Category: Albania Justice for All

A Justice Reform Watchdog

BIRN Albania, with support from the USAID-funded Justice for All Project (JfA), successfully finalized implementation of its 18-month project “Enhancing the Transparency of Justice Reform in Albania.” The project aimed to increase the transparency of justice reforms in Albania through monitoring the work of judicial institutions while strengthening the capacities of local journalists to report on and advocate for an open justice system through data driven journalism and independent reporting.

First-of-their-kind monitoring tools

Among many activities and achievements, BIRN’s work on the project led to the publishing of the first interactive manual on crime and court reporting in the country, as well as a first of its kind monitoring report on the transparency of courts in Albania. As part of the project, BIRN also developed and continues to regularly update the most comprehensive database to date of the vetting process, which includes the activities of the Independent Qualification Commission, Public Commissioners, Special College of Appeals, and International Monitoring Mission. More specifically, in relation to the judicial reforms and vetting process, more than 4,100 asset declaration forms filed by more than 340 judges were obtained by BIRN through Freedom of Information requests and were used to identify key trends in judges’ asset declarations and, importantly, the instruments used to hide or misinterpret income or assets. BIRN also produced and published more than 130 in-depth independent analyses on the wealth of individual judges and prosecutors, which served as a watchdog of the vetting processes and helped the public increase its understanding of the processes and reforms.

With JfA’s support, BIRN’s project also contributed to efforts to increase the transparency of the justice system. Four in-depth reports on the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, administrative courts, and first instance courts were produced, along with a groundbreaking monitoring report on the level of transparency of 39 courts at all levels of the judiciary in Albania. The monitoring report used a methodology developed as part of the project and provided a framework for public access to judicial information for the first time. The project also covered more than 200 public hearings of the Independent Evaluations Commission and of the Special College of Appels and BIRN published more than 400 news articles and in-depth stories on the extraordinary reevaluation process.

According to Krisitina Voko, Executive Director of BIRN Albania, “This project was essential for its watchdog role on the vetting institutions, increasing accountability of decision-makers and transforming Reporter.al in the publication of record on the justice reform.”

A local perspective on courts, crime, and justice reform

BIRN’s project also successfully strengthened capacities of local journalists to report on courts, crime, and the justice reform process through its interactive manual on Court and Crime Reporting, which provided on-the-job and formal training to more than 30 journalists from the 12 regions in Albania. With the support of JfA, BIRN also mentored and trained 20 journalists, who ultimately produced and published more than 880 news and in-depth stories from a local perspective from all regions in Albania focused on the activities of local courts and law enforcement agencies and 44 hard-hitting investigative articles on organized crime and judicial corruption. As a result, the number of investigative stories published by local media outlets was increased.

Ethical journalism with an impact

Ms. Voko described the success of the project as follows: “The project played an important role in training and mentoring local journalists to cover court and crime in an ethical manner that respects the highest standards of journalism, while supporting them, with editorial insight to produce in-depth, hard hitting investigative stories that had an impact in society.”

The USAID-funded Justice for All project (JfA) has found new ways to inspire and support university-level journalism students as part of the Beyond Fences 2.0 Initiative despite COVID-19-related restrictions and safety measures.

The Beyond Fences 2.0 Initiative is designed to train journalism students from two regional universities in Elbasan and Shkoder in mobile reporting and filmmaking techniques with the goal of producing content that will be showcased at the Balkan Film and Food Festival. The Initiative seeks to enable the participants to produce professional-grade short documentary films, news stories, podcasts, radio segments, or other multimedia projects that are capable of creating an online movement and motivate social change around issues JfA is supporting. To implement the Beyond Fences 2.0 Initiative, JfA is working with Rana Labs, a digital media agency that develops websites, produces videos, provides digital media trainings, and empowers the future digital story tellers of the world.

JfA and Rana Labs designed a customized program involving three workshops to strengthen the students’ reporting and filmmaking skills and knowledge. The first of three workshops, during which journalism students were introduced to the fundamentals of storytelling and production, story design, storyboarding, and pitching, was held in February and March.

After the second workshop was postponed due to coronavirus-related restrictions, JfA, Rana Labs, and the journalism students were able to continue making progress by quickly adapting to remote working methods. JfA and Rana Labs have used WhatsApp groups to provide direct guidance, respond to technical questions, provide creative support, deliver additional training materials, and create a sense of community. For several of the student groups, the direct access to support and expert guidance through WhatsApp has motivated them to continue producing their films, with several groups now actively working on draft stories.

JfA and Rana Labs also used Zoom to hold two rounds of capacity-building sessions with the journalism students in May and June. During the first round of meetings, the groups were provided with feedback on the first drafts of their storyboards. During the next sessions, the storyboards were finalized and the groups were tasked with producing one-minute videos using film equipment kits provided by JfA, which allowed the students to transform the training they had received into practical skills and results. By the end of June, each group successfully produced and delivered their one-minute video and received tailored feedback from Rana Labs and JfA.

One example of the students’ work is the film Granny Luçe, which was produced by a group of third year journalism students from Luigj Gurakuqi University in Shkodër. The film represents the idea that not all reporting needs to focus on breaking news, and that sharing the everyday lives of community members can serve as a reminder of the commonalities shared by all Albanians.

Through the Beyond Fences 2.0 Initiative, JfA is training young journalists to move beyond reporting that covers only the voices of the most powerful by helping them (re)discover the power of simple voices and communities.

‘True or false’ and responsible journalism

Faktoje, a fact-checking media service that promotes accountability based on the right to information and transparency, was launched in Albania in May 2018 with full technical support from the USAID-funded Justice for All project (JfA). The overarching goal of Faktoje is to improve public performance standards in Albania and, in less than two years, the platform has become a reliable source of information and set an example of responsible and ethical journalism. Since its establishment, Faktoje has also been acknowledged as the first fact-checking organization in Albania by a Tirana Court decision and become the first media organization in Albania to become a signatory member of the International Fact-Checking Network.

COVID-19 response: Accountability and access to information

Faktoje’s new website, which was launched on April 2, 2020, includes a dedicated space for COVID-19 updates, including quick access to key data based on official figures from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and a page dedicated to articles focused exclusively on COVID-19. More than 252 relevant articles and 240 infographics have been produced by Faktoje since the introduction of lockdown measures in Albania in March. The COVID-19 related articles cover three main topics: the fact-checking of statements by public officials regarding measures and their implementation; identifying, exposing, and raising awareness about disinformation related to COVID-19 treatments; and the impact of COVID-19 on different sectors, such as education, health, the environment, and tourism. In addition, through a small grant from the US Global Engagement Center, Faktoje was able to support 20 local journalists’ coverage of the impact of COVID-19 in local communities in Albania, which resulted in 35 articles published. Through this activity, the local journalists were able to build their capacities in the methodology of fact-checking, which they were introduced for the first time as part of their engagement with Faktoje. As a result of this qualitative coverage on issues related to the pandemic, Faktoje was able to double its number of views on its website and interactions on social media channels.

Faktoje’s COVID-19 reporting seeks to hold public officials accountable for promises made in relation to measures taken to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and to provide citizens with vital information on protection from the virus by countering disinformation.

Faktoje, a fact-checking media service that promotes accountability based on the right to information and transparency, was launched in Albania in May 2018 with full technical support from the USAID-funded Justice for All project (JfA), implemented by EWMI. The overarching goal of Faktoje is to improve public performance standards in Albania and, in less than two years, the platform has become a reliable source of information and set an example of responsible and ethical journalism. Since its establishment, Faktoje has also been acknowledged as the first fact-checking organization in Albania by a Tirana Court decision and become the first media organization in Albania to become a signatory member of the International Fact-Checking Network.

On April 2, 2020, which is International Fact-Checking Day, Faktoje launched a newly redesigned website. The new website, which was developed with support from JfA, is more user- and mobile device-friendly and contains several features that will help Faktoje better present its work, including an e-newsletter that has a growing list of subscribers. Between April and June, following the launch of the new website, Faktoje.al received 52,048 users and 92,688 page views.

More concretely, the updates to Faktoje’s website include the addition of a space for video news items and a feature that allows all readers to see the results of its fact-checking for declarations (true, untrue, or half-true) or promises (kept or not kept) by simply pointing to the headline of the given article. In addition, the fact-o-meter indicators that Faktoje regularly uses were placed front and center to highlight Faktoje’s approach to fact-checking and strengthen readers’ understanding of fact-checking as an approach to quality journalism.

The new website design also includes a dedicated space for COVID-19 updates, including quick access to key data based on official figures from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and a page dedicated to articles focused exclusively on COVID-19, including the 71 relevant articles Faktoje has produced since the introduction of lockdown measures in Albania in March. These articles cover three main topics: the fact-checking of statements by public officials regarding measures and their implementation; identifying, exposing, and raising awareness about disinformation related to COVID-19 treatments; and the impact of COVID-19 on different sectors, such as education, health, the environment, and tourism. Faktoje’s COVID-19 reporting seeks to hold public officials accountable for promises made in relation to measures taken to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and to provide citizens with vital information on protection from the virus by countering disinformation.

At a time when the ease of clicks and taps often blurs the line between misinformation and verified fact, a team of journalists in Albania has opened a new chapter in the history of the country’s media with their commitment to fact-checking.

“True or False” and responsible journalism

Disinformation in Albania is real. It is a product of poor journalism, which in turn results from a combination of several factors: competition between a growing number of online outlets, pressure to ‘publish first’, financial struggles of outlets, staff shortage and the influence exerted by politics and powerful interest groups. Disinformation affects freedom of the press, media accountability and, ultimately, democratic processes and the well-being of each citizen. 

An antidote to disinformation and the spread of false narratives is responsible journalism, which acts as an advocate on behalf of citizens. Fact-checking for accuracy and consistency is its key tool. By validating statements with facts that can be verified and delving into which facts are true or false rather than just describing events, fact-checking elevates the role of journalists. In Albania, there is a single online platform that is trailblazing this new model of independent fact-checking.

A media outlet in service of the truth

Faktoje was formally launched in Albania on May 8, 2018 as a media service that promotes accountability based on the right to information and transparency. The overarching goal of Faktoje is to be a credible source of information and fact-checking in Albania to improve public performance standards. By Tirana Court decision of July 30, 2019, Faktoje is acknowledged as the first fact-checking organization in Albania.

In less than two years from the time that preparations for Faktoje began, the platform has become a reliable source of information, setting an example of responsible and ethical journalism. Their reports are a product of a meticulous approach to identify, select, analyze and assess facts from reliable sources.

Professionals making a difference

Faktoje’s Advisory Board supports their work, along with collaboration from similar platforms in the region. Those seasoned professionals shared thoughts on the establishment and growth of Faktoje:

“As the majority of media in Albania are controlled by political parties, Faktoje has an important role to provide to the Albanian public information based on confirmed facts.”

Flutura Kusari, media lawyer in Kosovo and Albania

“Faktoje project is spot on for empowering citizens; young, politically “uncontaminated” and courageous journalists equally challenge all parties and politicians for accountability in the interest of the public and in full compliance with the law.”

Faik Ispahiu, Executive Director, Internews Kosovo

Faktoje was initially developed by two Albanian organizations, Gender Alliance for Development Center and National Center for Social Studies, with full technical support from the USAID-funded Justice for All project (JFA) implemented by EWMI. “This first impartial service of fact-checking was brought to Albania thanks to USAID support. International and local experts trained and mentored a group of young journalists to hone their skill in verifying statements and promises made by senior officials,” says Klodiana Kapo, Executive Director of Faktoje.

Setting the standards: Doing journalism right

“This experience has made me grow as a professional. I have even acquired other skills I lacked before, such as video editing and video recording like a pro.”

Merxhan Daci, Journalist, Faktoje

The uncharted territory of fact-checking in Albania at the time proved quite a challenge for Daci and his colleagues, but fast-forward two years and they have made a difference.

Among the biggest challenges were the lack of public institutions to collaborate with, the absence of open data and the failure of institutions to observe the right to access information. The latter is a challenge that Daci believes can be turned into an opportunity. “By insisting that the law should be observed, we can produce a range of stories – information is treasure,” he says. Indeed, a recent story involving the inflated invoices of a senior public official took Albania by storm. It was the first time a well-researched piece with confirmed facts was presented to the audience. The online reach was immense. Political and institutional reactions ensued, even blocking Faktoje from obtaining documents from other ministries. “This shows that such journalism and platform confront politicians and senior officials with their obligations and helps inform citizens better,” says Kapo.

The first of its kind in Albania, Faktoje looks up to more advanced regional and global models of fact-checking and is becoming a model for other outlets in the country. It is helping educate the audience on the concept of fact-checking and how it fights disinformation.

Mission: Truthfulness

Unlike the information published by a huge number of portals in the country, which is almost identical and often has no sources or only one source, Faktoje applies a clear-cut methodology of fact-checking in line with the standards of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN). In fact, Faktoje is working towards gaining membership to IFCN. This requires, among other things, full transparency of activities and the constant advancement of its professionalism.

Faktoje is soon expected to have a full house, with six professional journalists and four student interns. The Editor in Chief and Deputy will train, mentor and lead the team. Additionally, the Advisory Board, which is comprised of high-profile individuals from civil society and the media, provides support and advice on a daily basis to both management and journalists to ensure a high level of reporting and more resistance to pressure from senior officials.

Fact-checking reaches beyond

Strengthening internal capacities is needed for Faktoje to carry out its role. Training on professional skills in journalism and technology will continue, as the journalists produce all content themselves. “Faktoje is now specializing its journalists by subject area, so they are better focused in their work,” says Kapo.

Jointly with the public university, Faktoje is reaching out to youth networks to increase the number of volunteers for its mission. Other fact-checking organizations in the Balkans are also part of these efforts, e.g. Kallxo (Kosovo) and Metamorphosis (North Macedonia), to increase the reach and impact of fact-checking across countries.

Regional fact-checkers unite

On June 5-7, 2019, with support from USAID’s Justice for All project (JFA) and the British Embassy in Tirana, Faktoje held the Balkan Fact Checking and Disinformation Conference, the first international conference on fact-checking. The focus of the conference was to allow representatives from fact-checking services in Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia and Italy to share experiences and discuss communication methods with the ultimate goal of strengthening a regional fact-checking network and increasing collaboration.

During the conference sessions, it was made apparent that concerns and challenges related to disinformation and the spread of false narratives are similar across the region. The conference was thus a good first step towards streamlining efforts across borders. For Tijana Cvijetićanin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, member of IFCN, “Mutual connections and cooperation are an indispensable aid to those on the side of facts.” This is particularly true given the region’s inextricable political, social and cultural connections, which make the cooperation of fact checkers, media watchdogs and other actors who work to fight disinformation a matter of great importance.

Fact-checking is here to stay

The June 2019 conference was not a one-time event but the beginning of joint efforts between fact-checkers in Albania, the region and beyond to take a more coordinated stand against the disinformation, spin and false narratives that poor journalism, political pressure and the Internet help perpetuate.

The coming year will be a turning point for Faktoje. As a platform that has already gained prominence, the battle for higher standards of honesty in public life is only going to be tougher.

The newly designed Court Chancellor profession in Albania comes in response to the pressing need of courts to efficiently manage the increasing volume and complexity of both judicial and clerical tasks. Albania had not adopted a modern approach to Court Administration and, to move forward, the justice reform package created a Chancellors role that is enhanced and based on international experience and expertise. It was immediately apparent that it was a step in the right direction.

The comprehensive “Court Administration Program” is the result of a two-year commitment of the Court Management Working Group (WG) established by the USAID Justice for All project (JFA) in 2017. The group is comprised of incumbent chancellors, judges and administrative leaders from all Albanian regions, faculty from the School of Magistrates, and USAID experts. They were mandated to create a unified strategy for improving staff development and court administration training.

Laying the foundations

The judicial reform process in Albania legally obligates the School of Magistrates (SoM) to develop and implement a specialized training program for Court Chancellors and other administration staff. To assist the SoM with fulfilling its obligation, the WG initially engaged in a series of USAID-led workshops that jointly contributed to finalizing the training curriculum for Court Chancellors. The meticulous two-year process examined best practices in court management, identified gaps in the current Albanian system, took the legally defined competencies of Court Chancellors and expanded them into robust training modules, and finally produced the “Court Administration Program” (CAP). Within the development process, it was realized that CAP would easily serve the training needs of not only Court Chancellors but also judges, legal advisors and other court staff.

Vangjel Kosta, WG and lead SoM faculty member of CAP, says: “The purpose of CAP is to assist the development of a qualified corps of Chancellors who are able to understand their own function within the court environment. As such, CAP provides the beginnings of an institutional framework to support efforts for constructive change.”

Mindset shift to achieve efficiency and excellence

CAP, as a foundational training program, helps both incumbent and new Chancellors grow into their expanded roles. It also ensures efficient and effective court operations, which is one of the key goals of the USAID-supported judicial reform in Albania. This can be achieved through dedicated and highly skilled individuals who are willing to break new ground. “Thanks to this training, we achieved awareness raising and acquisition of skills for Chancellors to perform their role court leaders, to bring about change for excellence in the judiciary service,” says Ornela Naqellari, Lezha District Court Chairperson and CAP faculty member.

Piloting the change

The two years of planning and development opened new pathways not required by law but certainly required under any good governance model and resulted in 33 incumbent Chancellors attending their first ever joint training.  The Summer Intensive program was held on June 6-July 26, 2019 and allowed Chancellors to explore their new roles, become familiar with leadership and management theories as they apply to courts and better understand the vision for their expanded role within the judiciary.

A step forward for the courts

As a piece of the reform process, CAP is still work in progress. Nonetheless, tangible results are already there:

• A series of training of trainers was held for the WG on advanced court management competencies and teaching skills for faculty members who will serve as the first cadre of trainers.
• CAP has articulated the need for a distinctive and common identity for Chancellors who can then empower the creation of a strong, independent and truly unified judicial branch of government.

“USAID promotes the expanded role of court administration professionals in Albania to enhance excellence in the administration of justice and overall court management,” says Anne Trice, Chief of Party for the Justice for All project.

Public trust building is another strategic goal of the justice reform in Albania. As the link between the judges, court administration staff and the general public, Chancellors are often at the heart of action and the face of the new judiciary. Courts in Albania have come a long way and, while there is still a long way to go, CAP is playing a crucial role in the field of court administration and how it enhances the management of the judicial branch by directly impacting the tradition of the continuous education of Chancellors.

The USAID Justice for All project is a five-year project implemented by the East-West Management Institute designed to improve court performance and increase public confidence in Albania’s judicial system.

The 2017 justice sector reform in Albania added new layers to the mandate of the School of Magistrates by including Chancellors and other court administration staff in the school’s continuing professional education programs.

Since its creation in 1997, the School of Magistrates (SoM) in Albania has been responsible for the education and continuing professional training of judges and prosecutors. The 2016 justice reform introduced several new categories of training responsibility to the SoM including the initial training for Chancellors and continuing training for court administration staff, legal advisors and more. The SoM must now coordinate with both the High Judicial Council and High Prosecutorial Council to train their respective personnel. These new mandates revealed the two-fold need for designing a comprehensive court administration training program, developing new faculty and advancing the existing faculty’s teaching skills.

The SoM was upfront about their lack of expertise in the new areas and, paired with their struggles to advance the basic educational programming through needs assessment, curriculum development and advanced training techniques, the challenge was too daunting to tackle alone. Therefore, in 2017, the USAID Justice for All project (JFA) implemented by EWMI, initiated a project to assist the SoM with meeting the new demands.

The change starts from inside

Judicial training bodies are truly effective when they determine training needs and then design, deliver, and evaluate the quality of their programs. Hence, USAID Justice for All focused on building faculty competencies to do all of these, as the first steps toward changing adult education and strengthening human capacities. The goal was not merely to advance the skills of faculty but to also enable the faculty to transfer their knowledge to members of the judiciary so they too can train their own people. Seasoned faculty ensures the sustainability of training efforts.

“The Faculty Development program was geared towards preparing trainers to be equipped with the necessary adult education knowledge, and render them capable of communicating that knowledge to other professionals. The techniques and methodologies applied during the training will serve as models for the SoM for a long time,” says Mariana Simini, SoM Faculty.

A blueprint for effective capacity building

JfA initiated a series of Faculty Development workshops to prepare the SoM faculty to effectively deliver the “Court Administration Program” (CAP), another initiative developed by the USAID Justice for All program. The workshops advanced the existing experience and expertise of the SoM faculty in two main areas: curriculum development on court administration and presentation skills that transition faculty from lecture to participatory methods.  While the Faculty Development workshops were conducted for the existing faculty of the SoM, in the future the program will include new faculty members and trainers from the courts and High Judicial Council.

Visible immediate impact

The Faculty Development Workshops were put to good use as the CAP program was piloted in June and July 2019.  Changes to SoM presentation styles were immediately noticeable – gone was the reliance on lecture as the primary training technique and in its place were experiential teaching methods such as case studies, role plays and group discussions.

For Saimir Shyti, Serious Crimes Court Chancellor and CAP participant, “The training met all my expectations. The topics were well presented in interactive training sessions. Amazing preparation and eloquence… particularly how they delivered the training in such a way that the participants retained their energy.”

Keeping up the forward motion

Migrating from substance-based lectures to skill building and values-based education has been a positive experience for SOM faculty.  The new CAP curriculum that faculty piloted in 2019 requires faculty to transform the way they teach.  This shift for SOM faculty is about becoming more practical, broader in scope, less substantive in focus, more self-directed in application and more experiential in method.  The SOM experience in adopting adult learning methodologies has aligned them to the field of adult education. 

The far-reaching impact of the Faculty Development highlights the expected improvements in service delivery. The Chancellors who attended the CAP training appreciated the interactive curriculum and participatory teaching methods. Faculty Development has begun to transform the way SoM faculty teach, ultimately improving educational effectiveness.