Through this project, we aim to establish the adequate instruments in order to increase transparency and representation of rural areas of Vlora municipality.

More transparency and representation in local decision-making is necessary in the context of Territorial Administrative Reform and innovation that the reform imposes in the functioning of the local government units.

Therefore, the purpose of the project is to establish the instruments for ensuring the participation of rural areas in local policy-making of Vlora and integrating with policies in urban areas. Due to overall economic, political and socioeconomic reasons, structural change in agriculture and rural areas has accelerated during the last few decades causing positive but also some negative impacts. The term "rural marginalization" defines a series of problematic tendencies particularly evident in remote areas comprising, socio-economic and cultural decline such as unemployment, the closing down of farm enterprises, out-migration, over-aging, rural poverty and social exclusion, loss of infrastructure and services, environmental degradation, biodiversity depletion, loss of habitats, afforestation, land abandonment, landscape degradation, loss of cultural tradition and local identities.

The project served to raise an effective participation of rural people and rural communities of Vlora municipality in the management of their own social, economic and environmental objectives by becoming part of “the voice” of local decision-making. With the establishment of the instruments, citizens seek significant gains in improving transparency and influencing public sector decision-making. Service providers and public officials can benefit from transparent management and improved legitimacy.

In the framework of this project arose the Local Citizen Committee, composed of representatives of urban and rural areas in the municipality of Vlora, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mayor Mr. Dritan Leli.