As 2024 draws to an end, the Albanian Center for Economic Research (ACER) looks back on a year shaped by progress, challenges, and impactful initiatives. United by a shared commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance, we have worked to address critical issues and strengthen civil society impact across Albania and the Western Balkans. Let’s take a look at some of our most notable achievements this year:

Regional Forum on Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Policies: ACER hosted the “Tirana Policy Forum“, a landmark event that brought together 75 stakeholders from the Western Balkans. This landmark event, in partnership with SELDI, strengthened cooperation among civil society, businesses, and law enforcement to combat corruption and promote good governance for European integration. In three different time periods, ACER has also implemented the Corruption Monitoring System (CMS) to evaluate perception and likelihood of corruption in Albania, within the framework of a national and regional analysis.

To bolster our expertise, ACER also participated in the SCAD Training, equipping our team with advanced tools for social network analysis and advocacy.

Our Data-Driven Advocacy efforts led to the release of two comprehensive policy briefs analyzing Albania’s public procurement system, with further publications expected.

Auditing for Accountability: Unused Potential in Prevention and Combating Corruption

Election Integrity and the Abuse of State Resources in the Western Balkans

Strengthening Governance and Accountability in Albania: In collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), ACER organized a series of workshops, roundtables, and forums aimed at advancing transparency and accountability in Albania’s governance. We contributed to the drafting process by providing insights on corruption-proofing for the Albanian Assembly, enhancing parliamentary openness, preventing and managing conflicts of interest, and strengthening legislative oversight mechanisms.

Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships in the Western Balkans: Objektiva e Go PPP project promotes good governance in public-private partnerships across the Western Balkans, enhancing transparency and regional cooperation. A kick-off meeting was organized to clarify project objectives and foster collaboration among partners. Following this, we prepared the report “Good Management in Projects: Public-Private Partnership Practices and Recommendations for Albania”, offering key insights for improving PPP frameworks in Albania. The “GO PPP” study visit to Serbia, supported by Norway and SMART Balkans, brought together participants from Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia to enhance public-private partnerships and regional cooperation.

Public Outreach and Awareness: ACER has consistently played a key role in raising awareness on corruption and related issues, contributing to over 155 media appearances. Our conferences have garnered strong participation, with 258 attendees actively engaging in critical discussions. On social media, ACER’s posts have reached 6,000 people this year, marking a significant increase from the previous year. Additionally, we have published severalnewsletters in collaboration with SELDI, further strengthening our commitment to fostering transparency and informed public discourse.

Strengthened Partnerships: By actively engaging with regional networks, government bodies, and international organizations, we have reinforced our efforts to advance transparency and the rule of law. Our participation in prominent conferences and forums has facilitated productive discussions on anti-corruption initiatives and legislative reforms, strengthening our partnerships and furthering our commitment to accountable governance in the region.

Get the full picture by visiting our website.   

As we enter 2025, ACER is ready to face new challenges with bold solutions and strong partnerships.

Thank you for supporting our mission. Together we will continue driving positive change.