Establishing the Youth Database (AL0084)

Brief Description of the Commitment

The Council of Ministers through Decision No. 833, dated on 24.12.2021, “On the Method of Establishing, Administering, and Maintaining the Database for Youth, as well as the method of its interaction with other State Databases”, has made possible the establishing of the Youth Database as an electronic register on youth (ERY) to be administered from the National Youth Agency and linked with other state databases such as: Judicial register for NPOs registration, data of beneficial owners, tax register, integrated planning system information system (IPSIS). The data collected by the ERY will be utilized by the National Youth Agency and Minister of State for Youth and Children for fulfilling their institutional responsibilities for periodic evaluation of youth conditions and for evidenced based development and monitoring of youth policies. The CoM Decision also foresees that young people, national or diaspora youth and for youth organizations and the National Youth Representative Organization could register in the youth database and could access as viewer the data in the ERY through a request of public information disclosure to the NYA. Such persons and organizations could use the ERY data to support scientific and statistical research, analyses, evaluations and various projects in the youth field, thus facilitating their work and improving the quality of their contributions, as well as supporting public accountability for engagements undertaken by central and local government authorities in support of youth. Other public services expected to be interlinked with the Youth Database comprise the management of the yearly callsby the NYA of all applications submitted by the youth/for youth organizations for the provision of the state grant on youth, management byMoSYC of the National Programme of Work Apprenticeships, etc.

Problem Definition

1. What problem does the commitment aim to address? The Law No.75/.2019, “On Youth” defines the criteria of youth organizations, for youth organizations and national youth representative organization and establishes the framework for their engagement in the consultation process of youth policies and provision of support by the state to their activities on the youth engagement. Currently there is no exhaustive database available on youth and for youth organizations that fulfilllegal criteria and as a result there are difficulties for their engagement in the consultation of youth policies or funding their activity. In addition, generating pertinent information to support decision making at the central or local levels on policies, programs and initiatives in the youth field requires the collection of reliable data and their elaboration through tested methods, thus needing the engagement and contribution of various stakeholders, comprising state institutions, youth/for youth organizations, youth networks and youth representative organizations, and young people. The Law No.75/.2019, “On Youth” foresees the establishing of the youth database, with the aim of creating an instrument to be used by state institutions and non-state stakeholders alike for collecting and exchanging information and data on youth conditions and needs in the country, as well to support the processes of planning, monitoring, administration and evaluating of youth policies at the central and local levels. The Council of Ministers through Decision No. 833, dated on 24.12.2021, "On the Method of Establishing, Administering, and Maintaining the Database for Youth, as well as the method of its Interaction with other State Databases", has made possible the establishing of the Youth Database as an electronic register on youth (ERY) to be administered from the National Youth Agency. While the decision clarifies aspects such as the categories and access levels of users and purpose for the use of ERY data, it has not specified other aspects such as the type or quantity of data to be collected through the ERY or the manner they will be elaborated to properly support the work of pertinent state institutions and non-state stakeholders.

2. What are the causes of the problem? In Albania, data used for the evaluation of conditions of young people or measuring the impact of programs and policies adopted for youth are predominantly collected ad-hoc, to suit specific goals of state institutions and other stakeholders, are randomly exchanged and rarely available and usable from young people and society at large. In addition, studies prepared are oftentimes prejudiced by questions on the accuracy and demonstrability of their sources and therefore may not be taken into consideration by decision makers. In the current state it is very difficult to secure updated and usable data to inform the decision making processes on youth. Currently, the database that will clarify which civil society organizations fulfill legal criteria stipulated by the law for youth/for youth organizations is not yet established which provides difficulties for their structured engagement in the consultation of policies, programs and initiatives in the field of youth or provision of state support to their activities.

Commitment Description

1. What has been done so far to solve the problem? The legal framework for establishing the youth database was established by the Council of Ministers through decision No. 833, dated on 24.12.2021, “On the Method of Establishing, Administering, and Maintaining the Database for Youth, as well as the method of its interaction with other State Databases”. Currently there are no obstacles for establishing a database on youth that fulfills legal criteria and supports the informed decision-making, openness and accountability in relation to policies, programs and initiatives in the youth sector.

2. What solution are you proposing? Establishing e database on youth in line with the Law No.75/2019 and CoM decision No. 833, dated on 24.12.2021, as an instrument to be used for collecting and exchanging information and data related to the conditions and needs of young people in the country, as well as to support the processes of planning, monitoring, administration and evaluating of youth policies at the central and local levels. Implementation of this engagement in cooperation with youth/for youth civil society organizations to ensure a multilevel evaluation on the type and quantity of data to be collected through the ERY and the most suitable manner to elaborate such data, to support state institutions in their decision-making and improving the work of non-state actors, thus promoting openness and public accountability in the field of youth. After establishing the youth database, an information campaign will be jointly organized at the national level with youth and for youth CSOs focused in the promotion of the registration to the database of young people, youth and for youth organizations.

3. What results do we want to achieve by implementing this commitment? Establishing the youth database will aim to achieve the following results: 1. To ensure information and data that are reliable, updated and usable in relation to the conditions and needs of young people in the country, as well as support evidenced based decision-making in the field of youth at the central and local levels. 2. To stipulate the list of civil society organizations that fulfill the legal criteria stipulated by the law for youth/for youth organizations and could be engaged in the consultation of policies, programs and initiatives in the field of youth and benefit from the digitalization of public services, such as application to the yearly call of the NYA for the state grant on youth. 3. To increase openness and accountability of national and local state institutions in the field of youth through provision of data to young people and civil society organizations to support their scientific and statistical research, analyses, evaluations and implementation projects in the youth field. 4. To facilitate exchange of information and build joint initiatives in the field of youth.

Milestones | Expected Outputs | Expected Completion Date

Finalizing the architecture of the database, in relation to the data to be gathered and its functionalities. | The architecture of the database and its functionalities are finalized and approved. | S II 2023

Finalizing the Terms of reference for establishing the database and publishing the procurement notice. | Terms of reference for establishing the database are approved. Procurement notice for the database is issued. | S II 2023

Establishing and testing the youth database. | The youth database is established and tested. | S I 2024

Prepare and implement a communication campaign for registration to the database at the national level. | Communication campaign for registration of youth/for youth CSO to the database designed and implemented at the national level. | S II 2024

Action Plan Review

Commitment 11. Youth database