The role of the third sector in Albania has grown substantially since the country’s transition to a democratic system began in 1991, albeit at an uneven rate. Prior to 1998, sustainable initiatives and large-scale community support projects were hindered by relatively low institutional capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), their concentration in major cities, and a negative attitude toward volunteer work inherited from the communist regime. Only during and after the Kosovo refugee crisis in 1999 did local NGOs expand the service provision to their constituencies. Currently, more than 800 local NGOs are registered in areas such as democracy, women’s leadership, social services, health, business and environment. Although these NGOs are increasingly offering new services, in general they still lack the institutional capacity to fully meet community needs and involve constituents in civic life.

At the conclusion of the assessment, Partners-Albania published a comprehensive Needs Assessment Report as well as a Directory of Albanian NGOs. The documents provide an impressive compilation of information on the number of NGOs in Albania, their geographical distribution, focus, types of activities, sources of funding, size and organizational structure, cooperation with private and government sectors, and financial sustainability. Partners-Albania has disseminated them to international organizations, local NGOs, donors and government institutions. Most importantly, the Assessment revealed specific needs of Albanian NGOs in important areas such as: managing and planning projects, developing trainings, ensuring community participation, resolving conflicts, collaborating with government and private sectors, and achieving financial sustainability. (Please refer below for access to both documents).