Database on Economic Assistance Beneficiaries (AL0035)

The Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, in close collaboration with the State Social Service, in the framework of the reform for poverty alleviation, increase of transparency, service quality and effective use of budgetary funds and exclusion of abusive cases in the economic assistance scheme, has undertaken the initiative to establish the National Electronic Registry of beneficiaries of Economic Assistance. The administration of benefits is hindered by inadequate capacity, lack of information system, supervision and controls. Albania currently has no national electronic registry of economic assistance seekers and the administration of receiving welfare benefits takes place locally with paper documentation. This consequently leads to (a) inefficiency in the application and granting of benefits (higher transaction costs), (b) weaknesses in supervision and control of fraud and error, and (c) monitoring and evaluation of ineffective social policy. The implementation of the new system will help improving the effectiveness of State Social Service by identifying families in need, will improve the evaluation of beneficiaries form applicant families and will exclude abusive cases in the Economic Assistance Scheme

For Commitment details, see Albania Mid-Term Report 2014-2016.

Commitment 2.1. Database on Economic Assistance Beneficiaries

Commitment Text: The Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, in close collaboration with the State Social Service, in the framework of the reform for poverty alleviation, increase of transparency, service quality and effective use of budgetary funds and exclusion of abusive cases in the economic assistance scheme, has undertaken the initiative to establish the National Electronic Registry of beneficiaries of Economic Assistance.

The administration of benefits is hindered by inadequate capacity, lack of information system, supervision and controls. Albania currently has no national electronic registry of economic assistance seekers and the administration of receiving welfare benefits takes place locally with paper documentation. This consequently leads to (a) inefficiency in the application and granting of benefits (higher transaction costs), (b) weaknesses in supervision and control of fraud and error, and (c) monitoring and evaluation of ineffective social policy.

The implementation of the new system will help improving the effectiveness of State Social Service by identifying families in need, will improve the evaluation of beneficiaries from applicant families and will exclude abusive cases in the Economic Assistance Scheme.

Responsible institution: Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth

Supporting institution(s): State Social Service

Start date: 2014 End date: 2016

Commitment Aim:

The commitment aims to improve the effectiveness of Albania’s social assistance scheme by establishing the National Electronic Registry of Beneficiaries of Economic Assistance. The registry is part of the Social Assistance Modernization Project for Albania, a joint initiative of the World Bank Albania and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth (MSWY). In 2013, the registry was piloted in Tirana, Durres, and Elbasan.

This important initiative can ensure more efficiency in financial aid, reduce administrative burdens, and shorten the application process for beneficiaries. However, the system is only for internal government use.

Status

Midterm: Substantial

The government’s midterm self-assessment report states that this commitment is completed. However, at the one-year mark, the registry was not fully operational. As of July 2015, the MSWY and the State Social Services were monitoring implementation of the system in the pilot regions. Measures were undertaken to expand the links with other governmental databases and include additional modules, such as the electronic registry for people with disabilities. The registry was expected to be fully operational at the national level after 2016. ^{IRM progress report, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Albania_Second%20IRM%20Report_for%20public%20comment.pdf.}

End of term: Substantial

The implementation of the registry has progressed during 2016 as per the Social Assistance Modernization Project. The World Bank’s latest midterm review of the project rates its implementation as moderately satisfactory due to “delayed implementation of a few key activities.” ^{World Bank, Albania Social Assistance Modernization Project, http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/137141468008128435/Albania-Social-Assistance-Modernization-Project-P122233-Implementation-Status-Results-Report-Sequence-07).}

In April 2015, the Parliament approved amendments to the Law on Social Assistance and Services (2005) which affect the criteria and procedures for economic assistance. According to the government’s end-of-term self-assessment (September 2016) report, the system has five modules, is fully implemented in the three pilot regions, and is interconnected with eight state institutions, including tax authorities and the employment service. By the end of 2016, the registry is expected to cover the remaining nine regions of Albania. The World Bank project, which finances the registry, is set to end in June 2017.

Did it open government?

The National Electronic Registry of Beneficiaries of Economic Assistance started operating in three regions of Albania in June 2014. The system helps assess applications and plays a role in control and verification processes. Additionally, the system assists in electronic payments. The registry is interlinked with other governmental databases—such as the civil registration database, social security, the state employment service, the immovable property register, and the national center of registration of businesses—in order to evaluate applications. The digitalization of the economic assistance system has served to mitigate abuses. However, the media has reported several cases of unfair exclusion from economic assistance. The ombudsman’s annual report (2014) presented a total of 184 individual or group complaints about economic assistance, and it has issued a recommendation for the MSWY. ^{Ombudsman, Annual Report 2014, http://www.avokatipopullit.gov.al/sites/default/files/ctools/RAPORTI%202014.pdf.}

The registry is an important tool that promotes effective and evidence-based social policies. However, as noted in the IRM midterm report (September 2015), the registry does not include elements that accentuate transparency, participation, access to information, or public accountability. There is no evidence that, as implemented, this commitment has advanced key OGP values.

Carried forward?

This commitment is not carried forward in the next action plan.