Leave No One Behind - Joint Programme

What is the programme about?

The “Leave No One Behind” (LNB3) Programme is a Joint United Nations initiative implemented by UNDP, in partnership with UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women, through the Delivering as One (DaO) approach, under the Government of Albania–UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022–2026. The programme is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented in close partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and other relevant institutions at central and local level. UNDP leads the overall implementation and coordination of the programme.

The programme goal is: “People in need, especially those at risk of exclusion, have increased access to local social services and integrated support models that address their needs, strengthen their well-being, and promote social inclusion.” 

As the third and final phase (2026–2027), LNB3 focuses on consolidating and sustaining the results achieved in previous phases, while further strengthening Albania’s social care and social inclusion systems. The programme targets vulnerable and marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, Roma and Egyptians, women and girls, children and youth at risk, the elderly, and individuals and families facing poverty, social exclusion, or limited access to services. Particular attention is given to individuals in remote and underserved areas, where access to services remains limited.

Geographically, the programme maintains a nationwide approach by supporting all 61 municipalities in strengthening their social service systems, while providing more targeted and intensive support to municipalities with limited or no services, as well as to more advanced municipalities that can serve as models for replication and mentoring.

LNB3 is implemented through strong partnerships with national and local government institutions, civil society organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, and academia, while also ensuring coordination with EU-funded programmes and other development partners. The programme reinforces multi-level governance and promotes collaboration across sectors to improve service delivery and policy implementation.

As an exit phase, the programme places particular emphasis on the transfer and scaling-up of results achieved so far, strengthening national and local capacities to sustain and further develop social services, improving financing mechanisms such as the Social Fund, and reinforcing coordination, policy dialogue, and professional networks.

Background

Albania has made steady progress in reforming its social protection and social care systems, particularly following the decentralization of service provision to municipalities. The number of social services and service providers has increased, institutional capacities have improved, and more vulnerable people are being reached through community-based services. Policy frameworks have been strengthened, and important steps have been taken toward aligning national legislation and practices with EU standards.

The Leave No One Behind Programme has been instrumental in supporting these reforms since 2017. During its second phase (2021–2025), the programme contributed to strengthening national policy frameworks, improving financing and monitoring mechanisms, and expanding community-based services across municipalities. It supported all municipalities in strengthening their capacities for planning and managing social services and enabled the establishment and expansion of services through the Social Fund and other financing mechanisms. It also contributed to workforce development, including professionalization and continuous training, and promoted participatory mechanisms that engage citizens, civil society, and vulnerable groups in local decision-making. 

There is now a stronger institutional and policy foundation for social service delivery, including improved coordination between central and local levels, increased experience in implementing integrated service models, and a growing body of good practices that can be replicated and scaled up. Stakeholders across sectors increasingly recognize the importance of inclusive social services as part of broader social protection reforms and as a key component of Albania’s EU integration agenda.

At the same time, important challenges remain, including unequal access to services across municipalities, insufficient coverage for specific vulnerable groups, and structural constraints related to financing, human resources, and coordination. Service provision remains particularly limited in rural and remote areas, and not all municipalities have the necessary structures or staff to effectively coordinate and deliver services.

These conditions underline the need to consolidate the systems developed so far, ensure sustainability of services, and strengthen institutional ownership. LNB3 builds on the experience and models developed in previous phases to support the transition towards a fully functional, nationally owned system of social service provision, with improved governance, financing, and service delivery at all levels.

Outcomes

Outcome 1: People in need are empowered to influence public policy and its implementation, ensuring improved access to inclusive social services and receiving the support they need. 

Outcome 2: National and local institutions implement the social protection policy framework and use financing mechanisms effectively to optimize the delivery of social services across the country. 

These outcomes are supported through interventions that:

• strengthen civil society and community engagement
• expand and improve the quality of social services in underserved areas
• enhance institutional capacities at central and local levels
• promote sustainable financing mechanisms, including the Social Fund
• support the professionalization of the social care workforce

Major achievements 

Summary of achievements:

• ~178,000 vulnerable people reached through improved access to services, awareness-raising, and capacity-building and CSO outreach (50+ Female)
• All municipalities assisted to improve organizational and operational capacity to set up and manage social services; 32 specifically targeted via tailored technical support and capacity building measures to inform wider roll-out and scaling up.
• 23 municipalities supported to establish and sustain new social services through social fund implementation 

Under Outcome 1 – Empowering People

Empowering access to social services as a right and entitlement

At LNB, advocacy, public awareness, and information-sharing efforts strengthened access to inclusive social services for vulnerable groups:

• 3,300 people received integrated social services (40% Roma) in Tirana, Durrës, Lushnjë, and Divjakë. It includes:
  • 659 families supported (1,616 women; 92 persons with disabilities);
  • 350+ additional beneficiaries incl. 219 Roma
  • Economic empowerment: 291 families supported; 135 enrolled in VET; 70 employed
• 1,220 elderly people benefited from newly established municipal social services
• ~400 children with disabilities benefited from services delivered through community-based social services.
• 2,450 vulnerable people reached by CSOs through information, awareness-raising, and advocacy.
• ~4,000 vulnerable children supported through the Home Visiting Programme
• ~4,100 students with disabilities benefited from improved education support through 2,000 trained assistant teachers
• 4,530 at-risk students received scholarships to prevent school dropout.
• ~ 1,700 vulnerable women and girls engaged in participatory budgeting influencing local decision-making.
• 500 young people involved in substance abuse activities and 300 prisoners received STI, HIV, and AIDS prevention and behavior-change services.
• Voluntary Counceling and Testing (VCT) services established in Berati Male Prison and the Tirana Prison Hospital, with 100 prisoners tested for HIV, hepatitis, and other STIs.

Under Outcome 2 - Partnering with local level officials to deliver for citizens

At the local level, support enabled municipalities to better plan, deliver, and coordinate social services:

• ~4,500 municipal staff and service providers capacitated across social service areas
• 16 Local Social Care Plans were updated and costed, with gender perspectives integrated.
• 17 Social Housing Plans were developed and adupted
• 2 municipalities (Divjaka and Patos) established community centres providing new community-based service for vulnerabe groups
• 18 community centres, engaging 90+ professionals established a network to improve service quality and outreach to remote communities.
• 5 sign language instructors and 12 sign language interpreters graduated
• 27 grants to support social service delivery at local level (22 Municipalities) benefiting 4,100vulnerable people

Under Outcome 3 - Strengthening capacities of central institutions 

At the central level, support enhanced institutional capacity for policy implementation, coordination, and oversight of social protection and inclusion policies in line with EU accession priorities, gender equality, and the principle of leaving no one behind:

• Policy & strategies: Social Protection Strategy 2024–2030;  Social Inclusion Policy 2024–2028 adopted;
• National deinstitutionalization plan for children 2025 - 2027 developed;
• Action Plan for Older Persons 2025–2030 developed
• Disability & accessibility: CRPD and NAP monitoring reports produced
• EU accession: Chapter 19 roadmap finalized; alignment with EU Directive 2019/882 on accessibility on Products and services supported

• Quality & accountability: Work focused on strengthening the quality and accountability of social services through the development of a standardized monitoring methodology and improvements to Social Fund regulations, enhancing transparency and oversight.
• Academia partnerships: Collaboration with Faculties of Social Sciences (including partnership with HSLU) strengthened to advance research, internships, and updated social work curricula.
• Professionalization in the sector deepened: 1,227 social workers upgraded their qualifications, and the Order of Social Workers sustaining its role as the key professional body aligning national standards with international practice; 575 social workers licensed; ~1,000 members of 60 assistant teacher professional networks capacitated (in partnership with ASCAP).

Knowledge generation & analysis: Child and youth wellbeing indicators published (in partnership with INSTAT); Best practices on social services catalogued; Comparative study on sign language interpretation services 2023; Public Expenditure on Social Care Services 2023; Satisfaction with Social Services, 2023; Mapping of the Social Services in Albania 2023 and 2025, Analysis of Personal Assistance Services from a CRPD perspective.

[Lates Update of this page: 5 April 2026]

Full project information