Article

“Regional project on social rights of vulnerable groups” (or SoRi project) was implemented in four Albanian municipalities: Elbasan, Kukes, Librazhd and Vlore. The project aimed to advance the social delivery to vulnerable groups through empowering the stakeholders in the project areas (Public and NGOs) by improving conditions and capacities to distribute equally services that respect fundamental social rights to the vulnerable groups in their jurisdictions. SoRi project built capacities of local providers to deliver better social services, increased awareness of vulnerable groups to claim for their rights and to benefit services they need. Local actors responsible for social services delivery conducted yearly needs assessment and developed local plan to address the identified needs of vulnerable groups. The SoRi project also introduced two new structures at municipal levels: The Multidisciplinary Working Group (a cooperation structure targeting vulnerable groups) and the Mobile Team (a new outreach ta municipality level). The Multidisciplinary Working Group improved actions of local actors in the delivery of social services, while mobile teams increased municipality engagements in reaching “invisible” groups and informing and raising awareness on social rights and non-discrimination. 

A special attention the SoRi project to empower local social delivery actors with information on EU funding skills and opportunities to exploit them as alternative funding from external sources.