Cooperation with partners is something that GIZ obviously cherishes and it is a results-based process. This was easy to perceive from the interview that the GIZ country director in Tirana, Hans-Juergen Cassens delivered for Albanian Daily News.

GIZ stands for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, which operates in Albania as part of the German Development Cooperation since 1988.

With projects running in various fields ranging from economic development to environment, and climate change, and two new projects in the water sector and solid waste management preparing to start this year, 2016 has been quite busy for the GIZ.  The total implementation volume reached to 9 million Euros.

-  2017 has just kicked off, however I would like to start this interview with a lookback to the year we left behind. How would you assess the balance sheet of 2016 as far as GIZ’s work on behalf of the German government in Albania is concerned?

- The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) implements mainly projects on behalf of the German government, but we receive commissions also from third parties, currently the European Union and the Danish government. 

2016 was quite a busy year. We have been active in various fields from economic development and employment promotion to agriculture and rural development, including tourism, improvement of the water sector, environment and biodiversity and climate change. The total implementation volume reached to 9 million Euros.

Economic development and employment promotion remains the largest sector in which we are engaged.

During 2016:

-  3, 350 people received training in vocational education, entrepreneurship, tourism, etc.

-  2,200 have been reached directly through business development services

-  120 farmers and rural entrepreneurs received financial support through grants

-  195, 000 businesses benefited from improved state-to-business services that were supported by GIZ.

- Which have been some of the most beneficial and efficient projects implemented by GIZ for ordinary Albanians?

- It’s hard for me to make a difference between projects implemented by GIZ in Albania, because we are all very results-oriented in our work. This means that the final goal of our work here is to help improving welfare and lives of Albanian citizens in close cooperation with our partners. And I am happy to see that progress is steady.

If we only consider the direct results of our work in 2016, income levels increased for more than 1,000 people while there were about 1,800 people that found employment due to direct cooperation of GIZ with businesses and institutions. If we consider the wider impact of our work, these figures will be much higher, as we helped to improve various frame conditions in legislation, skills development, or capacities in the public and private sector. In agriculture 78 farms and agro-processing manufactures have benefited directly from the IPARD-like grant scheme that is co-financed by the EU and the Albanian government. Some 184 farmers have benefited from the SARED grant-scheme co-financed by the Danish and the German governments. Albanian products are more marketable and more competitive thanks to the investments made by farmers and manufactures. Through this support farmers have boosted their productivity and secure their livestock. Moreover, from the end of 2017 or early 2018 onwards Albania will be able to manage more than 70 million Euros-IPA money. Access to these funds will be possible for farmers, after Albanian institutions were supported by GIZ, mandated by the EU, along the process of accreditation to manage those EU funds

Tourism is a sector that has been prioritized by the Albanian government and we are supporting its endeavors in this sector in various regions. Also we have made good progress in the areas of environment and adaptation to climate change as well in improving the water sector. Building capacities of institutions and stakeholders is an important part of our work, although results are not always evident within a year or two.

Good progress has been made in the diversification and promotion of the tourism offer in different areas of Albania. For example, the southern coast, usually known and frequented by the tourists for its beaches and only during summer, is getting more and more known for its hinterlands. Beautiful landscapes combined with traditions and cultural heritage make for a tremendous potential for the development of a broad and all-inclusive appeal for local and especially foreign tourists. The latter are usually looking for new and interesting destinations to visit. We have been supporting our partners with the branding of this area and have supported locals to build business models and mold a touristic offer that keeps visitors as long as possible in the area. Hopefully these models will be replicated and gradually income from tourism will increase for the population there. We have done the same also in northern Albania, in the Albanian Alps and also in the Dibra region, which is a destination that we hope will grow more and more attractive to tourists.

All these investments in know-how and funds will translate in new jobs, increased income and better lives for Albanian citizens. Of course there’s more to do, but things don’t happen within a night and the figures I mentioned above are a good sign that the country is moving more secure toward sustainable development.

- News about job places available in Germany for those who wish to work and live there legally have been frequently published by local media in Albania. This was particularly evident in the second half of 2016. Meanwhile, GIZ is implementing a project on migration. Isn’t it a bit contradictory that on the one hand GIZ implements development projects on behalf of the German government and on the other backs efforts of Albanians to leave their country?

- Migration is a global phenomenon. Whether because of conflicts, abuse of human rights or lack of economic opportunities, it is a fact that many more people are on the move in search of a better future elsewhere. GIZ works in Albania and all around the world on behalf of the German government to create long-term prospects for the future. On the other hand, people have the right to look for a better life. Having that said, the migration project that GIZ is implementing in Albania as part of a global project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development aims to make sure that people who wish to live and work in Germany do it in compliance with the laws and rules of this country. We were all witnesses of the high number of asylum seekers from Albania to Germany in 2015. Hopes and expectations, and even financial assets of Albanians aspiring to live and work were transformed into dust, because they didn’t follow the legal way. However, it is important to emphasize that this project is not only on migration advice but in the first place assists with advice on career development, possibly in Albania. Advice on legal migration is only part of it.

As part of our work we will also put more emphasis to support re-integration. Hopefully Albanians who have lived and worked in Germany for a long time, return to their country and use their knowledge and capacities in support of their country.

- Germany is one of the biggest donors in Albania and there are a number of successful models built with support of GIZ. Yet, there’s an obvious ‘scent’ of modesty in the presentation of results achieved with the support that Germany gives to Albania through GIZ and other German organizations. Is this something related to the German culture or…?

- Thank you for this question. Allow me to underline that none of the results I mentioned above, as well as others that I didn’t, would have been possible without our partners. I have worked in many different countries before I came to Albania and I must say that the government institutions and agencies here are very cooperative. It is thanks to this that positive and long-lasting results have been achieved. In the philosophy of our company the partner and the people of the country we work in come first. We are not here to tell you how to do things, but rather want to help you identify needs and plan interventions that ensure sustainable development and hopefully membership of Albania into the European Union.

As for the part of the question whether modesty is related to the German culture, well this is up to your judgment. But in fact we always try to emphasize that it is not the German development cooperation or GIZ that achieves all the results on its own, but it is done in close partnership with Albanian institutions and only through this partnership we can contribute to the results that I mentioned earlier. But we do focus more on actually implementing projects than on trying to make headlines.

- We continue to get signals from German high officials such as Chancellor Angela Merkel, Minister of Foreign Affairs Steinmeier, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development Fuchtel that Germany’s support to Albania and its people will continue and even enhance. What are the news from GIZ we should expect this year, and Germany in general?

- This is a question that would need to be directed to the German Embassy. However I think it is safe to say that Germany will continue to support the development of Albania and its prospects for EU membership.  For example, this year we are about to start a new project in the sector of economic development. The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has earmarked 10.5 million Euros for the sustainable economic and regional development, employment promotion and vocational education and training. The program builds on a strong basis and connections, because these fields have been at focus of separate smaller projects so far. Now they will merge in one big program with the hope to be even more efficient and to better support our lead partners, namely the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Youth and Social Welfare.

“Customer and Performance Oriented Drinking Water and Sanitation” and “Climate-friendly Integrated Solid Waste Management” are two additional projects that will start this year. Both are commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

- Corruption in Albania continues to be a problem and there is a united front, including internationals, to fight it as much as possible. How does GIZ cope with this situation so that the money earmarked for the targets of different projects is used efficiently? 

- Corruption is a global phenomenon and it is an especially sensitive issue in developing countries. As an organization engaged in international development, GIZ pays particular attention to this topic. Projects implemented by GIZ are funded by German and European taxpayers for the improvement of Albanian citizens’ prospects and welfare. Therefore, we have a responsibility that this money is properly administered in function of this ultimate goal. It takes 8-9 months for a project to start once the money is allocated by the commissioning party. During this period we work closely with our partners to identify needs and the proper approaches and tools to intervene in order to meet such needs sustainably.

GIZ has very strong internal accountability mechanisms in place when it comes to project implementation. However we also include special anti-corruption interventions with focus on increased transparency and accountability. Last year the German Development Cooperation in Albania and partner institutions gathered together to discuss openly about concrete steps that can be undertaken to minimize corruption threats and increase transparency. In many cases, through small interventions, GIZ has supported partners to put anti-corruption mechanisms in place.