The Government of Albania started the implementation of the ‘Administrative and Territorial Reform” on September 2013, with the aim of reorganizing local government units. (LGUs). On July 31, 2014, the Parliament approved the law 115/2014 “On the territorial and administrative division of local government units in the Republic of Albania” reducing the number of Municipalities from 384 to 61. This law entered into force after local elections in June 2015, and since then the local government in Albania operates through 61 municipalities, which have assumed the responsibilities and challenges of managing local development and other public matters. This process has benefited from the support of the project: “Support to the territorial and Administrative Reform” (STAR).

The development objective of STAR2 was to ensure functionality of the newly established local government units (LGUs) so that local administrative and service delivery outcomes become effective, qualitative, participatory and inclusive, corresponding to evolving decentralized competencies and responsibilities.