 have been removed and censored during the first week of September. These four months of 2013 are significantly important, both because they are the last months of the right-wing Government, and months of an electoral year. In addition, the data for June and July are presented in a defective and non-convertible format.

The Treasury data have to be published even as a result of a very expensive project for introducing AMoFTS, a modern system for processing the transactions of the Central Government based on international standards and practices for financial reporting, and efficient, effective, and transparent use of public money and assets.

The Open Data / Spending Albania staff notes that this is a case of flagrant censorship to the detriment of public information. This type of censorship affects one of the largest responsibilities of a Government, i.e. the responsibility for efficiently using public finances and assets. The Albanian citizens have the right to know how their money is spent, and whether that money is used in the public or political and personal interests. Likewise, every citizen of the Republic of Albania has the right to know who the suppliers of the state and public institutions are, and who benefits from the taxpayers’ money. The removal of the data for four months, and the continuous defective publication of these data shows a case of misuse of duty, if not the fact that the respective state officials do not feel comfortable facing the public over this period of their governance. 

A democratic state ensures transparency and accountability for the ways it spends public money. With hopes of having your attention and media awareness through your website and programs,

Respectfully,

Aranita BRAHAJ
Open Data Albania
Web: http://open.data.al
Email: [email protected]

Get Online Week – Employment Perspective of Albanian Youth in ICT Sector

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AIS and WorldVision organized a meeting with 100 young Albanians from Kurbini to discuss opportunities of employment at the ICT sector.

This activity is part of the Get Online Week project.

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AIS at the Open Society Initiative for West Africa

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Albanian Institute of Science. represented by its Executive Director Ms. Aranita Brahaj, is participating in the event organized by Open Society Initiative for West Africa to present

“Making Elections Count: A Guide to Setting Up a Civil Society Election Situation Room”.

The event takes place 25-28 May, 2014 in Senegal, Dakar.

More information on http://www.osiwa.org/en

Aksioni Vullnetar “Kalatë e Bregut tim” në Kalanë e Bashtovës

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“Kalatë e bregut tim” është një aksion i një grupi vullnetarësh të projektit “Act Now as a Smart Tourist” http://smarttourist.al . Aksioni synon pastrim nga mbeturinat dhe promovim të monumenteve fortifikime në Brigjet e Shqiperise. Këtë rradhë Aksioni ishte në Kalanë e Bashtovës dhe u realizua në datën 1 Maj 2014. Ky projekt mbeshtetet finaciarisht nga Programi i Granteve të Vogla i Komisionit për Demokraci i Ambasadës së SH.B.A.-së në Tiranë.

Kalaja Bashtovës është monument i kategorisë së parë dhe ngrihet pranë fshatit të Bashtovës në një distancë prej 3-4 km, në veri të grykëderdhjes së lumit të Shkumbinit. Kështjella është ndërtuar në shekullin XV dhe u ka shërbyer venecianëve. Kalaja ka trajtë katërkëndore me përmasa 60 x 90 metra. Pjesa perëndimore e saj është rindërtuar në shekullin XVIII. Muret e saj kanë një lartësi prej 9 metrash. Kalaja e Bashtovës është një monument kulture që dëshmon për gjurmët e qytetërimit dhe civilizimit. Rrethinat e saj kanë mbetur të plota.

Pavarësisht se shumë pranë Tiranës, shumë pak prej nesh janë në dijeni apo e kanë vizituar këtë monument.

Veç kontributit me pastrim në fillim të sezonit turistik veror, aktiviteti ynë synon edhe sensibilizim për menaxhim më të mirë të monumenteve dhe mjedisit të tyre, krijimin e më shumë mundësive për të shfrytëzuar potencialin kulturor e turistik që ato mbartin. Gjithashtu edhe promovimi dhe ftesa publike për të nxitur të tjerë të vinë dhe të vizitojnë zonën jo vetëm për natyrën e bregut piktoresk por edhe për vlerat kombëtare e monumentale.