Provision of Electronic Services (AL0053)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Albania Third Action Plan 2016 – 2018
Action Plan Cycle: 2016
Status:
Institutions
Lead Institution: National Agency for Information Society (NAIS)
Support Institution(s): Line ministries and their subordinate institutions, local authorities, independent institutions In total, over 85 institutions that provide services through the E – Albania. Citizens / business / public administration employee In total, 214 041 registered users (citizens / businesses) Users: Staff of public administration 15,000
Policy Areas
Capacity BuildingIRM Review
IRM Report: Albania End-of-Term Report 2016-2018, Albania Progress Report 2016-2018
Early Results: Marginal
Design i
Verifiable: No
Relevant to OGP Values: No
Ambition (see definition): Low
Implementation i
Description
This commitment aims at delivering e-services through an electronic forms management system (Eforms). This will help institutions involved to reduce manual paper work which is much slower than electronic processing of information using electronic forms of communication with citizens. The system will also help citizens and businesses to reduce time for obtaining services. Form’s processing time will be reduced because eForms will be submitted in electronic format. The system will increase the efficiency of government employees, which will serve citizens faster and better. Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment Currently there are available 248 electronic services in level 3-4. National Agency for Information Society aimed at building an electronic forms management system (Eforms). This will help the institutions involved in the project to reduce manual paper work which is much slower than electronic processing of information using electronic forms for communication with citizens. The system will also help citizens and businesses to reduce the time for obtaining services. Forms processing time will be reduced because eForm will be submitted in electronic format. The system will increase the efficiency of government employees, which will serve faster and better citizens. NAIS has undertaken the project for the digitization of 36 services of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The objective of this project comprises in: 1. Publication and digitalisation of services provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic and consular services in the unique governmental portal e-albania.al 2. Standartisation of websites of every consulate elements: virtual percussion, virtual tour in 3D for each consulate, the Minister of MFA video that welcomes visitors and directs them to the package of services. Another project is the service that detects electronic e-permits. This electronic service offers the possibility of applying for a construction permit online through the e-Albania portal over the range of the following permits: • Application for the issuance of a development permit; • Application for issuance of a building permit by category including construction permit for a new building or additional breach in the existing building; • Request for issuing a preliminary statement for performing work; • Request for deferment of the construction permit; • Application for a permit for a review of the ndënimit Iejes conditions; • Application for a permit to change the activities and / or functions of the individual unit; • Request for issuance of certificate of use. • Request for completion of documentation • Application to change the subject of the building permit The main difficulties encountered for the above projects are a lack of computerized systems in some institutions. Main Objective The provision of new electronic services in e-government portal Albania, will: • Reduce manual work with papers circulating between institutions involved, which is much slower than electronic processing of information using electronic forms for communication with citizens; • Reduce cost and time for citizens and also the administration; • Improve public services for citizens; • Reduce possibilities of corruption.
IRM Midterm Status Summary
10. Provision of electronic services
Commitment Text:
This commitment aims at delivering e-services through an electronic forms management system (E-forms). This will help institutions involved to reduce manual paper work which is much slower than electronic processing of information using electronic forms of communication with citizens. The system will also help citizens and businesses to reduce time for obtaining services. Form’s processing time will be reduced because eForms will be submitted in electronic format. The system will increase the efficiency of government employees, which will serve citizens faster and better.
Responsible institution: National Agency for Information Society
Supporting institutions: Line ministries and their subordinate institutions, local authorities, independent institutions. In total, over 85 institutions that provide services through the E – Albania.
Start date: 2016 End date: December 2017
Editorial Note: For full commitment text, please refer to https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Albania_NAP3_ENG.pdf.
Context and Objectives
This commitment builds on the past two action plans. The first action plan (2012) established e-Albania, a government portal providing electronic services, and the second action plan (2014) contained three separate commitments, including the implementation of a public expenses module and the improvement of public services. This commitment aims to increase the number of e-services and improve current services to level three and four, which means that public services would be offered entirely online. This commitment also aims to extend the interoperability function provided through the e-Albania portal. In other words, this function would allow different information technology systems to communicate, exchange data, and use information that has been exchanged.
Currently the e-Albania portal includes 248 electronic services in levels three and four. The responsible institution, the National Agency for Information Society (NAIS), will build an electronic forms management system (E-forms) to help public institutions reduce the amount of paperwork and time for citizens and businesses to obtain services. Additionally, NAIS will digitalize 36 services of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and ensure the standardization of websites of every consulate. Given the large number of Albanian migrants abroad in Europe and elsewhere (nearly 1.4 million), the consular services are a welcome measure. A second NAIS project complementing this commitment is an e-permit service, which will allow for the possibility to apply for construction permits online through e-Albania.
Despite improving accessibility of administrative services for citizens, the potential impact of this commitment, as described in the action plan, is minor. The listed activities do not advance OGP values beyond the routine responsibilities of tasked institutions to 'populate' e-Albania with services.
This commitment is of low specificity. Although the commitment text explains what the objective is (i.e. delivering e-services through a new system) and elaborates on its intended outcome, it does not provide any details regarding steps taken to achieve the commitment and how such steps could be measured.
This commitment’s relevance to OGP values is unclear. The commitment does not entail any mechanisms that would disclose new information to citizens or create new opportunities for citizens to influence decision making. The main focus of this commitment is to improve service delivery, rather than open government.
Completion
No official information was provided to the IRM researcher on the progress of this commitment. Monitoring conducted by the IRM researcher during 2016 established that MFA e-consular services were not available. At the beginning of 2017, all 36 MFA services with the interoperability function were available on the e-Albania portal[Note108: E-Albania portal, https://e-albania.al/ekonsullata.aspx. ] and on the MFA website under Online Consular Services (Alb. SHKO-Sherbime Konsullore Online).[Note109: SHKO-Sherbime Konsullore Online, http://www.punetejashtme.gov.al/al/sherbime/sherbimet-konsullore-online. ] However, some services are available only for Albanian citizens residing in Italy. During August 2017, the IRM researcher confirmed the services were operational through test applications by Albanian migrants residing in Germany and Italy. In addition to these services, e-Albania also offers four informative services (not including the 'online application' module).
During the reporting period (2016–2017) the websites of all Albanian diplomatic and consular missions abroad were standardized[Note110: Albanian diplomatic and consular mission, http://www.punetejashtme.gov.al/al/perfaqesite-diplomatike/perfaqesite-shqiptare-ne-bote and http://www.ambasadat.gov.al. ] and include a virtual 3D location video.[Note111: Virtual 3D location video, http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/greece/. ] Links to e-consular services are also part of the standardized websites.[Note112: E-consular services, http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/italy/sq/shërbime-të-ambasadës. ]
E-permit services were offered on the e-Albania portal at the time of action plan development, but this was only the case for local government units with approved urban local plans.[Note113: E-permit services, http://gazeta-shqip.com/lajme/2016/02/25/lejet-e-ndertimit-online-hapat-per-te-aplikuar-ne-sistemin-e-ri/. ] The NAIS annual report for 2016 indicates that starting from 1 September 2016, construction permit applications are done only online.[Note114: See NAIS 2016 Report, page 12, http://akshi.gov.al/images/raporti%20vjetor%202016.pdf. ] Nevertheless, usage in 2016 was low, as reported by private stakeholders especially in small and medium-sized municipalities.[Note115: Interview with owner of a construction company, October 2017.] However, by the end of 2016, the target of 390 services had been reached.[Note116: See http://akshi.gov.al/images/raporti%20vjetor%202016.pdf; https://e-albania.al/esherbimet.aspx. ]
Early Results
Participants at IRM focus group discussions confirmed they are aware of some of these services offered at e-Albania. However, none of them had ever used the e-services. The IRM researcher could not establish the frequency of use of e-permits or other information related to this commitment’s progress. The 2016 annual NAIS report provides some data on the usage of e-permits but they relate to December 2015, before the commencement of this action plan. The most used e-permit service is 'preliminary declaration of works’ start' (33 percent of applications) and development permit (27 percent of applications).
Next Steps
One of the recommendations of the previous IRM report is the continued expansion of e-Albania services. Other recommendations include: mapping its use and usability and adding a public access or transparency element, to ensure OGP relevance of e-Albania related commitments in the future. One possibility is the development of a feedback and complaints module to allow users to raise issues to government officials and form a peer-to-peer community.
IRM End of Term Status Summary
10. Provision of electronic services
Commitment Text:
This commitment aims at delivering e-services through an electronic forms management system (E-forms). This will help institutions involved to reduce manual paper work which is much slower than electronic processing of information using electronic forms of communication with citizens. The system will also help citizens and businesses to reduce time for obtaining services. Form’s processing time will be reduced because eForms will be submitted in electronic format. The system will increase the efficiency of government employees, which will serve citizens faster and better.
Responsible institution: National Agency for Information Society
Supporting institution(s): Line ministries and their subordinate institutions, local authorities, independent institutions. In total, over 85 institutions that provide services through the E – Albania.
Start date: 2016 End date: December 2017
Editorial Note: For full commitment text, please refer to https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Albania_NAP3_ENG.pdf.
Commitment Aim:
The National Agency for Information Society (NAIS) committed to build an electronic forms management system (e-forms) to help public institutions, citizens and businesses reduce the amount of paperwork and the time needed to provide or to obtain administrative services. The commitment promises to reach at least 390 electronic services.
Status
Midterm: Complete
At the midterm, 36 services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) had been digitalized and were available on the e-Albania portal [65] and on the MFA website under Online Consular Services. [66] However, some of these services were available only for Albanian migrants residing in Germany and Italy. [67]
The websites of all Albanian diplomatic and consular missions abroad had been standardized [68] and included links to e-consular services. [69]
E-permit services were offered on the e-Albania portal at the time of action plan development, but this was only the case for local government units with approved urban local plans. [70] By the end of 2016, the target set out by the action plan of 390 services digitalized had been reached. [71]
Did It Open Government?
Access to Information: Marginal
In September 2018, the e-Albania portal offered 1,348 services and numbered more than 2 million visits per month, while its services have been used approximately 460,000 times per month. The number of registered users continues to increase, with just over half a million users in June 2018. For the year 2017, NAIS reported that the largest part of registered users and use of services came from the capital Tirana (81 percent), and only 19 percent of visits to the portal came from the rest of the country. Given the information regarding the increasing number of visits to the portal, marginal positive changes can be reported on the improved access to information on public services (how to use them or how to benefit from services).
Carried Forward?
At the time of writing this report, Albania has not published its new action plan. Given its potential impact to improve transparency on public services, the IRM researcher recommends continuing expansion of e-services on the e-Albania portal in terms of number of services provided online, and to more clearly connect this commitment with an objective of public information disclosure.
[65] Minister of Foreign Affairs website, http://punetejashtme.gov.al/sherbimet-konsullore-online/
[66] “SHKO-Sherbime Konsullore Online” (in Albanian), http://www.punetejashtme.gov.al/al/sherbime/sherbimet-konsullore-online
[67] IRM Albania Progress Report 2016-2017, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/documents/albania-progress-report-2016-2018-public-comment
[68] Albanian diplomatic and consular mission, http://www.punetejashtme.gov.al/al/perfaqesite-diplomatike/perfaqesite-shqiptare-ne-bote and http://www.ambasadat.gov.al
[69] E-consular services of the Albanian Embassy in Italy, http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/italy/sq/shërbime-të-ambasadës
[70] E-permit services, http://gazeta-shqip.com/lajme/2016/02/25/lejet-e-ndertimit-online-hapat-per-te-aplikuar-ne-sistemin-e-ri/
[71] http://akshi.gov.al/images/raporti%20vjetor%202016.pdf; https://e-albania.al/esherbimet.aspx