Establishment of Multifunctional Centralized System for Building Permits (AL0054)

This commitment foresees the establishment of a multifunctional system to simplify the procedure of building permit applications and their proccesing by providing citizens and businesses the opportunity to apply only online for those permits. The purpose of this project is the construction of a multifunctional system and centralized to simplify procedures for license applications development and construction, providing citizens and businesses the opportunity to apply online. Being a centralized system is intended to be accessed electronically from all units of the central government and all other institutions involved in the decision making process through the respective accounts. This project aims to implement electronic communication between the National Territorial Planning Agency registry with the electronic records of other institutions to checks and/or automatically revocate applicants' data through the the government interoperability platform; also tracking status of the application at any stage of the procedure. Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment This kind of permit is only provided ‘offline’ asking for businesses to receive lots of documents from other public institutions and submit everything at the premises of the National Territorial Planning Agency (situated in Tirana). This process includes extensive efforts and time ‘til the provision of the permit. Main Objective This project aims at implementing electronic communication registry NTPA with the electronic records of other institutions for vetting or making automated database of applicants, through the platform governmental interaction and tracking the status of the application at any stage via eTracking system. This project will also adapt the current registry in accordance with the latest legal changes. The system will be introduced for the first time in the Albania and will include the application for development permit applications through the system fully online. It is very important the close cooperation with local authorities to achieve this multifunctional centralized system.

11. Simplify building permit applications

Commitment Text:

Title: Establishment of multifunctional centralized system for building permits

This commitment foresees the establishment of a multifunctional system to simplify the procedure of building permit applications and their processing by providing citizens and businesses the opportunity to apply only online for those permits. The purpose of this project is the construction of a multifunctional system and centralized to simplify procedures for license applications development and construction, providing citizens and businesses the opportunity to apply online. Being a centralized system is intended to be accessed electronically from all units of the central government and all other institutions involved in the decision making process through the respective accounts. This project aims to implement electronic communication between the National Territorial Planning Agency registry with the electronic records of other institutions to checks and/or automatically revocate applicants' data through the government interoperability platform; also tracking status of the application at any stage of the procedure.

This kind of permit is only provided ‘offline’ asking for businesses to receive lots of documents from other public institutions and submit everything at the premises of the National Territorial Planning Agency (situated in Tirana). This process includes extensive efforts and time ‘til the provision of the permit.

This project aims at implementing electronic communication registry NTPA with the electronic records of other institutions for vetting or making automated database of applicants, through the platform governmental interaction and tracking the status of the application at any stage via eTracking system. This project will also adapt the current registry in accordance with the latest legal changes. The system will be introduced for the first time in the Albania and will include the application for development permit applications through the system fully online. It is very important the close cooperation with local authorities to achieve this multifunctional centralized system.

Responsible institution: National Agency for Information Society

Supporting institutions: Ministry of Urban development/ National Territorial Planning Agency, Local government units

Start date: 2016 End date: 2016

Context and Objectives

Until early 2016, building permits were only provided 'offline.' In order to receive a building permit, businesses were required to obtain a lot of documents from other public institutions and submit everything at the premises of the National Territorial Planning Agency (NTPA) in Tirana. This process included extensive effort and time, especially for businesses located outside of Tirana.

This commitment aims to implement electronic communication between the NTPA registry and the electronic records of other public institutions. This multifunctional centralized system will automatically update applicants’ data, relocate data through the interoperability platform, and track the status of an application at any stage of the procedure. According to the action plan, this project will also adapt the current registry in accordance with the latest legal changes. This is the first time a centralized system for building permits has been introduced in Albania, and it will fully translate the permit application to an online platform. The specificity of this commitment, as written, is medium. The government explicitly mentions the development of a multifunctional system and includes the different elements within the system, (i.e. eTracking). However, the deliverables are not clearly measurable and it is unclear what legal changes will be applied to the current registry.

Representatives of the association of construction companies have welcomed this project, although they raised concerns with its applicability in municipalities with no adopted territorial regulatory plans.^{[Note117: Interviews with representatives of the Association, June 2017.]} Representatives of leading state institutions and representatives of institutions supporting the implementation of this commitment did not provide any information to the IRM researcher. This commitment is an important step to facilitate construction companies’ operations and decrease costs during the building permit procedures. The potential impact of this commitment is moderate: the government is improving service delivery, and ultimately digitalizing the building permit application procedure to reduce work for businesses.

This commitment’s relevance to OGP values is unclear. While the centralized system improves procedures, it does not improve their transparency, nor does it improve institutions’ accountability. Additionally, the system does not grant public access to information related to granted building permits and the procedures followed therein.

Completion

The National Agency for Information Society (NAIS) and the NTPA have reported this project as completed.^{[Note118: NAIS and NTPA project completed, http://www.azht.gov.al/al/newsroom/lajme/lejet-e-ndertimit-online-sherbimi-e-leje.]} The NTPA has shared instructuions on how to use the system with interested parties.^{[Note119: Manual for e-permit, http://www.azht.gov.al/files/news_files/17-02-28-03-25-26Manual_Aplikimi_ne_e-leje.pdf, manual for e-signature http://www.azht.gov.al/files/news_files/17-02-28-03-25-28Manual_Teknik_Nenshkrimi_Elektronik.pdf and video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyd1DbXqrTw. ]} In March 2017, NAIS reported,'The system offers a digitalized process involving all institutions in charge of treating a construction permit application'. NAIS went on to report that the system had been used 25,000 times by citizens and businesses, and it has had 1,155 users from state institutions (civil servants) from September to December 2016.^{[Note120: Page 41 of the annual 2016 monitoring report of the 'Inter-sectoral strategy of public administration reform', March 2017, http://dap.gov.al/images/DokumentaStrategjik/SNRAP%20Raporti%20Vjetor%202016%20Final%2016.03.2017.pdf. ]} No information was provided to IRM regarding the system’s use in the second half of 2017.

Next Steps

This commitment is fully complete and the IRM researcher recommends that it not be taken forward in the next action plan. While it positively impacted businesses applying for building permits, this commitment is not relevant to OGP values and open government.

11. Simplify building permit applications

Commitment Text:

Title: Establishment of multifunctional centralized system for building permits

This commitment foresees the establishment of a multifunctional system to simplify the procedure of building permit applications and their processing by providing citizens and businesses the opportunity to apply only online for those permits. The purpose of this project is the construction of a multifunctional system and centralized to simplify procedures for license applications development and construction, providing citizens and businesses the opportunity to apply online. Being a centralized system is intended to be accessed electronically from all units of the central government and all other institutions involved in the decision making process through the respective accounts. This project aims to implement electronic communication between the National Territorial Planning Agency registry with the electronic records of other institutions to checks and/or automatically revocate applicants' data through the government interoperability platform; also tracking status of the application at any stage of the procedure.

This kind of permit is only provided ‘offline’ asking for businesses to receive lots of documents from other public institutions and submit everything at the premises of the National Territorial Planning Agency (situated in Tirana). This process includes extensive efforts and time ‘til the provision of the permit.

This project aims at implementing electronic communication registry NTPA with the electronic records of other institutions for vetting or making automated database of applicants, through the platform governmental interaction and tracking the status of the application at any stage via eTracking system. This project will also adapt the current registry in accordance with the latest legal changes. The system will be introduced for the first time in the Albania and will include the application for development permit applications through the system fully online. It is very important the close cooperation with local authorities to achieve this multifunctional centralized system.

Responsible institution: National Agency for Information Society

Supporting institution(s): Ministry of Urban development/ National Territorial Planning Agency, Local government units

Start date: 2016.................... End date: 2016

Commitment Aim:

Until early 2016, building permits were only provided “offline.” This commitment aimed to implement electronic communication between the National Territorial Planning Agency (NTPA) registry and the electronic records of other public institutions, to simplify the management of building permits. This multifunctional centralized system would automatically update applicants’ data, relocate data through the interoperability platform, and track the status of an application at any stage of the procedure. According to the OGP action plan, this project would also adapt the registry in accordance with the latest legal changes. This would be the first time a centralized system for building permits is introduced in Albania, and it would fully translate the permit application to an online platform.

Status

Midterm: Complete

Did It Open Government?

Access to Information: Did Not Change

Civic Participation: Did Not Change

Public Accountability: Did Not Change

While this commitment had a positive effect on simplifying procedures for businesses applying for building permits, it did not result in any changes relevant to the OGP values of access to information, civic participation or public accountability.

Carried Forward?

This commitment is fully complete and the IRM researcher recommends that it is not taken forward, as it is not clearly relevant to OGP values.

[72] National Territorial Development Agency, “NAIS and NTPA project completed”, 19 October 2016, http://www.azht.gov.al/al/newsroom/lajme/lejet-e-ndertimit-online-sherbimi-e-leje

[73] National Territorial Development Agency, Manual for e-permit, http://www.azht.gov.al/files/news_files/17-02-28-03-25-26Manual_Aplikimi_ne_e-leje.pdf, manual for e-signature, http://www.azht.gov.al/files/news_files/17-02-28-03-25-28Manual_Teknik_Nenshkrimi_Elektronik.pdf, and video link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyd1DbXqrTw

[74] Inter-sectoral strategy of public administration reform 2015-2020, annual monitoring report 2016, March 2017, page 41, http://dap.gov.al/images/DokumentaStrategjik/SNRAP%20Raporti%20Vjetor%202016%20Final%2016.03.2017.pdf