Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
55032124
label
Kosovo: [Kosovo Refugees]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
55032124
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Kosovo: [Kosovo Refugees]
citationUrl
collections
Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration)
Melanne Verveer's Subject Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
55032124
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
otherTitles
2068127-20130534S-119-015-2022
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
2288aa545a08c640
ocrText
Convene wavens Samps
Julia.
- refugees sense 9 helping
Themselves
- new disempowered - powrily
well material
- ones hetched - political
And ' n in m. a pros lean
- restrition school
- health clare dis funct'l
dear structure for
health Care delivery
Austrinase are the long run
- host families - how to reach?
- family return
hardware fn data regist in
- prycho secial Counseling
- development
Wendy frere Brandcatey Bond
]
Remil-
- to amer, public- personal
arreal - short term relef
- family adopt a family
us. there Council ,
chevehes etc.
- enfra structure
Inlia need to resettle funilies
in us - adopt in us.
need a strategy on charters
Long Dis tree couries to carry
Carls over there
John Fox
K
Cricic of NGO leaders Came
to refugee Coups need
to be wishing
only women of trained
who can Set to me
truma , ssues
don't have a ready once
of report - would
like to So into the cause
educ in in albania
- communications nite the
Camps thru radeo, etc
- local Noos need support
Education - Kinder garten etc
mixed w Roma + K. in Macedoma
dont want to upder me bue. in m.
education - keeps hape
gring
Information efforts
Hardware terms.
underwriting teachers -
Insplies - work with
has grvis + NGOS
we drust
Vactan - major appeal with
all other FL -
give a free page from agreal
free Good spouses
Call Cardinal - to
universions -
refreser
marman s- genealogy ?
acilenes - Cut to for
refrgees
Emopean & her
toy makes + Brats -
in kind to distuts ute to
children
THE WHITE HOUSE
writing group
WASHINGTON
Frendal'n sector
(edue'n )
business - follow up
Churche phatogy
hostfunily - in u.s. +
owerseas
]
Carnegie -
- Inn fn was / Peare hgting -
media
- safety receivity of peacehopers
- sthnic conflict project
Hungary thamania
working group under Resecca
will not 160mg be an
int'l essue is refugees
Come here.
In registration - repards
issue 7 property records
legal groups
for refrgeer
(USIA)
[
to take
And buy Summer r
gerly'd
speakers Bureau
one
82
Amer Bon 7 univ
Infernet in Comps for training
t activities
prehaging an bey leavel
to cop have Amen
publi C
problem education in
are am Cruntry
3 faiths 5 abraham
his an am cauntry
Parhifeller Frunky
Julia-
Frandations -
under said cevil Saidy
feed + shelter - also
recag t
local fumilies
# dear Shared
* Macedonian and
Adder
Karen
2/2
(0) 768 - 0060 7876604
andrea 20/2 Airchell
885 4835
Jmly
P.
393-1010
thank
212-426-0051
WHITE
-
gen. mtg in Dc
large compaign
Resecce
3ae
Soros
Ford
Dot Redengs - Conneil
lead tech group
buiny
NY - interested in
/ souls - prob here 1
beyond
may NY handless a
lot 9 sale - 9 deep
in terest. to me
dynomesn 9
people here of cathing
edge approved
muse- - leaderchip rale
in harvening hum. county
needs to be a
united Ame effort
every Amen understands
what's at stahe
mal comprehensive
approach
trips- - events money & agreed occasions to
Long frand ago
go when my Sorry
in terpore
win 3 work of
people in grand
IOM International Organization for Migration
OIM Organisation Internationale pour les Migrations
OIM Organización Internacional para las Migraciones
IOM Project Outline
Registration System for Kosovo Refugees
in Albania
1. Background
The unforeseen escalation of violence in Kosovo has induced a massive population movement into
neighbouring states, primarily Albania where over 300,000 persons are hosted today. Most of those
fleeing Kosovo have been stripped of any identification document. The earliest issuance of a new
identification document to the refugee population is among the priorities identified by the Albanian
government and the international community. The Albanian Government, through its Office for
Refugees (OFR) as well as representatives of the international community in Tirana have requested
IOM, in co-ordination with the United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) and the Council of Europe (CoE), to organise and implement a registration campaign,
and the production and issuance of identity cards to the resident refugee population. These
organisations have reached agreement on responsibilities to meet this request, inclusive of IOM in
charge of logistics, technical development and technical application of the system itself.
2. Scope of the Project
Based on previous experience, utility and purpose, the Albanian registration system will utilize 150
stations in 12 Albanian districts, linked to a centralized database for the actual production of the
identity cards. Technically proven software adjusted to local language, security and other parameters is
to be employed. A related information campaign will inform the refugee population on the intensive
registration process, places and schedule of registration, and policy for identity card issuance and use.
The cards will allow the owners to access shelter, food and family tracking mechanisms, as well as
serving to strengthen a population profile for better targeted eventual resettlement and return activities.
Extensive on the job training is foreseen for the Albanian government officials working with the
project, as a final goal of the project is to leave a functional population identification system with them
to further use for governance purposes after the project is over.
3. Time-frame and Budget
IOM is prepared to carry out the full registration of the refugee population within a sixty day period.
The estimated budget requirements for this activity (staff, equipment, premises, process and product)
total USD 3,500,000.
Full project proposal documents available upon request.
Headquarters:
17 route des Morillons
C.P. 71
CH-1211 Geneva 19
Switzerland
Tel: +41.22.717 91 11
Fax: +41.22.798 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: http://www.iom.int
REPUBLIKA E SHQIPERISE
MINISTRIA E PUSHTETIT LOKAL
IOM International Organization for Migration
ZYRA PER REFUGJATET
Tirana, April 13th, 1999.
Dear Sir,
The Government of Albania and IOM request your financial support for the attached programme
document for the registration of Kosovar refugees in Albania.
This project proposal has been coordinated with Representatives of UNHCR, OSCE, the
Council of Europe and ICRC in Tirana.
We would very much appreciate your earliest possible commitment to fund this operation and
thank you in advance for your kind attention,
Yours sincerely,
Enton LITA
Davide TERZI
Head of the OFR of the Albanian Government
IOM Special Envoy to Albania
Mr. Jacques MOUCHET
UNHCR Representative
Donika Kastrioti street n° 2
Tirana
Ambassador Daan EVERTS
Head of OSCE Presence in Albania
OSCE
Donika Kastrioti street n° 6
Tirana
Ms. Reyhan AKANT
Special Representative
Council of Europe
Donika Kastrioti street n° 6
Tirana
REGISTRATION and ISSUANCE of IDs to
REFUGEES from KOSOVO
(15/4 Revision)
1. General considerations, objectives, requirements and timing:
The unforeseen escalation of violence in Kosovo led to a consequent massive
population movement into neighbouring Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia and in lesser scale into Montenegro.
The Serbian authorities stripped the majority of the escaping or forcefully expelled
Kosovo Albanians of all their identification documents.
Approximately 300,000 undocumented Kosovo Albanians fled to Albania, over
100,000 are in Macedonia and circa 50,000 in Montenegro. The adult- population
accounts for approximately two thirds of the entire caseload.
For immediate and long-term reasons, the issuance of identification document to the
refugee population is among the priorities identified by the Albanian government and the
international community.
Registration and issuance of IDs needs to be provided to all undocumented Kosovo
Albanians present in the different countries. It is to be done in consecutive or/and parallel
phases. The first phase of the exercise will be addressed to approximately 300,000
peoples in Albania, followed by the residual caseload in Macedonia and Montenegro and
consequently also to the people that fled to or have been temporarily resettled in other
nations.
Due to their sound experience in the field of registration and issuance of identification
documents, technical and legal expertise and logistics, the Albanian government and the
representatives of the international community in Tirana (USA and EU member States)
have requested the United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
and the Council of Europe (CoE) to assist the Office for Refugees of the Albanian
government, to organize and implement the registration campaign and the production of
sophisticated IDs.
The Office for Refugees (OFR) of the Albanian government and UNHCR will lead
this project, IOM and OSCE will concentrate on the coordination, technical solutions and
logistics ;. ICRC will be involved in the frame of tracing and family reunification; the
CoE could assist the Albanian government and UNHCR with the legal requirements of
the Identification Document to be produced.
It goes without saying that registering populations in movement is more difficult than
if these are stationary.
In Albania, it is therefore agreed that the registration will be done in the camps and
settlements where the beneficiaries are temporarily being settled rather than in the
different over-congested entry points.
For planning purposes we estimate needing approximately 40 days to pledge and
receive funding, design/adopt the required software, procure the equipment, train the
concerned local personnel and put the general logistics in place. Tentatively, the
registration exercise and the production of IDs could therefore begin on 15 May 1999.
The identified possible funding sources are: UNHCR, OSCE and the CoE.
The present initiative it is also conceived as a capacity building exercise by exposing the
officials of the Albanian government dealing with refugees and migrants to the latest
innovations in terms of Identification Technology and by providing training to several
hundred operators and users.
At the end of the registration process, the international community will donate to the
Albanian government two thirds of the equipment purchased for this exercise to be used
by the Albanian government as required (e.g. to produce Driving licenses, Social security
cards, Medical cards, registration of population cards etc..). The remaining equipment
will be used to register the residual caseload present in the neighboring countries.
2. Objectives of the registration and of the ID cards:
Immediate:
Identification;
Shelter;
Food distribution;
Tracing/Family reunification;
Statistics.
Medium-Long Term:
Population database;
Eventual voluntary Resettlement to third countries;
Organized voluntary repatriation;
Proof of Residence;
Claim of Property
3. Requirements of the ID:
Protected and difficult to forge - in PVC, numbered (per registration's location), with
digital photo, basic data, hologram and bar code;
Through special readers the bar code must be able to call the concerned individual file
on the database;
2
The information on the ID should be in Albanian language.
It must state that the incumbent is a refugee in Albania;
Long lasting - 5 years;
4. Requirements of the Software and Database:
User friendly;
The database must be in Albanian and in English;
Able to store and retrieve individual files with bio-data, comments and photograph;
Able to automatically number the individual files per place of registration;
Able to automatically sort by point of registration and print out lists of individuals
missing a member of their family;
Confidential as only able to be accessed by designated government officials;
Able to be altered/corrected only by officials with high security clearance.
Able to register also non-Kosovars (es... stranded Serbs).
Able to send the concerned information to the ID printers;
5. Information needed on the registration form:
The OFR of the Albanian Government in consultation with UNHCR, OSCE, ICRC, CoE
and IOM will define the information needed on the registration form.
6. Ownership of the Database;
The Albanian government will own the database; should there be a political development
in Kosovo, the Albanian government will then turn the database or copy of the database
to the political entity governing Kosovo.
3
7. Users of the database:
Initially: GOA; should the international community require to consult the database or
retrieve any information from the database it will have to do so through the
government of Albania.
Medium/Long Term: GOA, Governing authorities in Kosovo and Host
Governments (in case of resettlement).
8. Confirmation of the information received by the refugees:
The refugees will complete and sign the application form, declaring that the information
provided therein is true to the best of their knowledge. This exercise will be supervised
by the OFR of the Government of Albania
The target group is however undocumented and in order to confirm the information
received during the interview and avoid double registration small 5-7 members district
committee are to be established in each Albanian district.
The committee, formed by 5-7 senior Albanian Kosovars, coming from each different
district of Kosovo will be supported by the Albanian government and UNHCR and will
assist the registration teams determine the identification of the interviewed individuals
and the validity of the information received.
9. Proposed Strategy:
Decentralized registration linked to a centralized database.
Recognition by the Albanian government and UNHCR of the Kosovo district
comities.
Information campaign led by the Albanian government, implemented through
representatives of the refugees, posted bulletins, Information radio programs of
the International Community, State radio and TV programs, newspapers and word
of mouth, informing the refugee population of the places and schedule of the
registration.
The teams formed by the officials of the OFR of the Albanian government,
UNHCR, IOM, OSCE and the Kosovo district committee are to be positioned in
the selected points of registration (camps or/and municipality buildings and other
points to be defined).
The refugees will be interviewed and registered on paper forms/declarations by
the Albanian OFR officials assisted by the Kosovo district committees and
UNHCR, in line with the 1951 refugee convention.
4
An OSCE representative then accompanies the individuals to the second
registration point where on the basis of the paper registration/declaration form the
information is entered into the computer. The operator will also take his/her
picture with a digital camera linked to the PC and have him/her sign on an
electronic signature pad.
The electronic form is then sent by means of zip disks, by OSCE, to the main
database co-managed by IOM and the OFR of the Albanian government, located
in the Albanian OFR in Tirana.
Centralized production of IDs.
The OFR of the Albanian government will provide a secured facility where the
printers are to be set up;
The main database is linked to 5 ID printers that, round the clock, will print the
IDs at the OFR of the Albanian government in Tirana.
IOM and personnel from the OFR of the Albanian government will group the IDs
and prepare pouches per place of registration.
Dispatch of IDs to the points of registration.
The ID Cards will be delivered to the points of registration by a secure dispatch
service, run by OSCE.
Hand-over of the IDs against signature for reception.
The points of registration through representatives of the refugees, posted lists,
radio broadcasts and other means will get in touch with the concerned refugees
and will hand them their ID. The beneficiary will verify the information on the ID
and sign for reception.
Update of the database.
The confirmation of the reception of the ID is entered into the system, the main
database is automatically updated and the cycle is closed.
10. Loss of IDs.
To minimize abuses, the refugees claiming the loss of an Identification Card will be
able to receive a new copy against payment of the equivalent of USD 50 - such fine
will be waived at the discretion of the Office For Refugees.
PS. The final technical solutions will be proposed by the forthcoming IOM IT experts in
consultation with the IT experts f the Albanian OFR.
5
11. Partners and tentative roles:
Albanian Government: Advice and consultation on implementation plan; Advice on
the establishment of the registration/declaration form; Advice and consultation on the
design/adaptation of the software; Co-management of database (with IOM); Printing
of the IDs (with IOM); Infrastructures; Supply of telephone lines; Political and media
support; Interview and registration (on paper forms); Statistics.
UNHCR: Advice and consultation on implementation plan; Liaison with Albanian
Government; Advice on the establishment of the registration/declaration form;
Monitoring at points of registration; Formation of the interviewers supplied by
Albanian government; Funding.
IOM: Overall Coordination; Training of national personnel at the electronic
registration points, database management and ID printing sites; Registration on
electronic forms in coordination with the Albanian government; Design/adaptation of
software (with OFR); Co-management of database (with OFR); Printing of IDs in
collaboration with the personnel of the OFR of the Albanian government;
Procurement and set-up of hardware; Reporting; Statistics.
OSCE: Monitoring of the registration process at points of registration; Logistics
support; Monitoring of security at points of registration; Ground pouch service for the
dispatch of IDs and zip disks; Funding.
ICRC: Family reunification and tracing.
CoE: Legal advisory to the Albanian government and UNHCR for requirements of
the ID to be produced; Funding.
12. Registration sites and human assets required:
Due to the fluid situation it is not yet clear how many camps and settlements will be
established. For planning purposes we estimate having to register 300,000 people,
present in 12 districts in a thirty days time frame.
In thirty days 300,000 peoples have to be registered at a rate of 10,000 persons per day.
If we estimate that we can register electronically 6 persons per hour we need to do the
registration with 151 registration stations working 12 hours daily.
The OFR of the Albanian government will put 3 Albanian nationals at each registration
station that, trained by UNHCR, will interview the refugees and assist them fill the
registration forms. The Albanian OFR will also appoint one supervisor in each of the 12
prefectures. The personnel for the registration points will be involved for 1.5 months
while the supervisors will be involved for 2.5 months.
6
IOM will contract and train 2 Albanian nationals per each registration station that will
digitize the information into the computers, capture the refugees photos and have them
sign the electronic form by means of electronic signature pads. The operators will be
involved in the operation for 1.5 months.
IOM will also train 10 Albanian nationals, based in Tirana, in the management of the
database and the issuance of the IDs. The managers will remain employed by IOM for
2,5 months.
OSCE will supply up to 128 international staff to monitor the registration process and run
the secured pouch system.
The following is the tentative scenario:
No.
No.
Nat.
Nat.
Nat.
Int.
Int.
Int.
Districts
People
Reg.
Pers.
Pers.
Pers.
Pers.
Pers.
Pers.
X
Points
Albanian
UNHCR
IOM
OSCE
UNHCR
IOM
1000
Gov.
Berat
10
5
16
10
4
Diber
10
5
16
10
4
Durres
40
20
61
40
15
Fier
25
13
40
26
10
Tirane
70
35
106
80
30
6
Vlore
10
5
16
10
5
Korce
10
5
16
10
5
Kukes
60
30
91
60
20
Elbasan
15
8
25
16
10
Lezhe
10
5
16
10
4
Gjirokaster
10
5
16
10
5
Shkoder
30
15
46
30
16
Total
300
151
465
312
128
6
7
13. Tentative timeline:
10-20 April:
Fine tuning of Plan of action;
Pledging and reception of funding;
Elaboration of registration/declaration form;
Staffing - national and international;
Procurement;
Design/adaptation of software;
Printing of informative material;
20-30 April:
Establishment of communication network;
Reception and set-up of equipment;
Continuation of the Design/adaptation of the software;
01-10 May
Beginning of information campaign;
Training of national staff;
Fine tuning of the software;
Establishment of Kosovo district comities;
10-14 May:
Positioning of equipment;
Positioning of national and international staff;
Testing;
15 May:
Beginning of registration.
15 June:
End of registration;
16-30 June
Verification;
Printing of lost or invalid IDs;
Statistics;
Reporting;
8
14. Tentative Budget - 2,5 months - IOM
a) Equipment: Software
25,000
160Computers with digital cameras and Electronic signature pad
800,000
3 Servers
60,000
6 ID Printers
60,000
315,000 PVC cards
157,500
15 Electronic ID readers
15,000
3 4x4 vehicles + fuel, lubricants, maint. and insurance
90,000
Furniture (160 chairs + 160 desks)
32,000
5 cellular telephones + communication costs
10,000
training seminars for operators
10,000
transport of computer operators
10,000
Contingency (5%)
63,475
Sub-Total
1,332,975
b) Staff & Office costs:
Personnel:-
302 National computer operators
339,750
10 National Database and ID printer managers
25,000
6 International Officers
144,000
Office
10,000
Sub-Total
518,750
c) Administrative overhead (9.5% of S & O)
49,228
Sub-Total
76,361
Grand Total
1,901,005
9
15. Tentative Budget 2,5 months - Albanian Government
b) Equipment:
12 4x4 vehicles + fuel, lubricants, maint. and insurance
360,000
Furniture (465 chairs + 465 desks)
93,000
6 Sat Coms + communication costs
30,000
6 Photocopy machines
30,000
Contingency (5%)
25,650
Sub-Total
538,650
c) Staff & Office costs:
Personnel
453 National registration operators X $ 750/month X 1,5 months 509,625
12 National Supervisors X 1,000/month X 2,5 months
30,000
Office $ 1,000 X 12 districts
12,000
Sub-Total
551,625
Grand Total
1,090,275
Note: The salaries of the national personnel employed by the OFR and IOM are
inclusive of DSA.
The concerned personnel will be transported at the beginning of the registration exercise
to the places of registration by IOM, OSCE and public transport means and the same will
apply upon termination of the registration exercise.
Tirana, 12 April 1999
Coordinated with OFR, OSCE, IOM and CoE.
10
AEDP
Albania Education Development Project of the Open Society Foundation Rr: "Themistokli Gërmenji" Nr 3/1 Tirana, Albania
Projekti për Zhvillimin e Arsimit në Shqipëri 1 Fondacionit SOROS
Tel/Fax : +355 42 27731, +355 42 30506
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR KOSOVO REFUGEES IN ALBANIA
Prepared by the
Albania Education Development Project
I.
Introduction
A.
Overview.
The Albania Education Development Project (AEDP) of the Soros
Foundation Network considers that an integrated and coordinated response to
meeting the educational needs of the Kosovo refugee community in Albania is an
essential element of the international response to the Kosovo refugee crisis. "An
Integrated Approach to Refugee Educational Assistance in Albania' represents a
partnership concept for cooperation among international agencies, the
Government of Albania and the Kosovo refugee community in Albania. This
program seeks to:
1.
provide a broad range of educational services to Kosovo refugees
in Albania that will promote increased learning, good mental health and personal
security;
2.
enhance the Albanian government's efforts to sustain its
educational infrastructure while assisting the refugee community; and
3.
assist the Kosovo community to plan and organize an integrated
and democratic educational program ready for implementation upon the return of
the refugees to Kosovo.
B.
Albania Education Development Project
This approach builds on AEDP's five years of educational development
experience in Albania as the major international collaborating agency with the
Ministry of Education and Science. In that time, AEDP has provided support in
three major program areas: school construction and rehabilitation, educational
programs and services, and community involvement in education. In addition,
AEDP has designed, supported and implemented educational and community
service programs for refugees from Kosovo.
1
AEDP has a significant education, construction and management
infrastructure based at its headquarters in Tirana and in twelve other districts. Its
education staff include highly experienced professional educators with expertise
in all facets of education including pre-school education, K-12 programs and
university level programs related to formal education. It has strong and extensive
linkages with the Ministry of Education and Science (MOES), the Institute of
Pedagogical Studies (IPS) and educational officials at the school and district
level. Joint AEDP-MOES working groups address national, regional and school
projects, and implement programs. Current areas of focus include:
improving the quality of teaching and learning;
improving the quality of governance and decision making in education;
decentralization and increasing local autonomy in education;
addressing the educational needs of less-empowered sectors of
society.
AEDP's Construction Unit has been responsible for the construction and
rehabilitation of more than 230 schools throughout Albania ranging in cost from
$20,000 to more than $1.5 million. The international and Albanian staff is
composed of engineers, architects and a broad range of technical personnel.
The Unit has developed a transparent and effective system for contractor pre-
qualification, contract tendering and construction monitoring. The Construction
Unit is currently supervising an extensive program of school construction under
the Tirana 2000 program, a $6 million school construction project with joint
funding from AEDP/Soros and the Government of Albania.
The Community Unit works closely with the construction and education
programs to develop the concept of parental, local government and private sector
participation in the work of the school and the education of Albania's children. Its
activities are premised on the concept that in a democratic society, education is
the responsibility of all.
AEDP activities are supported by an Administration and Finance Unit that
administers all program funds in accordance with internationally accepted
accounting standards.
A more detailed description of AEDP programs and resources is found in
Appendix A.
II. Defining the General Problem
A.
The Early Phase
Although the Kosovo refugee crisis as it impacted on Albania began last
year, it is only since March 1999 that the problem has attained immense
2
proportions. During this earlier phase, it was possible to disperse the refugees
throughout the country and provide a range of services to them with international
assistance. With approximately 26,000 refugees in Albania and only 2,000 living
in camps, it was possible for Kosovo refugee children to be absorbed into
Albanian schools without unduly stressing an already fragile educational system.
B.
The Current Situation.
1.
The Numbers. The Kosovo Refugee "problem" has
exploded into a "crisis" of immense proportions. While estimates vary from
moment to moment, the number of 315,000 refugees is indicative of the order of
magnitude. This number is roughly equivalent to 10% of the population of
Albania. Moreover, this figure may be an underestimate; there is the high
probability that additional refugees will enter Albania from Kosovo, and the
Macedonian government may force some or all of its refugees to leave, with
many of them coming to Albania.
2.
The Initial Response. The initial flood of refugees entered
northern Albania and choked the region in and around Kukes. Terrible roads,
lack of housing, food and sanitation has made it essential to move the refugees
out of the improvised camps in the mountains and into the Tirana region and
beyond. Refugees are being sent to other regions of Albania with the
expectation that local government officials will organize initial food and shelter for
them.
The Albanians have responded generously. Refugee families have been
taken into Albanian homes in large numbers. The Government has used its
limited resources to address the emergency needs. All government tenders for
goods and services not obligated as a match under an international agreement
have been cancelled, and the resources diverted to meet the emergency needs.
Clearly the needed resources are well beyond the capabilities of the Government
of Albania to meet.
3. The International and Albanian Response. The international
and Albanian response has been swift as agencies set up refugee camps to
meet the housing needs of this population. The emphasis is currently on the
most urgent priorities -- food, shelter and sanitation. Sanitation is critical
because the spread of disease is a real danger in the open fields and areas that
are serving as improvised refugee camps. Tent camps for thousands of refugees
are being established, but this is a time consuming process. Moreover, while
some are close to completion, others will only be ready for occupancy after some
time.
The international community has entered Albania in large numbers to
augment Albanian efforts. Most of the 120 agencies currently registered -
Albanian and international NGOs, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors-are
3
focusing on the food, shelter and sanitation priorities. Only a few are beginning to
focus on other important but more distantly perceived issues of refugee life.
The implementing organizations are a heterogeneous group from Albania
and abroad. Included are very large and very small agencies, sectarian and non-
sectarian organizations, some providing extensive and integrated support
services agencies with extensive refugee experience, and those desiring to
address narrow and specific needs with little more than good intentions. Also,
there are organizations with financial resources of their own, along with those
seeking financial support from the international donor community.
4. Organization and Coordination. Coordination has been a difficult
problem for both the international agencies and the Government of Albania. One
of the most critical issues relates to identifying numbers and locations of
refugees. This is a problem because many government and international
agencies are involved in data collection, various sources of data are quoted, data
(if accurate) many have been collected at different times, and data may have
been collected for somewhat different purposes. Moreover, with refugees on the
move, figures are constantly changing. A system of coordination is slowly
evolving, but attendance at an overabundance of meetings is often the only way
to obtain an overview of the refugee situation.
The government and humanitarian assistance organizations require
reasonably accurate information about refugee size and location in order to
determine: a) where services are needed, b) which services are needed, c)
where they would like to offer support; and d) where gaps in service provision
exist. Because these are voluntary efforts, international and Albanian NGOs and
some donors self-select locations and service provision programs they expect to
offer.
The Government of Albania faces a similarly difficult problem but for
somewhat different reasons. It does not have the financial, technical and
managerial resources in sufficient depth, nor does it have the needed
infrastructure to manage a crisis of this magnitude. Government personnel are
inexperienced in planning for the complexities of instantly organizing programs
for thousands of people. Moreover, these refugee responsibilities are added to
their regular responsibilities with little or no augmentation of personnel,
equipment or finances.
III.
The Educational Dimension.
A. The Educational Priorities. Donor agencies have appropriately placed
food, shelter and sanitation as the highest priority for the refugee population.
Education for children is seen as a second level issue. This has been
manifested in several ways:
4
-- the coordinating agencies are explicitly placing a lower priority on
planning and organizing educational programs. Planning for educational support
is only just beginning to be discussed;
-- fewer agenciés (only one-fourth have self identified themselves as
concerned with education) are addressing the educational needs of children as
their primary area of assistance and those often focus on the issues of trauma,
preschool programs and informal sports, recreation and cultural activities;
-- overburdened camp managers require reminding to allocate tents and
other facilities for educational purposes;
-- it is anticipated that few donor resources will go into the educational
services arena.
B. The Numbers. The refugee population "guesstimates" suggest that the
educational needs of this population will be enormous. If one-third of the
315,000 refugees are children between the ages of 3 - 18 (and this is likely to be
an underestimate as the percentages vulnerable refugees may be in the 75 -
80% range), over 100,000 children must be provided for. This translates into the
educational equivalent of 3,300 classrooms of 30 children each. Furthermore,
this gross estimate does not take into account the numbers of children with
disabilities or those with other special needs.
While án optimistic projection would suppose that a substantial proportion
of the refugee population would return to Kosovo in a few months, experience
has shown that as many as 50 % will remain in Albania for some time to come.
Moreover, educational support services will still be needed for the full load of
children for some months.
C. The Educational Infrastructure. Educational programs will need to be
provided for children in the camps as well as for those residing with Albanian
families in the community. Under the best of circumstances it would be difficult to
absorb the large number of children living with families. Even without the refugee
influx, the physical plant is already grossly over-crowded, and is generally in
need of major repairs resulting from a system that never allocated funds for
school maintenance and repair. In addition, there are severe shortages of funds
for teachers, books, materials and usable furniture.
The educational programs in the camps will also require extensive support
for the thousands of children in need. While tents may serve for the coming
summer months, more substantial facilities must be considered for those who
remain into the fall and winter.
D. Other Educational Issues. For Albanian educators, the impact of a
huge influx of students is extremely worrisome. Beyond books, supplies, space
5
and personnel needs, Albanian authorities are concerned about perceived
differences in the educational attainments of the incoming students as compared
with Albanian students of similar age and grade level. While not a significant
issue during this immediate early emergency phase, its implication is seen as
more serious later on.
In the classic "good news vs. bad news" juxtaposition, the dilemma may
be seen as follows:
Good News -- the Kosovo refugee children speak, read and write the
same language as the host country students and have used Albanian texts and
teaching materials in much of their previous schooling.
Bad News - because of anti-Albanian actions in Kosovo by the Serbian
authorities, the Kosovo Albanian school system had all but ceased to function
with official support. For almost ten years, teachers have not been trained and
school facilities have been closed. In response. the Kosovo population has
developed a parallel system of education in the homes. However, the refugee
student population comes to Albania without any documentation, much less
records of educational attainments. More importantly, many refugee children
have been without schooling for many, many months and have faced severe
stress and hardships in that period.
From the teaching and learning perspective, there is concern about how to
integrate children of the same age and grade level but with different skill levels
into the same classes. Even the issue of mechanisms for sensitively assessing
learning competencies for such a large number of students is of concern to the
Albanian authorities.
IV.
A Program for Educational Assistance to Kosovo.
A.
Program Scope. AEDP considers that an integrated and
comprehensive program of assistance is needed to effectively tackle an
educational problem of this dimension. While focusing on the immediate needs of
the refugee population it must simultaneously anticipate future needs. This
means programming for the:
emergency phase as the refugees arrive;
summer period when the Albanian schools are closed;
Fall 1999 period as Albania begins a new school year;
educational programs upon the return of the refugee population to
Kosovo.
Such a program must include support from all of the key participants - the
international community and humanitarian agencies, the government of Albania
through the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Kosovo refugee
6
themselves, especially teachers and other educators. It will require resources on
a wide scale as the dimension of the financial need is beyond the capacity of
individual humanitarian assistance organizations to support. Finally, as a
response to the need, this program will require extensive planning, coordination
and management skills.
Based on its in-country experience, AEDP proposes to address the
refugee educational needs through four program areas:
1. Direct Implementation. AEDP in conjunction with local
educational authorities and other donor agencies will directly implement and
coordinate a range of educational programs in six districts: Durres, Kavaja,
Elbasan, Shkoder, Korce and portions of Tirana. This represents a total
population of at least 25% of the refugees. Priority programming will focus on
pre-school activities based on the Step-by Step program of the Open Society
Network, lower primary school support for children in grades 1 - 4 and upper
primary school programs for children in grades 5 - 8. Secondary education
programs, non-formal education for youth and adults will also be organized.
AEDP has already begun pilot implementation of pre-school and lower
primary programs based on the Step-by Step model at camps and schools in
Tirana, and will expand these to other districts. Other programs are being
planned for early implementation.
2. Planning and Coordination. Over the longer term, perhaps no
other function is as important as the development of a coherent plan for the
organization and implementation of educational assistance services for the
Kosovo refugees. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science and
the donor agencies, AEDP has undertaken to serve as a coordinating facilitator
in two major areas:
MOES planning for addressing the national and local educational
needs during this crisis
coordination with donors and MOES about the international response
in the area of educational services;
The MOES and AEDP have formed joint working groups and sub-groups
to address the critical issues. Kosovar educators and NGOs are being identified
for inclusion in the working groups. Areas where the expertise of international
consultants is required will also be identified. In addition, AEDP is hosting donor
coordination meetings with the MOES and the international agencies. All
program plans and data will be shared with partner organizations addressing
educational needs.
a. Data Collection and Assessment. This working group
will collect and disseminate aggregate national and local/site-level data on the
7
refugee population. They will develop age distributions and educational profiles
of the population to project educational needs. In addition, this information will be
used to identify special needs of the student population and gaps in service
needs. These statistics will be continually updated and made available to all
interested agencies.
In addition, this working group will develop an educational assessment
program to determine the skill levels of refugee children at different ages.
Because no previous school records are available, this will be particularly
important for program planning.
b. Content of Educational Programs. This working group
will address the program and support needs for refugee education at all levels. It
will identify programs for the immediate emergency phase, the summer phase
and for the beginning of the new school year in September 1999. In addition to
planning projects and activities, it will project needs for teaching personnel
(Kosovo and Albanian), learning materials (including textbooks and supplies),
materials and supplies and facilities
C. Infrastructure Needs. This joint working group will
address the infrastructure needs in both the refugee camps and in Albanian
schools contributing to refugee education. It will assess trends and project
requirements for facilities ranging from tents to emergency school building
repairs, light construction and rehabilitation, more substantial facilities
construction, and construction needs. It will also estimate the requirements for
the rehabilitation of educational facilities after the departure of refugees in cases
where such facilities have been used for housing and related refugee services.
This group will also address requirements for school furniture and related needs
for "hard" goods.
AEDP's Construction Unit staff will contribute their extensive knowledge
and experience in school construction and rehabilitation to the activities of the
working group.
3. Infrastructure Construction and Rehabilitation AEDP will
provide technical and management support for construction activities related to
education needs. As requested, it will develop cost estimates, organize tenders
and supervise construction on-site. In addition, it will provide technical advice to
others engaged in construction and rehabilitation in camps as well as in Albanian
communities.
4.
Educational Planning for Kosovo. As already noted, children in
Kosovo have been educated despite the efforts of the Serbian authorities to
restrict access to education for the ethnic Albanian population. It is clear that a
system of home schooling supported by the financial contributions of the Kosovar
Albanian population and the efforts of Kosovo teachers is inadequate to the long-
8
term needs of Kosovo upon the return of the Kosovo population from the areas of
sanctuary.
AEDP believes that the time during which the refugees are resident in
Albania represents a unique opportunity for long term educational planning and
development. Several factors make this opportunity especially appropriate:
the common language of the refugee and host population;
common use of Albanian educational materials;
educational expertise and resources available in Albania;
a cadre of Kosovo teachers and administrators available among the
refugee population.
Strong consideration should be given to assembling a Kosovo-Albanian-
international team of educators to develop a long-term strategy for Kosovo
education. They would not only address issues of policies and programs, they
could develop detailed plans, teaching materials and teacher training program at
all levels so that an educational program is "ready to go" when the refugees
return. It might even consider the feasibility of preparing and pre-positioning
school-kits and educational materials for immediate use as the refugees return.
In summary, this represents an integrated approach to meeting the
educational needs of the Kosovo refugee population.
9
Appendix A
The Albania Education Development Project
Of the Soros Foundation Network
About AEDP
The visit of George Soros to Albania in 1992 led to the establishment of AEDP as
a mechanism to promote an open society by strengthening Albanian education.
Support for education was critical for a nation that had just emerged from forty-
five years of totalitarian isolation.
Close collaboration between the Government of Albania, and especially the
Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) has been a critical element in the
relationship with AEDP from the very beginning. In this context, AEDP functions
as a facilitator, stimulating innovation, promoting experimentation and providing
program support. Its primary mission is to assist the Albanian Government and
MOES in attaining its educational goals for a democratic society. AEDP is a
major international donor in the educational sector in terms of its financial
resources, programmatic flexibility, depth of involvement and duration of
commitment. Since 1994, AEDP has provided more than US $35 million in
programmatic assistance to the education sector.
AEDP programs address needs in the formal sector including pre-school
education, primary and secondary education, and university based programs
related to education. It also actively supports educational planning and capacity
building for the MOES and other educational entities.
Operating in thirteen districts throughout the nation, AEDP programs are directed
at:
improving the effectiveness of the educational process
rehabilitation of the educational infrastructure
including school construction and rehabilitation
strengthening school and community relations
AEDP is organized into three programmatic units: Education, Construction and
Community with additional managerial and financial support from the
Administrative and Finance Unit. AEDP staff are highly qualified and experienced
educators with strong project management skills.
AEDP has also supported Kosovo refugee assistance programs in the area of
education. In addition to implementing proven educational program for children
10
and adults. AEDP is providing management assistance and collaborative
services between the Government of Albania and donor agencies.
The Education Unit
The projects of the Education Unit address the content, policy and management
of education. AEDP staff form working groups with Albanian educators and
administrators in a collaborative process to plan and implement projects.
The current AEDP educational strategy has identified the following priorities for
programmatic support:
improving the quality of teaching and learning.
governance and more effective decision-making in education.
decentralization and increasing local autonomy in education.
meeting the educational needs of less empowered sectors of society.
Among the many educational activities supported by AEDP are:
curriculum development
publication of textbooks and teaching materials
seminars, conferences and workshops
pre-service teacher education
in-service teacher education
model, pilot and experimented school development
pre-school education
educational policy studies
extracurricular activities
computers and instructional technology
critical thinking programs
teaching innovation
educational administration and school management
educational assessment and evaluation
strengthening data collection
institutional capacity building
The Construction Unit
The Construction unit began its efforts in 1994, with the emergency
reconstruction of 19 schools. This set the stage for systematically developing a
process for school construction management that was transparent and consistent
with international standards. The Unit established criteria and procedures for
school selection, contractor tendering and pre-qualification based on
11
International accepted methods adapted to Albanian market, and strict standards
for construction monitoring and quality assurance.
Special aspects of the construction program include the introduction of new
building technologies and materials, a program for school maintenance, and
other activities related to enhancing the quality of school construction.
Of special importance is the collaboration between Construction and the
Community Unit in integrating the local community into the school construction.
Through the intense and continued participation of local government, parents, the
private sector and local educational officials, the concept of community
"ownership" and responsibility for their school is enhanced. The effectiveness of
"the school is yours" approach was evident when parents and community
members, on their own initiative, protected each AEDP school during a period of
civil strife in Albania. While schools and other government buildings were
severely damaged, AEDP supported schools remained intact.
Highlights are the multimillion-dollar collaborative school construction programs
between AEDP and the Government of Albania under the Tirana 2000 project
and the Albania 2000 project.
Since 1994, AEDP has constructed and/or rehabilitated 232 schools in 13 district
of Albania ranging in cost from US$20,000 to $1.5 million.
Among the activities the Construction Unit focuses on are:
innovative and new construction technology
model school design
classroom quality standards
construction maintenance and supervision
school furniture standards
new school design and construction
school reconstruction and rehabilitation
kindergarten construction
school sanitation programs
media centers and libraries
laboratories
computer classrooms and centers
school heating and wastewater treatment.
Community Unit
Building a community through education is a two - pronged strategy -- involves
communities in education and strengthens education in communities. This is the
heart of the program of the Community Unit as it works to build local support for
the education of Albania's children.
12
The Community Unit was established to increase parental and local government
involvement in education in the context of a democratic society. AEDP's
Community Unit works at the grassroots level, developing close relationships
with local schools, local government and their communities. The Community Unit
staff support the activities of both Construction and Education units, and provides
AEDP program managers feedback and analysis of the educational situation at
the local level. The Community Unit has also taken the lead in coordinating
refugee assistance purposes.
Community Unit projects are directed at:
establishing parent and community associations
community revitalization
locally based school maintenance
school twining,
school improvement projects
health and environment
rural education
local government and community collaboration
in education
Collaborative Partnerships:
AEDP acts as a magnet for other Albanian education donor initiatives either in
collaborative activities or as support for AEDP priorities. Through matching
programs or direct grants, AEDP has entered into partnerships with the
Government of Albania and bi-lateral and multilateral donors, non-governmental
organizations and other non-profit sector entities, local communities, the private
sector and other individuals. Among these are:
Austrian Federal Chancellery
Austrian Embassy in Tirana
Austrian Kultur Kontakt
Catholic Relief Services, CRS
Council of Europe
Children's Aid Direct
Government of Albania
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, GTZ
Hope and Home for Children
Tempus, University of Bristol, England
The Open University, England
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Open Society Foundation
United Nations Development Program, UNDP
United Nations High Commission for the Refugees, UNHCR
13
Prince Bernhard Foundation, Netherlands
Rotary International
Rural Association Support Program
Stiching Kinderen Von Fier in Netherlands
SWISSAIR
United Nations Children's Food, UNICEF
United States Agency for International Development
United States Information Agency
University of Vienna
University of Washington
World Bank
Information about AEDP programs can also be found on our home page
www.aedp.soros.al.
14
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF FAUQUIER COUNTY
COURT AND OFFICE BUILDING
40 CULPEPER STREET
WARRENTON, VIRGINIA 20186
(540) 347-8680
FAX (540) 349-2331
e-mail - [email protected]
TO:
Ms. Julia Taft
FAX NO.: 202-647-8162
Asst. Sec. For
Population, Refugee & Migration
FROM:
Larry L. Weeks,
Chairman, Fauquier County Board of Supervisors
DATE:
April 9, 1999
RE:
Kosovo Refugees
No. of Pages (including this page): 4
MESSAGE: letter to follow
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF FAUQUIER COUNTY
COURT AND OFFICE BUILDING
40 CULPEPER STREET
WARRENTON, VIRGINIA 20186
(540) 347-8680
FAX (540) 349-2331
e-mail - [email protected]
April 9, 1999
Ms. Julia Taft
Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugee & Migration
Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
VIA FACSIMILE - HARD COPY TO FOLLOW
Dear Ms. Taft:
The Board of Supervisors of the County of Fauquler, Virginia, in meeting assembled on 6
April 1999, unanimously evinced a sincere and humanitarian Interest in assisting with a
temporary relocation effort for the Kosovo refugees. Vint Hill Farms Station, a
decommissioned U.S. Army Installation In Fauquier County, might constitute, with the
permission of the Department of the Army and the consent of the Vint Hill Economic
Development Authority (the public entity contract purchaser of the decommissioned base)
an appropriata facility to temporarily house refugees until more permanent and appropriate
accommodations can be found or until they may be repatriated to their homeland.
Since the Board of Supervisors promulgated this announcement of concern, after prior
consultation with a small group of elected public officials and community leaders, there has
been a groundswell of public support from the citizens of Fauquier County who want to
personally help mitigate the pain and suffering of the oppressed Kosovar peoples. The
plight of these war-ravaged souls from a faraway country has mobilized the compassion
and caring of our small Virginia community almost as though the atrocities of ethnic
cleansing were happening locally. Virtually all of our community organizations and diverse
faith communities are prepared to mobilize in support of whatever local efforts can be
instituted to assist the refugees in coordination with State, Federal, and International
partners. Enclosed is a list of community organizations to date that have volunteered to
assist In this effort.
Now, therefore, the governing body of Fauquier County awaits the response of the
appropriate governmental offices to our entreaty to be part of the solution for the Kosovar
peoples by providing shelter and support. We look forward to your guidance and direction.
The following organizations have indicated that they are prepared to assist Kosovo
Refugees that may be relocated to Fauquier County.
1. Adult Learning
13. Fauquier County
24. Literacy Volunteers
Center
Public Schools
25. Lord Fairfax
2. American Red Cross
14. Fauquier County
Community College
Volunteer &
3. Career CENTER -
26. People Helping
Information
FHS
People
Assistance Center
4. Crisis Pregnancy
27. Piedmont United
Center
15. Fauquier Family
Way - First Call for
Guidance Services
5. Department of Social
Help
Services
16. Fauquier Free Clinic
28. Retired and Senior
6. Didlake
17. Fauquier Furniture
Volunteer Program
and Clothing
(RSVP)
7. Dr. Mark Head of
Airlie Manor House
18. Fauquier Family
29, Shadow Lawn
Shelter Services
Senior Center
8. Faith Christian
Church - Outreach
19. Fauquier Habitat for
30. Share Food -
Humanity
Fauquier County
9. Fauquier Adult Day
Care
20. Fauquier Housing
31. Smart Choices
Corporation
Nutrition Ed.
10. Fauquier Community
Action Committee
21. FISH
Program
22. Hospice of the
32, The Salvation Army
11. Fauquier Community
Child Care
Rapidan
33. Virginia Cooperative
Extension
12. Fauquier County
23. Hospice Support of
Public Library
Fauquier
Ms. Julia Taft
April 9, 1999
Page Two
Mark E. Cornwell, Project Officer in the County Administrator's Office will be the staff officer
for this project. Mr. Cornwell can be contacted at 540-347-8702.
Larry L. Weeks
Chairman
LLW:rd
Enclosure
CC:
The Honorable John W. Warner
The Honorable Charles S. Robb
The Honorable Frank R. Wolf
The Honorable James S. Gilmore, III
The Honorable Kevin G. Miller
The Honorable H. Russell Potts, Jr.
The Honorable Jay K. Katzen
The Honorable Joe T. May
Daryl Powell, Chief of BRAC Officer, AMC
AEDP
Albania Education Development Project of the Open Society Foundation
Rr: "Themistokli Gërmenji" Nr 3/1 Tirana, Albania
Projekti për Zhvillimin e Arsimit nö Shqipëri / Fondacionit SOROS
Tel/Fax : +355 42 27731, +355 42 30506
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR KOSOVO REFUGEES IN ALBANIA
Prepared by the
Albania Education Development Project
I.
Introduction
A.
Overview.
The Albania Education Development Project (AEDP) of the Soros
Foundation Network considers that an integrated and coordinated response to
meeting the educational needs of the Kosovo refugee community in Albania is an
essential element of the international response to the Kosovo refugee crisis. "An
Integrated Approach to Refugee Educational Assistance in Albania represents a
partnership concept for cooperation among international agencies, the
Government of Albania and the Kosovo refugee community in Albania. This
program seeks to:
1.
provide a broad range of educational services to Kosovo refugees
in Albania that will promote increased learning, good mental health and personal
security;
2.
enhance the Albanian government's efforts to sustain its
educational infrastructure while assisting the refugee community; and
3.
assist the Kosovo community to plan and organize an integrated
and democratic educational program ready for implementation upon the return of
the refugees to Kosovo.
B.
Albania Education Development Project
This approach builds on AEDP's five years of educational development
experience in Albania as the major international collaborating agency with the
Ministry of Education and Science. In that time, AEDP has provided support in
three major program areas: school construction and rehabilitation, educational
programs and services, and community involvement in education. In addition,
AEDP has designed, supported and implemented educational and community
service programs for refugees from Kosovo.
1
AEDP has a significant education, construction and management
infrastructure based at its headquarters in Tirana and in twelve other districts. Its
education staff include highly experienced professional educators with expertise
in all facets of education including pre-school education, K-12 programs and
university level programs related to formal education. It has strong and extensive
linkages with the Ministry of Education and Science (MOES), the Institute of
Pedagogical Studies (IPS) and educational officials at the school and district
level. Joint AEDP-MOES working groups address national, regional and school
projects, and implement programs. Current areas of focus include:
improving the quality of teaching and learning;
improving the quality of governance and decision making in education;
decentralization and increasing local autonomy in education;
addressing the educational needs of less-empowered sectors of
society.
AEDP's Construction Unit has been responsible for the construction and
rehabilitation of more than 230 schools throughout Albania ranging in cost from
$20,000 to more than $1.5 million. The international and Albanian staff is
composed of engineers, architects and a broad range of technical personnel.
The Unit has developed a transparent and effective system for contractor pre-
qualification, contract tendering and construction monitoring. The Construction
Unit is currently supervising an extensive program of school construction under
the Tirana 2000 program, a $6 million school construction project with joint
funding from AEDP/Soros and the Government of Albania.
The Community Unit works closely with the construction and education
programs to develop the concept of parental, local government and private sector
participation in the work of the school and the education of Albania's children. Its
activities are premised on the concept that in a democratic society, education is
the responsibility of all.
AEDP activities are supported by an Administration and Finance Unit that
administers all program funds in accordance with internationally accepted
accounting standards.
A more detailed description of AEDP programs and resources is found in
Appendix A.
II. Defining the General Problem
A.
The Early Phase
Although the Kosovo refugee crisis as it impacted on Albania began last
year, it is only since March 1999 that the problem has attained immense
2
proportions. During this earlier phase, it was possible to disperse the refugees
throughout the country and provide a range of services to them with international
assistance. With approximately 26,000 refugees in Albania and only 2,000 living
in camps, it was possible for Kosovo refugee children to be absorbed into
Albanian schools without unduly stressing an already fragile educational system.
B.
The Current Situation.
1.
The Numbers. The Kosovo Refugee "problem" has
exploded into a "crisis" of immense proportions. While estimates vary from
moment to moment, the number of 315,000 refugees is indicative of the order of
magnitude. This number is roughly equivalent to 10% of the population of
Albania. Moreover, this figure may be an underestimate; there is the high
probability that additional refugees will enter Albania from Kosovo, and the
Macedonian government may force some or all of its refugees to leave, with
many of them coming to Albania.
2.
The Initial Response. The initial flood of refugees entered
northern Albania and choked the region in and around Kukes. Terrible roads,
lack of housing, food and sanitation has made it essential to move the refugees
out of the improvised camps in the mountains and into the Tirana region and
beyond. Refugees are being sent to other regions of Albania with the
expectation that local government officials will organize initial food and shelter for
them.
The Albanians have responded generously. Refugee families have been
taken into Albanian homes in large numbers. The Government has used its
limited resources to address the emergency needs. All government tenders for
goods and services not obligated as a match under an international agreement
have been cancelled, and the resources diverted to meet the emergency needs.
Clearly the needed resources are well beyond the capabilities of the Government
of Albania to meet.
3. The International and Albanian Response. The international
and Albanian response has been swift as agencies set up refugee camps to
meet the housing needs of this population. The emphasis is currently on the
most urgent priorities -- food, shelter and sanitation. Sanitation is critical
because the spread of disease is a real danger in the open fields and areas that
are serving as improvised refugee camps. Tent camps for thousands of refugees
are being established, but this is a time consuming process. Moreover, while
some are close to completion, others will only be ready for occupancy after some
time.
The international community has entered Albania in large numbers to
augment Albanian efforts. Most of the 120 agencies currently registered -
Albanian and international NGOs, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors-are
3
focusing on the food, shelter and sanitation priorities. Only a few are beginning to
focus on other important but more distantly perceived issues of refugee life.
The implementing organizations are a heterogeneous group from Albania
and abroad. Included are very large and very small agencies, sectarian and non-
sectarian organizations, some providing extensive and integrated support
services agencies with extensive refugee experience, and those desiring to
address narrow and specific needs with little more than good intentions. Also,
there are organizations with financial resources of their own, along with those
seeking financial support from the international donor community.
4. Organization and Coordination. Coordination has been a difficult
problem for both the international agencies and the Government of Albania. One
of the most critical issues relates to identifying numbers and locations of
refugees. This is a problem because many government and international
agencies are involved in data collection, various sources of data are quoted, data
(if accurate) many have been-collected at different times, and data may have
been collected for somewhat different purposes. Moreover, with refugees on the
move, figures are constantly changing. A system of coordination is slowly
evolving, but attendance at an overabundance of meetings is often the only way
to obtain an overview of the refugee situation.
The government and humanitarian assistance organizations require
reasonably accurate information about refugee size and location in order to
determine: a) where services are needed, b) which services are needed, c)
where they would like to offer. support; and d) where gaps in service provision
exist. Because these are voluntary efforts, international and Albanian NGOs and
some donors self-select locations and service provision programs they expect to
offer.
The Government of Albania faces a similarly difficult problem but for
somewhat different reasons. It does not have the financial, technical and
managerial resources in sufficient depth, nor does it have the needed
infrastructure to manage a crisis of this magnitude. Government personnel are
inexperienced in planning for the complexities of instantly organizing programs
for thousands of people. Moreover, these refugee responsibilities are added to
their regular responsibilities with little or no augmentation of personnel,
equipment or finances.
III.
The Educational Dimension.
A. The Educational Priorities. Donor agencies have appropriately placed
food, shelter and sanitation as the highest priority for the refugee population.
Education for children is seen as a second level issue. This has been
manifested in several ways:
4
-- the coordinating agencies are explicitly placing a lower priority on
planning and organizing educational programs. Planning for educational support
is only just beginning to be discussed;
-- fewer agenciés (only one-fourth have self identified themselves as
concerned with education) are addressing the educational needs of children as
their primary area of assistance and those often focus on the issues of trauma,
preschool programs and informal sports, recreation and cultural activities;
-- overburdened camp managers require reminding to allocate tents and
other facilities for educational purposes;
-- it is anticipated that few donor resources will go into the educational
services arena.
B. The Numbers. The refugee population "guesstimates" suggest that the
educational needs of this population will be enormous. If one-third of the
315,000 refugees are children between the ages of 3 - 18 (and this is likely to be
an underestimate as the percentages vulnerable refugees may be in the 75 -
80% range), over 100,000 children must be provided for. This translates into the
educational equivalent of 3,300 classrooms of 30 children each. Furthermore,
this gross estimate does not take into account the numbers of children with
disabilities or those with other special needs.
While án optimistic projection would suppose that a substantial proportion
of the refugee population would return to Kosovo in a few months, experience
has shown that as many as 50 % will remain in Albania for some time to come.
Moreover, educational support services will still be needed for the full load of
children for some months.
C. The Educational Infrastructure. Educational programs will need to be
provided for children in the camps as well as for those residing with Albanian
families in the community. Under the best of circumstances it would be difficult to
absorb the large number of children living with families. Even without the refugee
influx, the physical plant is already grossly over-crowded, and is generally in
need of major repairs resulting from a system that never allocated funds for
school maintenance and repair. In addition, there are severe shortages of funds
for teachers, books, materials and usable furniture.
The educational programs in the camps will also require extensive support
for the thousands of children in need. While tents may serve for the coming
summer months, more substantial facilities must be considered for those who
remain into the fall and winter.
D. Other Educational Issues. For Albanian educators, the impact of a
huge influx of students is extremely worrisome. Beyond books, supplies, space
5
and personnel needs, Albanian authorities are concerned about perceived
differences in the educational attainments of the incoming students as compared
with Albanian students of similar age and grade level. While not a significant
issue during this immediate early emergency phase, its implication is seen as
more serious later on.
In the classic "good news VS. bad news" juxtaposition, the dilemma may
be seen as follows:
Good News -- the Kosovo refugee children speak, read and write the
same language as the host country students and have used Albanian texts and
teaching materials in much of their previous schooling.
Bad News - because of anti-Albanian actions in Kosovo by the Serbian
authorities, the Kosovo Albanian school system had all but ceased to function
with official support. For almost ten years, teachers have not been trained and
school facilities have been closed. In response. the Kosovo population has
developed a parallel system of education in the homes. However, the refugee
student population comes to Albania without any documentation, much less
records of educational attainments. More importantly, many refugee children
have been without schooling for many, many months and have faced severe
stress and hardships in that period.
From the teaching and learning perspective, there is concern about how to
integrate children of the same age and grade level but with different skill levels
into the same classes. Even the issue of mechanisms for sensitively assessing
learning competencies for such a large number of students is of concern to the
Albanian authorities.
IV.
A Program for Educational Assistance to Kosovo.
A.
Program Scope. AEDP considers that an integrated and
comprehensive program of assistance is needed to effectively tackle an
educational problem of this dimension. While focusing on the immediate needs of
the refugee population it must simultaneously anticipate future needs. This
means programming for the:
emergency phase as the refugees arrive;
summer period when the Albanian schools are closed;
Fall 1999 period as Albania begins a new school year;
educational programs upon the return of the refugee population to
Kosovo.
Such a program must include support from all of the key participants - the
international community and humanitarian agencies, the government of Albania
through the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Kosovo refugee
6
themselves, especially teachers and other educators. It will require resources on
a wide scale as the dimension of the financial need is beyond the capacity of
individual humanitarian assistance organizations to support. Finally, as a
response to the need, this program will require extensive planning, coordination
and management skills.
Based on its in-country experience, AEDP proposes to address the
refugee educational needs through four program areas:
1. Direct Implementation. AEDP in conjunction with local
educational authorities and other donor agencies will directly implement and
coordinate a range of educational programs in six districts: Durres, Kavaja,
Elbasan, Shkoder, Korce and portions of Tirana. This represents a total
population of at least 25% of the refugees. Priority programming will focus on
pre-school activities based on the Step-by Step program of the Open Society
Network, lower primary school support for children in grades 1 - 4 and upper
primary school programs for children in grades 5 - 8. Secondary education
programs, non-formal education for youth and adults will also be organized.
AEDP has already begun pilot implementation of pre-school and lower
primary programs based on the Step-by Step model at camps and schools in
Tirana, and will expand these to other districts. Other programs are being
planned for early implementation.
2. Planning and Coordination. Over the longer term, perhaps no
other function is as important as the development of a coherent plan for the
organization and implementation of educational assistance services for the
Kosovo refugees. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science and
the donor agencies, AEDP has undertaken to serve as a coordinating facilitator
in two major areas:
MOES planning for addressing the national and local educational
needs during this crisis
coordination with donors and MOES about the international response
in the area of educational services;
The MOES and AEDP have formed joint working groups and sub-groups
to address the critical issues. Kosovar educators and NGOs are being identified
for inclusion in the working groups. Areas where the expertise of international
consultants is required will also be identified. In addition, AEDP is hosting donor
coordination meetings with the MOES and the international agencies. All
program plans and data will be shared with partner organizations addressing
educational needs.
a. Data Collection and Assessment. This working group
will collect and disseminate aggregate national and local/site-level data on the
7
refugee population. They will develop age distributions and educational profiles
of the population to project educational needs. In addition, this information will be
used to identify special needs of the student population and gaps in service
needs. These statistics will be continually updated and made available to all
interested agencies.
In addition, this working group will develop an educational assessment
program to determine the skill levels of refugee children at different ages.
Because no previous school records are available, this will be particularly
important for program planning.
b. Content of Educational Programs. This working group
will address the program and support needs for refugee education at all levels. It
will identify programs for the immediate emergency phase, the summer phase
and for the beginning of the new school year in September 1999. In addition to
planning projects and activities, it will project needs for teaching personnel
(Kosovo and Albanian), learning materials (including textbooks and supplies),
materials and supplies and facilities
C. Infrastructure Needs. This joint working group will
address the infrastructure needs in both the refugee camps and in Albanian
schools contributing to refugee education. It will assess trends and project
requirements for facilities ranging from tents to emergency school building
repairs, light construction and rehabilitation, more substantial facilities
construction, and construction needs. It will also estimate the requirements for
the rehabilitation of educational facilities after the departure of refugees in cases
where such facilities have been used for housing and related refugee services.
This group will also address requirements for school furniture and related needs
for "hard" goods.
AEDP's Construction Unit staff will contribute their extensive knowledge
and experience in school construction and rehabilitation to the activities of the
working group.
3. Infrastructure Construction and Rehabilitation. AEDP will
provide technical and management support for construction activities related to
education needs. As requested, it will develop cost estimates, organize tenders
and supervise construction on-site. In addition, it will provide technical advice to
others engaged in construction and rehabilitation in camps as well as in Albanian
communities.
4.
Educational Planning for Kosovo. As already noted, children in
Kosovo have been educated despite the efforts of the Serbian authorities to
restrict access to education for the ethnic Albanian population. It is clear that a
system of home schooling supported by the financial contributions of the Kosovar
Albanian population and the efforts of Kosovo teachers is inadequate to the long-
8
term needs of Kosovo upon the return of the Kosovo population from the areas of
sanctuary.
AEDP believes that the time during which the refugees are resident in
Albania represents a unique opportunity for long term educational planning and
development. Several factors make this opportunity especially appropriate:
the common language of the refugee and host population;
common use of Albanian educational materials;
educational expertise and resources available in Albania;
a cadre of Kosovo teachers and administrators available among the
refugee population.
Strong consideration should be given to assembling a Kosovo-Albanian-
international team of educators to develop a long-term strategy for Kosovo
education. They would not only address issues of policies and programs, they
could develop detailed plans, teaching materials and teacher training program at
all levels so that an educational program is "ready to go" when the refugees
return. It might even consider the feasibility of preparing and pre-positioning
school-kits and educational materials for immediate use as the refugees return.
In summary, this represents an integrated approach to meeting the
educational needs of the Kosovo refugee population.
9
Appendix A
The Albania Education Development Project
Of the Soros Foundation Network
About AEDP
The visit of George Soros to Albania in 1992 led to the establishment of AEDP as
a mechanism to promote an open society by strengthening Albanian education.
Support for education was critical for a nation that had just emerged from forty-
five years of totalitarian isolation.
Close collaboration between the Government of Albania, and especially the
Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) has been a critical element in the
relationship with AEDP from the very beginning. In this context, AEDP functions
as a facilitator, stimulating innovation, promoting experimentation and providing
program support. Its primary mission is to assist the Albanian Government and
MOES in attaining its educational goals for a democratic society. AEDP is a
major international donor in the educational sector in terms of its financial
resources, programmatic flexibility, depth of involvement and duration of
commitment. Since 1994, AEDP has provided more than US $35 million in
programmatic assistance to the education sector.
AEDP programs address needs in the formal sector including pre-school
education, primary and secondary education, and university based programs
related to education. It also actively supports educational planning and capacity
building for the MOES and other educational entities.
Operating in thirteen districts throughout the nation, AEDP programs are directed
at:
improving the effectiveness of the educational process
rehabilitation of the educational infrastructure
including school construction and rehabilitation
strengthening school and community relations
AEDP is organized into three programmatic units: Education, Construction and
Community with additional managerial and financial support from the
Administrative and Finance Unit. AEDP staff are highly qualified and experienced
educators with strong project management skills.
AEDP has also supported Kosovo refugee assistance programs in the area of
education. In addition to implementing proven educational program for children
10
and adults. AEDP is providing management assistance and collaborative
services between the Government of Albania and donor agencies.
The Education Unit
The projects of the Education Unit address the content, policy and management
of education. AEDP staff form working groups with Albanian educators and
administrators in a collaborative process to plan and implement projects.
The current AEDP educational strategy has identified the following priorities for
programmatic support:
improving the quality of teaching and learning.
governance and more effective decision-making in education.
decentralization and increasing local autonomy in education.
meeting the educational needs of less empowered sectors of society.
Among the many educational activities supported by AEDP are:
curriculum development
publication of textbooks and teaching materials
seminars, conferences and workshops
pre-service teacher education
in-service teacher education
model, pilot and experimented school development
pre-school education
educational policy studies
extracurricular activities
computers and instructional technology
critical thinking programs
teaching innovation
educational administration and school management
educational assessment and evaluation
strengthening data collection
institutional capacity building
The Construction Unit
The Construction unit began its efforts in 1994, with the emergency
reconstruction of 19 schools. This set the stage for systematically developing a
process for school construction management that was transparent and consistent
with international standards. The Unit established criteria and procedures for
school selection, contractor tendering and pre-qualification based on
11
International accepted methods adapted to Albanian market, and strict standards
for construction monitoring and quality assurance.
Special aspects of the construction program include the introduction of new
building technologies and materials, a program for school maintenance, and
other activities related to enhancing the quality of school construction.
Of special importance is the collaboration between Construction and the
Community Unit in integrating the local community into the school construction.
Through the intense and continued participation of local government, parents, the
private sector and local educational officials, the concept of community
"ownership" and responsibility for their school is enhanced. The effectiveness of
"the school is yours" approach was evident when parents and community
members, on their own initiative, protected each AEDP school during a period of
civil strife in Albania. While schools and other government buildings were
severely damaged, AEDP supported schools remained intact.
Highlights are the multimillion-dollar collaborative school construction programs
between AEDP and the Government of Albania under the Tirana 2000 project
and the Albania 2000 project.
Since 1994, AEDP has constructed and/or rehabilitated 232 schools in 13 district
of Albania ranging in cost from US$20,000 to $1.5 million.
Among the activities the Construction Unit focuses on are:
innovative and new construction technology
model school design
classroom quality standards
construction maintenance and supervision
school furniture standards
new school design and construction
school reconstruction and rehabilitation
kindergarten construction
school sanitation programs
media centers and libraries
laboratories
computer classrooms and centers
school heating and wastewater treatment.
Community Unit
Building a community through education is a two - pronged strategy -- involves
communities in education and strengthens education in communities. This is the
heart of the program of the Community Unit as it works to build local support for
the education of Albania's children.
12
The Community Unit was established to increase parental and local government
involvement in education in the context of a democratic society. AEDP's
Community Unit works at the grassroots level, developing close relationships
with local schools, local government and their communities. The Community Unit
staff support the activities of both Construction and Education units, and provides
AEDP program managers feedback and analysis of the educational situation at
the local level. The Community Unit has also taken the lead in coordinating
refugee assistance purposes.
Community Unit projects are directed at:
establishing parent and community associations
community revitalization
locally based school maintenance
school twining,
school improvement projects
health and environment
rural education
local government and community collaboration
in education
Collaborative Partnerships:
AEDP acts as a magnet for other Albanian education donor initiatives either in
collaborative activities or as support for AEDP priorities. Through matching
programs or direct grants, AEDP has entered into partnerships with the
Government of Albania and bi-lateral and multilateral donors, non-governmental
organizations and other non-profit sector entities, local communities, the private
sector and other individuals. Among these are:
Austrian Federal Chancellery
Austrian Embassy in Tirana
Austrian Kultur Kontakt
Catholic Relief Services, CRS
Council of Europe
Children's Aid Direct
Government of Albania
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, GTZ
Hope and Home for Children
Tempus, University of Bristol, England
The Open University, England
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Open Society Foundation
United Nations Development Program, UNDP
United Nations High Commission for the Refugees, UNHCR
13
Prince Bernhard Foundation, Netherlands
Rotary International
Rural Association Support Program
Stiching Kinderen Von Fier in Netherlands
SWISSAIR
United Nations Children's Food, UNICEF
United States Agency for International Development
United States Information Agency
University of Vienna
University of Washington
World Bank
Information about AEDP programs can also be found on our home page
www.aedp.soros.al.
14