Enterprise Development and Export Market Services - EDEM
Start date: November 2003
Donor/s: USAID (beneficiary); World Bank (sponsor)
Partner/s: Development Alternatives International, Land O’Lakes, On the Frontier Group, FFF associates, Management Systems International, Training Resources Group, Inc.
IDRA’s role: local subcontractor
Objective: EDEM works with the business community to increase its domestic and export market competitiveness, leading to expanded sales of Albanian products and services and increased employment opportunities. The program was designed to help those Albanian industries and services that have potential for further development through working in groups among different businesses in order to enhance their competitive advantage. Cooperation and competition within a particular business group leads to innovations and enhanced productivity.
Activities/Events: Working with industry clusters, EDEM helps selected industries design and implement strategies to remove obstacles that hold back private enterprise from being competitive in the market place and that will allow to effectively take advantage of market opportunities. EDEM is currently assisting three Albanian industries: a) meat processing, b) specialty tourism, and c) herbs and spices processing. In addition, the Albanian Center for Institutional Trade (ACIT) is supporting industry groups utilizing the EDEM cluster approach.
Research papers/Publications:
End date: November 2006
Introducing Business Ethics in Albanian Universities
Donor/s: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
IDRA’s role: sole implementer
Objective: Aims at introducing the concepts of ethics and business from a theoretical and practical point of view to students in local Albanian universities.
Activities/Events: The project comes as a follow up of a previous project during which the book “Ethics, Economics and Business” was prepared and published and a training course with teachers of universities was conducted. Currently, joint meetings of students and business representatives are been organized so that both sides can talk about the subject.
Research papers/Publications: “Ethics, Economics and Business”
Understanding Civic and Faith-based Education in Albania
Start date: Sept. 2003
Donor/s: US Embassy in Tirana
Objective: It aimed to engage civic and faith-based education in Albania in order to fully understand its role in contemporary Albanian society and develop a range of outreach activities and other programs to strengthen civic education in public and private, faith-based and secular pre-university educational institutions.
Activities/Events: In the framework of this project, IDRA has established contacts and maintained close cooperation with central, local, educational and religious institutions and communities in Tirana and several other Albanian cities.
Impact/Accomplishments: IDRA has organized 7 round-table debates over civic education issues with a wide participation of local stakeholders, civil society and religious communities. It has conducted two civic-focused mini-projects with the Medrese of Tirana and “Cajupi” secondary schools to promote civic skills, cooperation, tolerance, understanding and mutual respect. In order to help teachers in their everyday work regarding civic education, IDRA has provided them with a glossary of civics terms, which will become part of the teachers’ package in civic education.
Albanian Business Information Center – ALBIC (www.albic.net)
Start date: November 2003
Donor/s: Open Society Foundation Albania (Soros) sponsor for the first phase (Dec 2003 - May 2004); currently supported by IDRA.
Partner/s: Regional Development Agency (until May 2004)
IDRA’s role: project manager
Objective: The aim of this project is to help the business community overpass the information barrier that exists in the Albanian business environment.
Activities/Events: IDRA operates the only Albanian online portal that focuses mainly on satisfying the information needs of the business community. It provides first-hand, updated and reliable knowledge on the latest developments regarding Albanian taxes, legislation, the banking system, licensing procedures, customs, markets and many others that are crucial for achieving success. Numerous online guides, such as the Albanian Tax Guide, Banking Guide, Free Trade Agreements Guide and Licensing Procedures Guide, are offered online and in printed version both in English and Albanian, facilitating access to relevant business information.
Research papers/Publications: online Business Directory
Impact/Accomplishments:
End date: -
Distance Learning Project (DLP) – PhD in Economics at CERGE-EI
Start date: August 2003
Client/s: CERGE-EI is a joint project in the field of economics of the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education of Charles University in Prague and the Economics Institute of Academy of Science of the Czech Republic.
CERGE-EI is recognized as a Center of Excellence in Economics Education and Research by USAID. The European Community Secretariat of ACE Program designated CERGE-EI as the only “Recognized Center of Excellence in PhD Studies in Economics” in Central and East Europe.
CERGE-EI offers a PhD in Economics focused on Research on Economies in Transition, which is fully recognized in the United States.
Partner/s:
IDRA’s role: DLP partner for Albania
Objective: The Distance Learning Project offers courses in economics (micro and macro) to prepare applicants for the PhD program while they stay at their current residence.
Activities/Events: From August to December, IDRA informs interested students about the DLP and PhD program by distributing posters and leaflets to Universities, contacting professors, sending e-mails using its large database of contacts etc. Interested students that contacted IDRA have been given more detailed information about the DLP and PhD program. IDRA has provided applicants with books (Macroeconomics and Microeconomics), application forms and printed materials containing comprehensive information about the DLP and PhD programs and other administrative services. IDRA provides applicants with computers with Internet access in order to follow online courses 2-3 times per week.
Research papers/Publications:
Impact/Accomplishments:
