Several new project ideas were presented at the closure ceremony, held on 13 October 2020, for the Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative. These projects ideas are developed as a result of the online trainings and a mentoring and coaching process organized, between March and October 2020, in the frame of the IOM Albania programme “Engage the Albanian Diaspora to the Social and Economic Development of Albania”, in collaboration with the Albanian School of Public Administration (ASPA) to guarantee the sustainability of the activity. 

In the online event participated the representatives from State Minister of Diaspora and the other Diaspora Engagement Institutions, AICS Tirana, ASPA, trained public official, IOM Diaspora staff and consultants who delivered the ToTs after developing the related curriculum and training materials.

The capacity building covered two very demanding areas:

1. ToT on Fundraising
2. TOT on Project Cycle Management
3. ToT on Didactic Part

ToT on Fundraising included 1) General Concepts and Techniques of Fundraising; 2) Fundraising for Diaspora Engagement; and 3) Application in the Context. The TOT on Project Cycle Management included 1) Project Design and Planning; 2) Project Logical Framework and Project; and 3) Project Monitoring and Evaluation. Additional to the technical modules there was also offered a general/didactic module on how to replicate the ToT with other relevant public officials. Throughout all the modules, every theoretical concept was illustrated with practical projects and interactive exercises. At the end of the modules one month of coaching and mentoring process was offered to the participants to write the projects ideas that were presented in the event.

In this trainings participated 16  representatives from beneficiary institutions: Albanian State Minister for Diaspora; Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs; National Agency of Diaspora; National Fund for Diaspora; Diaspora Publishing Center; Center for Arberësh Research; Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA); Albanian Diaspora Business Chamber.

“This event is a closure of a long journey, but at the same time is the opening of the new perspectives to the diaspora engagement initiatives. We are happy to be a partner in these efforts of making the diaspora engagement sustainable,” said Mr. Endri Xhaferraj, Programme Officer at Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Tirana at the opening remarks.

“Fundraising and Project Cycle Management are very demanding knowledge and skills in the today market, very important tools that allow to manage the current projects in your institutions, and to increase your portfolio with other projects funded by new donors,” highlighted Ms. Manoela Lussi, the Programme Manager of Diaspora Programme at IOM Albania.” “We are proud that we concluded this capacity building process by sharing some concrete deliverables as a result of these trainings.”  

‘The revitalization of the Albanian language schools for children and young members of the Albanian Diaspora’; ‘Increase the diaspora contribution towards the country’s development through ICT’;  ‘increase the engagement of the Albanian diaspora in the economic development of the country’;  and ‘Increasing the role of Diaspora engagement institution through strengthening the inter-institutional cooperation on issues related to the diaspora’ were the four project ideas presented during the event.

“In close collaboration with IOM and AICS we have been intentional to create a training not only innovative, but also with concrete results and final products. We are happy that today are being presented project ideas as a way to support the SMD and the dependent Diaspora Engagement institutions to be sustainable,” noted Kleopatra Maliqi, General Director of ASPA.

“Many of our projects are depending on donor’s funding, so the fundraising and project cycle management are very important tools for us to utilize the funding opportunities. We are very pleased that this capacity building has not remained at the theoretical level, but it was enriched with concrete and practical steps such as these concept ideas shared  with us,” noted Ms. Ada Ilia, the Chief of Staff at the State Minister of Diaspora. 

The projects will be further improved in the following weeks by the students in order to approach and share these proposals with potential donors who are looking to support the diaspora engagement initiatives. 

“Being an in-job training, Covid-19 situation, not being able to follow it offline were some changes we faced. But, today I can witness that the training extended my expectations, as by the end of it the National Fund for Diaspora has now defined project idea, which will be improved and shared with potential donors,” concluded Ms. Alma Kordoni, the Director of Project Directorate at the National Fund for Diaspora.

The IOM Albania Diaspora Programme is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Albania, the UN Migration Agency, with funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in coordination with the Albanian State Minister for Diaspora, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance and Economy through Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA).