Albania has made steady progress in reforming its social protection and social care systems, particularly following the decentralization of service provision to municipalities. The number of social services and service providers has increased, institutional capacities have improved, and more vulnerable people are being reached through community-based services. Policy frameworks have been strengthened, and important steps have been taken toward aligning national legislation and practices with EU standards.

The Leave No One Behind Programme has been instrumental in supporting these reforms since 2017. During its second phase (2021–2025), the programme contributed to strengthening national policy frameworks, improving financing and monitoring mechanisms, and expanding community-based services across municipalities. It supported all municipalities in strengthening their capacities for planning and managing social services and enabled the establishment and expansion of services through the Social Fund and other financing mechanisms. It also contributed to workforce development, including professionalization and continuous training, and promoted participatory mechanisms that engage citizens, civil society, and vulnerable groups in local decision-making. 

There is now a stronger institutional and policy foundation for social service delivery, including improved coordination between central and local levels, increased experience in implementing integrated service models, and a growing body of good practices that can be replicated and scaled up. Stakeholders across sectors increasingly recognize the importance of inclusive social services as part of broader social protection reforms and as a key component of Albania’s EU integration agenda.

At the same time, important challenges remain, including unequal access to services across municipalities, insufficient coverage for specific vulnerable groups, and structural constraints related to financing, human resources, and coordination. Service provision remains particularly limited in rural and remote areas, and not all municipalities have the necessary structures or staff to effectively coordinate and deliver services.

These conditions underline the need to consolidate the systems developed so far, ensure sustainability of services, and strengthen institutional ownership. LNB3 builds on the experience and models developed in previous phases to support the transition towards a fully functional, nationally owned system of social service provision, with improved governance, financing, and service delivery at all levels.