Albanian municipalities operate in an increasingly demanding environment to deliver transparent, accountable, and inclusive public services while advancing toward becoming an EU member state.
Through the MATRA Albania programme, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, strong support is being provided to the establishment of the Training Academy for Local Governance in Albania (TALGA) as a national platform to strengthen municipal capacities through learning grounded in local practice, building on the combined efforts and support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Swiss Development Cooperation. The Netherlands, with its strong local government institutions and long tradition of decentralised governance, is well placed to support the Albanian initiative through peer-to-peer municipal partnerships.
Pilot municipality representatives join national authorities and key stakeholders during the workshop following the Steering Committee meeting in June 2025 to align on TALGA’s strategic priorities and thematic focus areas
To build early momentum, the consortium partners — The Hague Academy for Local Governance (THA), VNG International (VNGI), and Helvetas Albania — together with the Albanian Agency for the Support of Local Self-Government (AMVV), the National Association of Municipalities of Albania (NAMA), and the Embassy of the Netherlands carefully selected four Albanian municipalities as pilot partners, each linked to a priority theme that reflects both national reform agendas and local needs: Elbasan (Digital Governance), Kavajë (Inclusive Service Delivery and Gender Equality), Shkodër (Local Economic Development), and Korçë (Integrity and Anti-Corruption). Simultaneously, four Dutch municipalities were shortlisted and assessed against clear criteria for peer-to-peer municipal partnerships. By doing so, the partners prioritised that the municipalities could serve as learning hubs with potential for national replication through TALGA.
“From the first consultations, expectations were clear and the discussions were concrete. We were not only informed, but we were also involved. That early engagement has helped us to take ownership of the process from the start.” Arben Meta, Focal Point of the Municipality of Kavajë.
Early engagement proved crucial in turning participation into ownership. Consultations about priorities helped the municipalities see TALGA as a national platform shaped by their own needs and experiences. This growing sense of ownership became tangible during the inception mission in June–July 2025. The first milestone made the shared commitment visible: For the International Day of Democracy, the four pilot municipalities jointly produced a short video highlighting the importance of strong local democracy, municipal autonomy, and integrity-based governance. Each municipality contributed its thematic perspective, turning reform priorities into concrete local stories.
Click here to see the International Day of Democracy video
Although still at an early stage, a clear shift is already visible. The pilot municipalities are emerging as early champions of TALGA, with a shared understanding of expectations, priorities, and governance arrangements. By investing early in municipal leadership and partnership, the programme has laid strong foundations for sustainable learning, national replication, and long-term institutional impact.
Towards Democratic Local Governance is a Government to Government (G2G) project funded by Matra, a programme focused on strengthening local democracy in Albania. The project is implemented by The Hague Academy for Local Governance, Helvetas Albania, VNGI, AMVV, NAMA, the Embassy of the Netherlands and four municipalities in the Netherlands and Albania. Matra is commissioned by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).