FACT SHEET: Sustainable Water Sector Capacity Development Project

Speeches Shim

Young adults pose with USAID certificates
Through USAID, SHUKALB works in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy to develop the necessary legal and institutional mechanisms to establish a training and certification program for the staff of water supply and sewerage utilities. This program will prepare and qualify people who work in the water utilities.
Pamela Meta, SHUKALB

CURRENT PROJECT

Name: Sustainable Water Sector Capacity Development in Albania
Duration: October 2014 – September 2018
Budget: $1,208,396
Implementer: Water Supply and Sewerage Association in Albania

 

Albania has a National Capital Investment Master Plan for the delivery of water supply and sewerage services that intends to bring these essential services into compliance with the Water Framework Directives of the European Union. The increased investments in the sector require a workforce of skilled technicians to run the utility sector. Currently, there is a lack of routine, sustainable training available to the water sector workforce. Structured programs are needed to train the future Albanian water sector workforce to meet the water supply and sewerage needs of today and also the wastewater treatment needs in the coming years.

USAID has given Albania’s water association, SHUKALB, a Grant to support Albania’s Water Supply and Sewerage Services Sector Strategy to establish a national program of training and certification, designed to qualify candidates for test-based operator certification and provide opportunities to certified operators and skilled technicians to continuously upgrade their skills in the water supply and sewerage sector. Through this project, USAID will also promote formal water supply and wastewater trainings in the region, by working with Albania's neighboring countries (Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia) under the Western Balkans Partnership of Water Associations.

PROGRAM AREAS

TRAINING COURSES

Expand inventory of fully documented training courses that meet skills development and certification needs in the water supply and sewerage sector of Albania, including piloting distance learning as an innovative training delivery approach.

CERTIFICATION OF OPERATORS

Support/advocate the establishment of test-based certification of water supply and sewerage system operators.

WATER ASSOCIATION

Strengthen the capacities of the Water Supply and Sewerage Association of Albania (SHUKLAB) through the training of its staff, development of a sound business plan and operational procedures to sustain the activities and programs of the Association.

RESULTS
  • Established a Project Advisory Council with representatives from the water sector including the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MTI), Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, the Water Regulatory Authority (WRA), and the Polytechnic University of Tirana.
  • Signed a tripartite MOU between USAID, SHUKALB, and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to ensure cooperation in developing a formal Test-Based Certification Program with specific requirements for water supply and sewerage utilities, to be staffed with certified operational managers.
  • Prepared an inventory of 51 training courses to be developed over the course of the next three years. During FY2015, the first ten training courses were prepared and finalized on the topics of: Water Loss Management, Business Plan for Performance Improvement, Asset Management, and Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Collection Systems.
  • Arranged an MOU between the Albanian Association and the American Association of Boards of Certification (ABC), which will establish ABC’s support and advice in advocating the establishment of a test-based certification program for operational managers in the water supply and sewerage sector in Albania.