CURRENT PROJECT

Corruption is a persistent problem throughout Albania, with an increased incidence in the health sector leading to reduced community access to appropriate and high quality healthcare. The Government of Albania has outlined in its Anticorruption Strategy and Action Plan specific actions to increase governance and transparency of the health system.

USAID’s Transparency in Health Engagement project works to build the capacities of the three governmental agencies and selected civil society organizations and media sources to reduce the space for corruption in the health sector. Working with the High Inspectorate for the Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflict of Interest (HIDAACI), The High State Audit, and the Office of the Ombudsman, the project will generate evidence through performance audits, complaint investigations, and asset reporting; design and implement assessments to measure corruption and relevant mediating factors; and perform public sector reforms and audits.

PROGRAM AREAS

INCREASE PERFORMANCE AUSITS IN THE HEALTH SECTOR

The project will work with leadership at High State Audit to strengthen their capacities to conduct performance audits of government healthcare facilities and identify instances of corruption. Through training, performance auditors will improve the data quality of audits. Reports will be made available to stakeholders to increase accountability.                                                                                                                            

DEVELOP ELECTRONIC ASSET DECLARATIONS ARCHIVE

The potential impact of an electronic declaration form, analytical capabilities, and automatic flagging of concerning accounts is immense. Working with HIDAACI, the project will create a digital solution for the electronic asset declaration system and will build upon their regional and local database. Furthermore, a robust software solution with a public search interface will improve media and civil society’s ability to monitor government performance. 

IMPROVE CAPACITIES OF THE OMBUDSMAN OFFICE

Previously, the Ombudsman has framed their work on anti-corruption in health as protecting patients’ rights and human rights. The project will work with the office to determine the baseline capacity of the organization and identify points for intervention or collaboration to strengthen the organizational capacity to receive, investigate, and resolve complaints in the health sector, and engage in integrity oversight. The capacity building curricula will include locally relevant examples and approaches to investigating complaints of corruption and appropriate responses within the Albania context. 

GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT

After identifying watchdog local organizations and media groups, the project will provide grants to educate the public, lead advocacy campaigns to improve accountability of health institutions.

EXPECTED RESULTS

• Improved performance of HIDAACI in administrative investigations
• Improved performance audits of Albania’s health sector which produce more and/or better opportunities to improve management performance and decreased space for corruption
• Improved access of civil society to longitudinal data regarding the wealth of public officials and improve capacities of the civil society and media to conduct their own investigations into conflicts of interest in the health sector and denounce corrupt practices in health
• Increased public awareness of the magnitude of corruption among public officials
• Increased cooperation between civil society and HIDAACI, the High State Audit and the Ombudsman, in the health sector to increase pressure for the government to pursue corrupt officials
• Ombudsman’s capacity to identify and refer corrupt practices is improved
• Citizen awareness on the magnitude of corruption in health is increased and public pressure for reforms in health management is increased