Leave No One Behind - Joint Programme

What is the programme about?

“Leave No One Behind (LNB)” is a four-year Joint UN programme that aims to empower the vulnerable persons in Albania to have equal access to public services and opportunities, to have a voice in public decision-making affecting their lives, and to hold the duty bearers accountable. It avails of technical expertise and know-how of UN agencies in the country which allows for greater impact and outreach by focusing on the municipal level and its linkage to the national level. It will support the implementation of the newly shaped vision of the social sector in Albania, in line with SDGs and the country’s aspirations towards EU integration.

The project’s intervention focuses at social service provision at municipal level where service delivery is largely realised. It targets the local people and has a particular focus on people with disabilities and Roma and Egyptian communities who are in need of social protection and care by enabling them to demand and better access the system as well as to contribute themselves to social inclusion efforts. In parallel, the project supports the municipalities and locally based service providers to deliver more effective and efficient services and to promote social inclusion. Besides local level, the project is anchoring its interventions at system level: it is concerned with the further development and subsequent monitoring of implementation and funding of policies relevant to social inclusion. The special themes of gender equality and good governance cut across all other sectors and levels of project implementation.

The programme is jointly implemented by four UN partner agencies UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN WOMEN under UNDP management and in synergy with other Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) past and current interventions in Albania. SDC also funds the programme at the amount of 8 Million CHF.

What we do

• Empower vulnerable people especially persons with disabilities, Roma and Egyptians, and vulnerable women, to demand social inclusion and to better access social services in order to improve their social situation and well-being

• Enhance organizational capacities of social care agencies at local level to provide better quality, more inclusive, equitable and efficient services

• Support national institutions in better implementing their social inclusion policies and adequately funding social services through improved data collection systems and organizational capacities

• Support the national and local government authorities as well as NGOs to uphold the principles of gender equality and good governance in their planning, implementation and policy formulation

• Generate knowledge about and promote good practices and mechanisms of social inclusion, social care and social protection in Albania 

What have we accomplished so far?

The LNB programme has achieved tangible results at several levels: at community level: vulnerable groups are empowered on their rights and entitlements to social services, and are mobilized for a meaningful participation in advocacy forums and public consultation mechanisms; at local government level: municipalities (16) have developed and costed social care plans tailored to vulnerable persons' needs and have strengthened their capacities in service delivery; at policy level: Social Enterprises Fund and Social Care Fund are operational and resourced from public funding. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection and Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth are supported in reviewing their existing policy frameworks and action plans to better align them with the EU accession agenda.

Working with direct beneficiaries

• LNB helped improve access to services for more than 193,000 vulnerable citizens, including 14,858 persons with disabilities and 15,872 Roma & Egyptians.

• Around 1900 citizens have created networks & forums to voice and influence decision making when it comes to planning and budgeting for provision of social care services for vulnerable groups.

• 5,700 children and youth with disabilities and their family members benefit from improved community based social care centres supported by LNB.

• 4,900 Roma and Egyptians in 3 partner municipalities benefitted from a tailored package of integrated social services.

• A community-based Model of integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health services has been established in 12 regions benefiting 15,266 youngsters.

• 63,630 people were supported with information on preventive measures and emergency services during COVID-19 lockdown.

Municipal social services

• Local level officials in 61 Municipalities have been supported to provide quality social care services and promote social inclusion

• 36 municipalities supported to develop and implement their social care plans through participatory processes

• 18 municipalities engaged 3,814 women in participatory and gender responsive budgeting

• 17 municipalities received grants to deliver social services for marginalized groups

• 14 municipalities benefited from participatory and Youth-responsive budgeting practices

• 5,700 local staff in 47 municipalities were assisted to boost their skills to plan and deliver social care services

• 2,700 schoolteachers, assistant teachers, headmasters, and psychologists nationwide trained on inclusive education.

Policies for social care services and social inclusion



LNB helped strengthen capacities of national institutions to develop, implement and monitor the provision of inclusive social services.

• Capacities of INSTAT staff were strengthened to undertake the Income and Living Conditions Survey and supported to conduct consultations for redefining the next Census- and reflect needs of the vulnerable citizens.

• Social Fund, Social Enterprise Fund, Education Grant for school drop-out are operational

Development of legal framework

• The Social Housing Law;

• The Youth Law;

• 19 Decisions of the Council of Ministers on the Law on Social Care Service;

• 6 Decisions of the Council of Ministers on the Law on Social Enterprises;

• 30 Decisions of the Council of Ministers on the the Law on Social Housing;

• 1 Decision of the Council of Ministers on the Law on Inclusion of and Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities;

• The ‘Protocol on the Functioning of Public and Non-Public, Non-Residential Centers, Providing Services for Persons with Disabilities, during and after the Natural Disaster Period’.

Monitoring and evaluation of social policy documents

• National Action Plan of Persons with Disabilities 2016-2020

• National Action Plan for Children 2016-2020

• Social Housing Strategy 2015-2025

• Social Inclusion Policy Document 2016-2020

• National Social Protection Strategy 2015-2020

New National Strategy & Action Plans

• National Action Plan on Persons with disabilities 2021-2025

• Action Plan of the Social Protection Strategy – 2019-2023

• Review of the National Action Plan on Social Housing 2015-2025

• The new sector strategy of education 2021-2026

Full project information