Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 1
Albania
TRANSNATIONAL ACTION AGAINST CHILD TRAFFICKING 
(TACT)
PEER REVIEW
April 2005
Pierre Philippe
Ignacio Packer
Terre des hommes Foundation
aide directe à l'enfan ce meurtrie, sans préoccupation
d'ordre politique, racial ou confessionnel
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Executive summary of findings and recommendations
1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose of review
1.2 Terms of reference
1.3 Review methodologies and source of information
1.4 Limitations
2 Diagnosis of situation
Summary of main points
2.1 Background to the project
2.2 Revisited situation diagnosis
3 Evaluation of project conception
Summary of main points
3.1. Relevance of goal and objective
3.2. Appropriateness of:
3.2.1. Response strategy
3.2.2. Beneficiaries/target population
3.2.3. Target area
3.2.4. Partnership and national strategy
3.3. Appropriateness of activities planed in prevention axis
3.4. Appropriateness of resources needed
4. Evaluation of achievements
Summary of main points
4.1. Resources used at project mid-term
4.2. Adequacy between activities planned and activities performed
4.3. Results at project mid-term
4.3.1. Adequacy of results at project mid-term
4.3.1.a. Prevention
4.3.1.b. Protection
4.3.1.c. Assisted Voluntary Return
4.3.1.d. Reintegration
4.3.2. Issues on result measurements
4.3.3. Unplanned positive and negative consequences
4.3.4. Participation
4.3.5. Sustainability
4.4. Flexibility and adjustment capacity
5. Findings and recommendations
5.1. Main findings and challenges
5.2. Recommendations 
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References
Abbreviations
Annexes
Annexe 1 – Peer review presentation at TACT Donor Meeting April 11th, 2005
Annexe 2 – Terms of reference
Annexe 3 – Evaluation framework plan
Annexe 4 – Graph on children in the project per axis
Annexe 5 – List of people met
Annexe 6 – Place of the project in development action
Annexe 7 – Evaluators’ background
Annexe 8 – Background to the project as per project proposal
Annexe 9 – TACT implementation report 21 months – TACT Donor Meeting
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Despite the important workload, government representatives, NGO and donor representatives 
and staff of the TACT Project gave time and information to contribute to relevant, effective, 
participatory and efficient exchanges on the project.
The proposed key findings and recommendations could not have been undertaken without 
many people being willing to share information and spend some valuable time. Our thanks go 
to them, and our respect for the work that the field staff accomplishes in sometimes difficult 
conditions.
And last but not least, we thank the community representatives and children who shared with 
dignity the difficulties of their lives and their perspectives and hopes.
As always in a review, a number of findings had been identified by TACT staff. They are not 
new to many of them and we hope the ownership of key findings and recommendations are 
appropriately shared.
This review was made possible through support provided by the Office of USAID, Bureau for 
Albania, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), under the terms of Award No.. 
182-A-00-03-00103, in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation 
Agency (Sida), the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the Oak Foundation, the 
National Albanian American Council NAAC), and Terre des hommes Foundation Lausanne
(Tdh). The opinions expressed herein are those of Tdh and do not necessarily reflect the views 
of the USAID, Sida, Unicef, Oak Foundation, NAAC. 
OAK
FOUNDATION
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The present document is a preliminary report that presents the results of the peer team of 
TACT Project. It is the first evaluation of the present Project since the beginning of its 
effective implementation in 2002 (TACT I).
The results presented are a reflection of the point of view of the key players interviewed in 
relation to the project; verification by field interviews; and then analysis. 
The purpose of the peer review is to provide TACT team with an assessment of the main 
challenges of programmes against child trafficking and the relevance, appropriateness and 
results of the chosen approaches and activities of the TACT Project and to give
recommendations on how to develop child trafficking programme in South Eastern Europe
Findings
1. Compared to 2002, the situation of Child Trafficking (CT) has changed: decrease 
trend to Italy and even Greece and increase internal trend and new trend to Kosovo. 
Besides, some issues related to CT need further assessment (illegal adoption, family 
connection of children former victim of CT and integrated in Greece and Italy). 
2. Regarding the evolution of the environment, the main policy change is the Law on 
Assistance and Social Services approved by Parliament in March 2004. This law 
gives the framework to reforming the social protection system and as a consequence 
the implementation of the new Strategy of Social Services.
3. The objective of the TACT Project is appropriate and rational response to the problem 
and the needs of the target population. The strategy is appropriate to the specific issue 
of trafficking. 
4. The results are achieved but the quality of the results linked to the process (sustainable 
bases and participation of the children for instance) could be enhanced in order to 
reach more sustainable results.
5. Child trafficking issues as entry point to other child protection issues, TACT responds 
to broader problems on Child Protection than only CT. The scale of the other issues is 
not well known.
6. TACT had a strong influence on the elaboration of the national strategy against CT. 
The programme is a strong stakeholder in the Albanian national strategy. 
7. Efficiency: given the central importance of the direction taken by the social reforms 
and the availability of an activity based database for the TACT Project, an economic 
appraisal (cost-benefit approach) of the chosen strategies is required. 
8. In view of the improvements which have already occurred in terms of a reduction in 
children trafficked to Greece, the fact that the project now focuses a lot of efforts on 
disseminating warnings to children seems slightly redundant
9. The TACT Project meets the Tdh standards in terms of working environment and level 
of spending in administration.
10. The Monitoring and Evaluation system is a force of the project. However some 
indicators should be reviewed (more opened to other child protection issues,
reintegration indicators) and the system should be “more friendly” to increase the 
appropriateness by the TACT team.
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Recommendations
Recommendation 1 – To donors – Maintain support during transition
period
Effective support of the process of the social service reform will require from donors to 
maintain their support to the “TACT” tool focussed on child anti-trafficking as the open door 
to address other child protection issues.
Recommendation 2 – To donors – Support the coordination of TACT with 
other initiatives
Donors have updated information on other initiatives (especially those of the State) and the 
possibility to obtain the other stakeholders’ collaboration with TACT’s objectives.
Recommendation 3 – To TACT Project - Synchronise closely to the goals of 
the Strategy of Social Services
As a social service provider, TACT should synchronise closely to the goals of the Strategy of 
Social Services during the transition period. This should be a contribution to the
implementation of a clear policy for reforming the system of social services with a special 
focus for TACT on the TACT Project target groups.
Recommendation 4 – To TACT Project – Maintain role as provider of
social services during transition period.
During the policy implementation period (transition period), the role of TACT as a provider 
of social services should be maintained. 
The grassroots intervention of TACT offers:
· Information for NGOs to act as defenders of the rights and interests of children in 
need of protection and as an entry point of children at risk of being trafficked;
· Capacity building training opportunities for various actors;
· A flexible unit which adapts and operates quickly in various situations and 
deals with issues for which the state today has no or little opportunity to 
intervene. TACT Project human resource structure should be downsized in 
order to streamline efforts and further develops partnership with local partners 
and State services.
· Assessment of new trends and some child trafficking aspects (illegal adoption, 
communication between former victim of CT integrated in Greece and Italy and 
their family)
Recommendation 5 – To TACT Project – Contribute to Capacity Building 
and strengthening.
Capacity Building and Strengthening 
· To stimulate the building up of capacities, by regularly offering additional and 
refresher training for TACT staff in order to consolidate quality services and make 
familiar with new policies and examples of good practice. 
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· To offer in the field training conditions for various actors (local government staff, 
NGOs, private providers…) which provide (or are to provide) social services in the 
context of the implementation of the reforming of the social protection system. 
· To offer on the job training for building up and strengthening of the capacities of 
the staff of the local government, enabling them to assume new responsibilities in 
the framework of decentralisation.
· To contribute to the participation of citizens in the decision making process
through social debate and the transmission of the needs, priorities, ideas and 
opinions of the community into concretely formulated recommendations
(awareness raising with a participatory approach).
· As a priority, the project should enhance its support for the initiatives developed 
by the community on child protection, and not especially CT. The entry point 
should be adapted to the different communities and resources available. Protection 
issues could be a transversal issue included (with TACT consultation) in the 
different communities or key persons initiatives. 
· TACT should seek good practices to empower discriminated communities, such as 
Romas and Jevgit
· The strategy should support the involvement of education personnel (especially
teachers) with a stronger support to their initiatives (with inclusion of child abuse 
issues with a psycho-social perspective). TACT should work with the Ministry of 
Education, through Unicef facilitation, aiming at including such activities in the 
State educational curriculum. 
Recommendation 6 – To TACT Project – Increase the child participation at 
the level of design and implementation of activities.
We strongly recommend increasing the participation of the children and the communities at 
the level of design and implementation of activities.
Recommendation 7 – To TACT Project – Continue its advocacy through
BKTF.
· BKTF should continue to develop the BKTF Coalition with respect to sharing data 
and coordinating specific case efforts, as well as its operational capacity. Enforcement 
of the advocacy capacity of BKTF and its members as well as its and national and 
international recognition;
· TACT should continue to denounce the deportation and other violations of the rights 
of Albanian children in Greece and to seek stronger commitment by the Greek
government. It should link its advocacy to the "Separated Children in Europe
Programme" which advocates this issue on a European level.
Recommendation 8 - To TACT - Perfect the M&E system
TACT should continue to perfect the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system tools for 
provision of concrete data on children at risk and victims of trafficking, including patterns and 
trends, to authorities, partners, and international institutions. Extension of M&E in other 
issues of Child Protection;
Facilitate the use of the M&E system by the field team:
· For the field staff, to fill the system should be lighter 
· The identification of indicators should be discussed with the social workers and other 
stakeholders (especially for the reintegration axis)
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· TACT should re-think its reintegration indicator based on a capitalisation of the 21-
months activities. This indicator should be adapted to the different issues (trafficking 
and the other child protection issues too) and to different age of the children
(especially for the teenagers).
· The quarterly report should be friendlier in order to be understood by all the TACT 
workers.
· The results should be discussed and debated at regional, national and local level with 
an operational analysis which leads to adapted operational work plan. 
Recommendation 9 - To TACT – Conduct a basic economic appraisal
A basic economic appraisal should be conducted before the end of the end of the TACT 
Project. In addition, a tentative appraisal distinguishing between technical efficiency,
efficiency in ressources allocation, social efficiency, social welfare and value judgements 
should also be conducted. This tentative appraisal will establish a baseline to incorporate 
such an appraisal from the start of the next phase of TACT.
Recommendation 10 - To BKTF - Reinforce relationships and networking 
between its members
As a coalition structure, BKTF should reinforce relationships and networking between its 
members. Workshops and shared “good practices” could improve the operations of the 
different members of the coalition.
Annexe 1 – PowerPoint presentation at donors meeting April 11th, 2005
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1 - INTRODUCTION
1.1. Purpose of review
TACT II project initiated in June 2003 is ending 31st May 2006 (13 months of 36 remaining).
The purpose of the peer review is to provide Tdh Albania with an assessment of the main 
challenges of programmes against child trafficking and the relevance, appropriateness and 
results of the chosen approaches and activities of the TACT Project and to give
recommendations on how to develop child trafficking programme in South Eastern Europe.
1.2. Terms of reference
The initial terms of reference were prepared for an external evaluation team.
For opportunity costs for the TACT team, financial constraints and Tdh internal sharing of 
information, Tdh suggested a peer review acknowledging limitations (see bellow).
The initial terms of reference were adapted for the actual peer review. Some sections of the 
initial terms of reference were considered as unrealistic within this assignment and were 
removed from the terms of reference (see Annexe 1).
Annexe 2 – Terms of reference of peer review
1
1.3. Review methodologies and source of information
· Contacts prior to the field mission include Tdh staff (Tdh desk officer for Eastern 
Europe, Tdh advisor on advocacy/child rights, specialists from other organisations (on 
ongoing general exchanges)…
· Quantitative and qualitative data was made available through the rich project
documentation (activity reports, budgets, surveys, capitalisation products, monitoring 
& evaluation tools…).
· Other quantitative information was collected from other sources.
· Qualitative data was also obtained by conducting open interviews with key informants 
(beneficiaries, project staff, representative of Council of Ministers, senior staff of local 
and international NGOs and UN agencies, representatives of donor community…).
· Direct observation during site visits rounded the information gathered.
· Coordination reports, MOLSA reports and other NGO assessments were an important 
source of information.
· Key findings and recommendations where discussed in Albania with part of the Tdh 
staff and at the donor meeting on April 11th, 2005.
· Key findings and recommendations of draft report 1 are to be discussed in Le-Mont￾sur-Lausanne with the desk officer.
· The evaluation framework (see graph 1) follows the content of the report. It is divided 
in four sections:
1 Revisiting the diagnosis and comparing the situation as per end-2002/beginning 
2003 with the situation beginning 2005 (in the center of the graph).
 
1
Showing sections removed
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2 The evaluation of the project conception (right part of the graph)
3 The evaluation of the achievements of the project (left part of the graph). This 
includes the assessment of the adequacy between the project conception and the 
achievements.
4 Recommendations following the different findings of the three first sections.
· References from graph 1 to the project document and the terms of reference are under 
columns (a) and (b).
Feuille de calcul 
Microsoft Excel
Annexe 3 – Evaluation work plan 
Annexe 5 – List of people met
1.4. Limitations
· Peer reviews always have a bias as compared to well run external evaluations.
· The major limitation recognised as compromising the terms of reference was the time 
available to carry out a comprehensive assessment and make recommendations to be 
discussed. Secondary sources of information have been used for much of the
quantitative information. Sites to be visited and key informants where selected by the 
Tdh field staff. 
· In a very limited time, the team tried to cover different fields and aspects that appear 
relevant to the overall picture. Of course not everything is discussed and reference to 
existing documents is made to avoid “cut and paste” for the sake of reporting.
· The team looked at the situation primarily from the perspectives of manager (IPA) and 
an anti child trafficking advisor (PPH) rather than those of a sociologist, 
anthropologist, political scientist, psychologist, or other professional.
Annexe 7 – Evaluators’ background
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2. Diagnosis of situation
Summary of main points
· Compared to 2002, the trend of Child Trafficking (CT) of Albanian children to Greece 
is still decreasing. The trend between Albania and Italy is very low. Italy could hardly 
be considered a transnational priority of the Project.
· New trends of trafficking (from Albania to Kosovo and internal ones) have been 
identified and need adapted response.
· Some issues, related to CT, need further assessment (illegal adoption, family 
connection with former victims of CT subsequently integrated in Greece and Italy)
· TACT responds not only to CT, but also to broader problems concerning Child 
Protection. The scale of the other issues is not well known.
· Regarding the evolution of the environment, the main policy change is the Law on 
Assistance and Social Services approved by Parliament in March 2004. This law 
gives the framework to reforming the social protection system and, consequently, the 
implementation of the new Strategy of Social Services.
· The reform is intensive on needed capacity building. It takes time to build capacity. 
Because these changes need time to unfold, there is inevitably going to be a lag 
between capacity building and capacity translating itself into improvements in social 
services (“Transition period”).
2.1. Background to the project
Annexe 8 – Background to the project as per project proposal
2.2. Revisited situation analysis
The report “The trafficking of Albanian children in Greece” has been the situation 
analysis of TACT. It was published in January 2003. TACT is the “solution” of the 
problem analysed in mid 2003. 
2 years later and 21 months after the start of the project, we need to revisit the 
diagnosis before questioning the strategy. 
Decrease of the former trends
The situation analysis has concluded that 
“During the 1990s, thousands of children were working in the streets (begging, selling small 
items) in all the major cities of Greece (Athens and Thessalonica, but also Patras, Larissa, 
Ioannina, Kavala and Heraklion).(…) A majority of children working in the streets in Greece 
are Albanian. (…)During the 1990s, thousands of children working in the streets were victims 
of trafficking.”
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Then, the report specified that the trend decreased in 2002: “The phenomenon of trafficking 
Albanian children to Greece still exists in 2002. Hundreds of children are victims.(…) The 
trafficking has been concentrated in the cities of Athens and Thessalonica.”
In 2005, the trend is still decreasing.
TACT’s indicators and observations of the TACT social workers (from Albania and Greece) 
show decrease of the trends between Albania and Greece. 
The 2003 hypothesis that children could be ‘redirected’ from street exploitation into the 
illegal sex industry to service this client has not been confirmed.2
Missions in Italy confirm that the trend between Albania and Italy is low. Italy could hardly 
be considered a transnational priority of the Project, considering the present decrease in the 
number of Albanian children trafficked to this country. 
These information collected by TACT Project are confirmed by other stakeholders (Albanian 
state, Italian immigration service, IOM, Vlora Center)
Lack of information about new trends and some child trafficking aspects
TACT has identified and assessed a new trend of trafficking children from Albania to Kosovo.
With the data collected, we can conclude that the scale seems not yet widespread but initial 
assessment by Tdh has indicated trafficking and exploitation of Albanian children is on the 
rise and should be monitored
Internal child trafficking trends are not sufficiently documented. Although, “destination 
spots” have been identified like the exploitation of children in the streets of Durrës during the 
summer or in the streets of Tirana. 
The protection problematic faced in northern Albania is considered substantial and requires 
strong action by civil society (currently inconsistent). 
At last some children, former victims of trafficking, have still no contact with their families. 
These children are integrated in Greece or Italy. 22 children have been identified by Arsis 
which establishes, via TACT, contact with their families in Albania. 
Child trafficking issues as entry point to other child protection issues
 
2
Squire, (J), Transnational Investigation Report” TACT Project, January 2005
“It could be stated that there is obviously a client base for this age group and that it is currently being serviced 
and some of the children being abused by this group come from Albania. But it can not be clearly stated with 
any credibility, that trafficked Albanian children are being ‘redirected’ from street exploitation into the illegal 
sex industry to service this client base and thereby reducing the numbers on the streets.
Some suggest the lack of Albanian children on the streets could be attributed to the normal ebb and flow of 
migration patterns and the integration of Albanians into Greece’s culture. Considering the peak numbers of 
Albanians in Greece was between 1996 and 1998, this could serve as a very logical and simple answer. 
Furthermore, no contact was made with Albanian male prostitutes in bars such as ‘Fantastico’ to see whether 
they were initially trafficked and subsequently found their way into the illegal sex industry. Considering the 
young men working in the ‘boy bar’ industry are currently around 18, this places them between 10 – 12 years of 
age in 1996 – 1998.”
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To prevent CT, the TACT social workers have addressed several other child protection issues 
during the family visit or the individual social follow-up (activities of the protection axis). 
The different protection issues tackled by the project are:
· School abandonment
· Child exploitation through labour
· Birth registration
· Domestic violence
· Sexual abuse (rarely)
Unfortunately, the M&E system does not include these other child protection issues. TACT 
cannot rely on this system to determine what the most important problems are. 
Creation of a political environment related to the process of decentralisation in order to 
increase the participation of local government and civil society in the delivery of social 
services. Law on Assistance and Social Services approved by Parliament in March 2004.
At the beginning of the 1990’s the economic and social reforms in Albania were associated 
with an increase in the number of people exposed to the risk of socia l exclusion. Economic 
and social inequality grew deeper.
Efforts to meet these needs have been made by the State. In order to fund the system of social 
protection, the Albanian Government makes available 100 million USD/year (10 billion lek). 
This accounts for 4% of the annual budget or 2% of GDP.
Besides the State, roles in the provision of social services have been played by others actors 
(civil society, donors, NGO community…).
Since the beginning of the Project, the context has continued to change:
· Economic and social changes, though more visible in the centre of Tirana than in the 
rest of the country, are taking place in both positive and negative ways. Policy environment 
attempts to maximise strengths and minimise weaknesses.
· Consolidation of the State.
· Progressive increase in the competences of local government.
The main policy change is the Law on Assistance and Social Services approved by Parliament
in March 2004. This law gives the framework to reforming the social protection system and 
as a consequence the implementation of the new Strategy of Social Services.
The reform has, as the core basis, the establishment of services at the community level, closer 
to the beneficiaries and their needs. This is in order to support and assist individuals, families 
and groups in the community so that they are able to operate on their own, to be self￾sustaining and to have the same rights as other members of society.
The reform implementation depends on the decentralisation of competences and
responsibilities to local government 3
. This process aims at establishing a community services 
system.
 
3
 Formulated in the Law on Organisation and Functioning of Local Government; Law number 8652 of 31 July 
2000
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Municipalities and communes aim to arrange for the provision of services by making
contracts with another provider of services (public, private, NGO…). The contribution made 
by foreign donors to the direct provision of services can be expected to diminish over time.
The current reforms and strategies represent a clear move.
Nevertheless, it is well recognised at this stage that gaps exist between the stated intentions of 
policy and the reality in the field. The system development is undermined by both internal 
and external factors. 
Implemented reform is likely to produce improvements in the quality and utilisation of social 
services. Barriers to the reform implementation may include “conflicts of interest” within the 
social system itself with the question of decentralisation, subcontracting and priority setting. 
Change will come slowly and may not be expected to produce the desired improvements in 
efficiency and effectiveness for some time.
The reform is intensive with respect to the required capacity building. At the moment, the 
social system and policy are preparing for change with notions of standards, monitoring of 
quality, subcontracting, among others. A considerable number of old procedures are being 
mixed with new approaches. It takes time to build capacity: an usual lag exists between
capacity establishment and the desired improvements in social services (“Transition period”).
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3. Evaluation of project conception
Summary of main points
The objective of the TACT Project is to provide appropriate and rational response to the 
problem and the needs of the target population.
Thanks to the trans-national approach, TACT has identified children in destination areas and 
follows them in their area of origin. The identification of high risk children has been a success. 
However, the correspondence between children targeted for the schools session of awareness 
and the protected children is becoming less relevant than at the early stage of the Project.
The strategy is appropriate to the specific issue of trafficking. The reintegration axis includes
some prevention activities (all regarding the children at risk: education, birth registration, 
increasing household income, social work). This could lead to misunderstanding.
The identification of origin target area is appropriate. To follow the diagnosis, Kosovo and 
internal destination (mainly Durrës and Tirana) should be identified as destination area.
TACT had a strong influence on the elaboration of the national strategy against CT. The 
programme is a strong stakeholder in the Albanian national strategy. 
The scheduled activities in the prevention axis do not lead to the expected results in terms of 
involvement.
Given the central importance of the direction taken by the social reforms and the availability 
of an activity based database for TACT Project, an economic appraisal (cost-benefit approach) 
of the chosen strategies is required. 
3.1. Relevance of goal and objective
The objective of the TACT Project is an appropriate and rational response to the problem and 
the needs of the target population. The objective is specific to the trafficking issues; however 
its formulation fits to larger protection issues. Even with the evolution of the diagnosis (see 
above), the objective is still appropriate.
3.2. Appropriateness of:
3.2.1. Response strategy
The strategy is related to the specific issue of trafficking. The intervention follows the 
different steps of the child trafficking process.
The concept of reintegration in TACT programmes has a broader meaning than in other 
trafficking project because it means both the reintegration of children at risk and the
reintegration of child victims. For example, trainings and follow-up in schools of at-risk 
children to avoid their departure is considered reintegration instead of prevention (as in
projects implemented by Tdh in other countries). 
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3.2.2. Beneficiaries/target population
Thanks to the trans-national approach, TACT has identified children in destination areas and 
follows them in their origin area.
The identification of the children at high risk has been a success. Criteria of protection of at 
risk children correspond to the profile of victims:
· 1,168 children are protected “Egyptian” 645 (55%) + Roma 360 (31%) = 86%, Mixed 54 
(5%) + White 109 (9%) = 14%
· 165 of these children are former victims of trafficking “Egyptian” 110 (67%) + Roma 34 
(20%) = 87% Mixed 7 (4.5%) + White 14 (8.5%) = 13%
Regarding children targeted by the prevention axis, the correspondence between children 
targeted for the schools session of awareness is becoming less relevant than at the early stage 
of the project.
3.2.3. Target area
The special advantage of TACT is to follow the trafficking cycle (principle of “strategic 
parallelism”4
). The community is not limited by borders but crosses them. The very added 
value of the project is to consider this reality not to think in terms of national geographical 
target areas. The TACT approach is thus a trans-national strategy.
The identification of origin target area is appropriate. It is based on the data collected from
former victims of trafficking and social services advices.
This also means that the target area should follow the evolution of the diagnosis (cf 2.2.1). So:
- Italy, as a destination area, should be abandoned
- Activities in Durrës (during the summer) and Tirana should be reinforced because they 
are considered now as destination area.
If the objectives focus more on the protection issues, the northern regions of Albania should 
be assessed.
3.2.4. Partnership and national strategy
State partners:
TACT had a strong influence on the elaboration of the national strategy against CT. The 
programme is a strong stakeholder in the Albanian national strategy. TACT could improve its
partnership with authorities by following the national strategy on child protection (see above 
2.2.2)
On an operational level, the collaboration with MoPO is good. Collaboration with MolSA is 
however less efficient. Only 4.3% of family visits have been made in collaboration with this 
institution, which is insufficient. This is partly due to the structure of MoLSA. In Durrës, 
where this structure has been reformed to integrate more social workers and less
administrators, the achievement is better – 54 joints family visits with public social controllers. 
 
4
 Ref to “Child trafficking in South Eastern Europe: The Development of Good Practices to Protect Albanian 
Children” November 2004, contribution from Tdh and NPF
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The partnership is also proving difficult to realize because of the programme’s methodology: 
partners have to adapt to actions which are entirely elaborated and implemented by TACT. 
The possibility of a more active partnership has to be considered (as to include protection 
skills in the curriculum in collaboration with the Ministry of Education) 
As far as Greece is concerned, TACT advocacy actions have pushed the authorities to 
recognise the phenomenon and to draft a plan of action. The supplementary activities
implemented through ERACT Project (Emergency Response Against Child Trafficking during 
the Olympic Games, Athens 2004) led to the rekindling of negotiations between Greece and 
Albania on a specific bilateral agreement (joints operations between TACT Project, BKTF 
involvement and the Greek NGO Arsis).
BKTF:
Being one of the founding members of BKTF, Tdh has played an important role in the 
development of the coalition. Today, BKTF is considered an important actor in civil society 
regarding child trafficking issue and other questions related to child protection. Its actions and 
positions are highly valued by international organisations, NGOs and authorities involved in 
those questions. BKTF should then persist in its advocacy work based on sustainable data and 
research to perpetuate this position of leadership. 
BKTF should be further supported to become a real umbrella structure. As a coalition 
structure, it should reinforce relationships and networking between its members. Workshops 
and “good practices” could improve the operations of the different members of the coalition. 
ARSIS:
The impact is very positive. Thanks to TACT, ARSIS reinforced its expertise, stability and 
credit in the opinion of the Greek authorities. The added value of the partnership with ARSIS
is its connection with the Albanian reality and the exchange of information. 
NPF:
The quality of the relation with NPF is based on a strong mutual trust and complementary 
interventions. Because the next phase of TACT is a transition phase toward sustainable 
solutions, the transfer of protection skills to NPF should be considered. Step by step, NPF
should include protection issues in its family visits, if NPF is interested in. 
3.3. Appropriateness of activities planed in prevention axis
The objective of prevention is as appropriate as the “two-question approach”. This approach 
raised the following questions: 
- How to strengthen the own capacity of protection of the involved community (mainly Jevgit 
and Roma minorities) regarding child trafficking?
- How to improve the social services accessible to children in this community and reduce the 
discrimination they faced?
However, the scheduled activities do not lead to the expected results in terms of involvement.
In fact, the programme did not plan to provide any support for the initiatives developed by the 
community. So even though children and parents participate in the activities proposed and 
implemented by TACT, they do not get the chance to take part in the prevention process itself. 
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 18
This planning is relevant in an emergency situation, but regarding the diagnosis evolution, it
presents a risk in terms of sustainability. 
The answer to these two questions must address the specificities of the minority communities 
and the particular problem of their discrimination (including the consequences of their own 
rejection of other communities). In the same time, TACT must avoid adopting a culturally
based approach which could stigmatize issues ofspecificity/discrimination by considering the 
children and the relatives as only Rroms or Jevgits. 
3.4. Appropriateness of resources needed
Some unit costs for outputs of the project are available. It is however difficult to assess 
whether these figures are low or high since no benchmark exists.
Given the central importance of the direction taken by the social reforms and the availability 
of an activity based database for the TACT Project, an economic appraisal (cost-benefit 
approach) of the chosen strategies is required. An economic appraisal of a project such as 
TACT should seek to determine whether the use of resources available for the project is
socially efficient and equitable. Economic appraisal is concerned with increasing efficiency 
but, ultimately, efficiency cannot be separated from issues of distribution and equity.
Though most information is available to conduct an initial appraisal, this is beyond the scope 
of the peer review. 
We therefore strongly recommendation that before the end of the TACT Project a basic 
economic appraisal is conducted. In addition, a tentative appraisal distinguishing
between technical efficiency, efficiency in ressources allocation, social efficiency, social 
welfare and value judgements is also conducted. This tentative appraisal will set the 
grounds to incorporate such an appraisal from the start of the next phase of TACT.
Because the next phase of TACT is a transition phase towards the implementation of the 
reforms, giving preference to choices which maximize resource allocation is of paramount 
importance.
.
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 19
4. Evaluation of achievements
Summary of main points
TACT Project punctually implements planned activities. Regarding its planning, it has even 
implemented more activities than expected for the different axis of intervention (prevention, 
protection). Only the extension towards Italy has not been realised.
The number of children who have been informed in the schools is higher that planned (Results
realised at 123%). The knowledge of the trafficking process and risks as the awareness of 
children about their rights is very high (more than 90%). But in view of the improvements 
which have already occurred in terms of a reduction in children trafficked to Greece (see 2.2), 
the fact that the Project now focuses a lot of efforts on disseminating warnings to children 
seems slightly redundant.
To improve the sustainability and the child and community participation, TACT should 
change its position: from bearer (or co-manager) of the action to facilitator of the action. As a
priority, the project should enhance its support for the initiatives developed by the community 
on child protection, and not only CT. Moreover, TACT’s priority should be synchronisation 
with the SSS reforms. 
In each region, TACT should assess to what extent the different stakeholders (NGOs and state 
social services) are willing and able to manage some “TACT activities” carrying on
successfully to include them in their “routine” activities. A common work plan should be 
established based on their will. Transfer of means and resources should be organised in this 
way. TACT should continue to monitor the results and build the capacities of its partners on 
child protection.
The Monitoring and Evalua tion system is a strength of the project. However some indicators 
should be reviewed (more opened to other child protection issues, reintegration indicators) 
and the system should be “more friendly” to increase appropriation on the part of the TACT 
team.
4.1. Resources used at project mid-term
TACT Project meets the Tdh standards in terms of working environment and level of
spending in administration.
The analysis of the financial resources used raised the following issues:
· Resources for axis Albania-Italy;
· Social support to families;
· Effects of currency fluctuations.
These issues were developed at the donors meeting In Albania on April 11th 2005 and are 
covered in the financial reporting.
See also 3.4.
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 20
4.2. Adequacy between activities planned and activities performed
TACT implementation, as mentioned above, is consistent with the proposal timeline, with the 
exception of extension towards Italy
4.3. Results at project mid-term
4.3.1. Adequacy of results at project mid-term
4.3.1.a. Prevention
The number of children who have been informed in the schools is higher that planned (Results 
realised at 123%). The evolution of the knowledge has been assessed with the administration 
of pre and post questionnaires to the prevention session. The knowledge of the trafficking 
process and risks as the awareness of children about their rights is very high (more than 90%).
But in view of the improvements which have already occurred in terms of a reduction in 
children trafficked to Greece (see 2.2), the fact that the project now focuses a lot of efforts on 
disseminating warnings to children seems slightly redundant
TACT should cease its sessions of CT prevention in schools (performed by Community 
Animators using TACT Prevention Kits 1 and 2). Prevention in the schools has long favored 
raising awareness and should focus on prevention of various forms of child abuse (based on 
the capitalisation of the issues raised during the first 21 months of implementation). The 
strategy should support the involvement of education personnel (especially teachers) with 
stronger support to their initiatives (inclusion of child abuse issues with a psycho-social 
perspective). In addition, as Unicef suggested during the TACT donors meeting, TACT
should work with the Ministry of Education, through Unicef facilitation, aiming at including 
such activities in the State educational curriculum. 
As a priority, the project should enhance its support for the initiatives developed by the 
community on child protection, and not only CT. The entry point should be adapted to the 
different communities and resources available. Protection issues should be a transversal issue 
included in the different communities or key persons’ initiatives (with TACT consultation).
TACT should change his position, from a position of bearer of the action or co-manager of the 
action, to a position of facilitator of the action (see scheme annexe 5).
This position will ease the participation of the community and state stakeholders. It will 
improve the results in terms of participation and families, children and education personnel 
will become real actors in sensitization”
4.3.1.b. Protection
The quantitative results are better than the results expected. With 1’168 protected children, 
TACT has realised 153% of its results.
Activities of social workers are broader than those reported because the monitoring system 
mainly focuses on CT and doesn’t systematically collect data on other child protection issues.
This inclusion would help to update the diagnosis and the needs of children at-risk. 
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 21
60% of the members of BKTF are using partly or in whole the same protection sheet. 
However, it seems that this protection sheet is too “heavy” to fill. This could explain why 
other members or organisations (not involved in TACT as Arsis and NPF) don’t use it. For 
the next phase, the protection sheet should be revised in order to respond to the state social 
services and the NGOs needs and capacities (see sustainability §).
In Greece, the community approach should improve the knowledge of the child. This new 
approach should not disconnect the street team to the street reality.
4.3.1.c. Assisted Voluntary Return
Finding: see page 13 of the 21-month implementation report.
It is important to review the AVR results from within the European context. The expected 
final results are not realistic. The bad practices followed are, unfortunately, the norms in the 
European Union due to a repressive migration policy, which fails to integrate a human rights 
based approach.
The TACT service does not ease the deportation of children, nor does it encourage the Greek 
government to mend its bad practices. These bad practices existed before TACT without 
being consider as and denounced as bad practices. TACT involvement is needed to monitor 
the practices and provide advocacy at the level of Greek and Albania immigration services. 
TACT should continue to denounce the deportation and other violations of the rights of 
Albanian children in Greece and to seek a stronger commitment by the Greek government. It 
should link its advocacy to the “Separated children programme” which advocates this issue on 
a European level.
4.3.1.d. Reintegration
The % of protected children who are reintegrated is lower than expected5
 (53% instead of 
80% expected). 
This result and indicator, by itself raised several points:
· Two categories are included in the reintegration: children victims of trafficking and 
children at risk. the categories fail to give a clear picture of the results reached for all 
the different issues confronting children. Clearer indicators would facilitate
assessment of whether these figures are low or high via benchmarks.
· Reintegration means either monitoring school reintegration or providing vocational 
training. This is not always relevant, especially for teenagers.
· Regarding children at risk, the school reintegration could be understood as prevention. 
The family visits build up capacities of families to resist the traffickers. (see 3.3)
TACT should re-think its reintegration indicator based on a capitalisation of the 21-months 
activities. This indicator should be adapted to address the different issues (trafficking in 
addition to other child protection issues) and the different age s of children (especially for 
 
5
 The quantitative aspect is not taken into consideration. Initially, the project was targeting the reintegration of 
80% of 760 children under protection scheme. Today’s reintegration percentage is based on 1168 children.
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 22
teenagers). This indicator should be defined with the social workers and in collaboration with 
other stakeholders in order to promote buy-in. Such capitalisation would facilitate a closer and 
more adapted monitoring and will increase common understanding and establishment of 
commun benchmarks. This work will be useful for the social services reform.
TACT Project reaches today 96% of the final expected result for the indicator of social 
assistance. Social assistance is surely needed; however the procedures to give the assistance 
should be reconsidered with accent on a more community participation approach. The 
assistance should only be exceptional to avoid dependence. Furthermore, it should be decided 
in partnership with the social services and the community organisations. This would reinforce 
the capacity of the community and develop its self-organisation and its internal solidarity 
(strengthening the social links, building up trust and ownership).
The public social workers are still involved in basic family assistance with a rate of only 3.5%. 
In Durrës, where the public social service structure has been reformed to integrate more social 
workers and less administrators, the achievement is better – 54 joint family visits with public 
social controllers. TACT, in the next phase, should support the reform and evolve from its 
position of bearer to action facilitator (see Annexe 6).
4.3.4. Issues on result measurements
The Monitoring and evaluation system is a project asset. With these indicators, the diagnosis 
can be more easily updated, the results monitored. Besides that, the M&E is a strong tool to 
increase the knowledge of the child protection issues in Albania, to establish benchmarks and 
to increase the quality of the social intervention.
However, indicators should be reviewed with the diagnosis evolution (more opened to other 
child protection issues) and with the evolution of the activities. Some present indicators are
not relevant and not appropriate (see indicators on reintegration 431d)
Furthermore, the TACT Team does not yet have ownership over the M&E system. Some 
recommendations:
· For the field staff, completing the system should be made easier (for instance, now, 
one worker is needed only to fill out the forms during the prevention session in
schools).
· The identification of indicators should be discussed with the social workers and other 
stakeholders.
· The tri-monthly report should be more “user friendly” in order to be understood by all 
the TACT workers.
· The results should be discussed and debated at regional, national and local levels with 
an operational analysis which leads to adapted operational work plan. 
4.3.5. Unplanned positive and negative consequences
A consequent work on child protection issues has already been undertaken by BKTF. At the 
advocacy level, TACT efforts in this direction should continue within the framework of
BKTF Coalition. 
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 23
TACT financial supply to ARSIS allowed a longer term organisational security and therefore 
better planning and consequently a better recognition.
4.3.5. Participation
The child participates in the activities implemented by TACT. The model of action of TACT 
Project has been initially designed with the participation of the funding members of BKTF 
coalition (November 2001). The prevention tools targeting children were designed from
testimony of former victims and the informational brochure for educational personnel was
conceived with the active contribution of academic inspectors.
As the implementation of AVR is not decided by TACT6
, the child’s participation in AVR is, 
therefore, not responsibility of TACT. In fact, AVR figures concern mainly deportation. 
TACT is a strong advocate for the child participation in the procedures with low results (see
431c).
Due to the short period of the review mission, the evaluation team was not able to assess the 
level of community ownership. 
The Project has adjusted its response too the needs and views of the community. The message 
delivered during family visits, after the first contact, has to do with other child protection 
issues and not child trafficking. The M&E system should be adapted to this adjustment in 
activity. In addition, no “official space” is given to children or communities to discuss the 
TACT responses to child protection issues.
We strongly recommend an increase in the participation of children and communities at 
the level of decision and implementation of activities.
4.3.6. Sustainability
During TACT’s 21 months, Albanian service providers were in a transitory period. The many 
ongoing reforms of public sector in Albania aimed at enabling these services to take concrete 
actions to the benefit of the population, including children. TACT’s priority should be 
synchronization with these reforms. 
In this regard, the initiative undertaken in training of State Social Services (SSS) was a 
positive development and should be expanded geographically. The exchange already existing 
with public education structures and police had to be further enhanced in specific aspects 
(concerning educational curricula and training of border police). For instance, TACT should 
work with the Ministry of Education, through Unicef facilitation, aiming at including such 
activities in the State educational curriculum.
All these are going beyond the scope of TACT alone. More emphasis is needed on
coordination with other actors of civil society (BKTF, CAAHT, etc). 
The role of the Albanian coalition BKTF is crucial to insure the sustainability of the project 
results and to maintain a high level of advocacy regarding the development of the child 
protection policy in Albania. The necessary coordination between TACT Project and CAAHT 
initiative would improve chances to create genuine coordination mechanisms at the local level.
 
6
 TACT accompanied relatively few children through AVR in 21 months
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 24
In each region, TACT should assess to what extent the different stakeholders (NGOs and state 
social services) are willing and able to manage some “TACT activities” and carry on
successfully and include them in their “routines” activities. Common work plan should be 
established based on their will. Transfer of means and resources should be organised in this 
way. TACT should continue to monitor the results and build theist partners’ capacities 
concerning child protection. NPF could be a priority partner in Korça, Elbasan and Berat for 
this transfer of skills. In each locality, additional partners should be identified. Different 
partners can manage different kind of activities. Improvements of the level of involvement of 
SSS at the local level should be increased with the SSS reform (see 2.2.2). To ensure the 
necessary support and resources, the process should be prepared. (Tdh’s experience in Haiti
and methodology could be used.)
The peer review lacks information to assess whether the community is now taking initiative 
on the issue itself.
It seems that some activities are developed but it’s still on a low level. 
At local level, some communities or personal initiatives have been supported by TACT. This 
practice should be extended geographically and should become the main way of
implementing activities. The local implementing partner should be trained on child protection 
issues and their activities monitored.
4.4. Flexibility and adjustment capacity
The Project has a strong will to keep its flexibility. It shows its adaptability by initiating an 
evaluation mission to Kosovo and changing the prevention kit, among other examples. 
However, the evolution of the diagnosis has not always changed the approach, especially 
regarding the transfer to a broader child protection perspective (weak data in the M&E) and 
the internal trafficking trends. The problems are identified. The adaptation should be quicker.
This weakness is due to a lack of space for adjustment in the management organisation 
(centralized management – poor beneficiaries’ participation – see 412).
This capacity could be improved.
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 25
5. Findings and recommendations
5.1. Main findings and challenges
Main challenges
TACT should change its position, from a position of lone provider or co-manager of the 
action, to a position of facilitator of the action (see scheme, Annexe 6).
Because reform implementation is going to take time (intensive on capacity building), the 
danger is that impatience may develop and support systems (such as TACT Project or some 
TACT activities) may be inappropriately transferred under the impression of “sustainability”. 
As stated by a local government representative : “Everybody is in a hurry to show results but 
the changes we want to bring about will have to go in little stages if we want them to be 
sustained”.
5.2. Recommendations 
Recommendation 1 – To donors – Maintain support during transition
period
Effective support of the process of the social service reform will require from donors to 
maintain their support to the “TACT” tool focussed on child anti-trafficking as the open door 
to address other child protection issues.
Recommendation 2 – To donors – Support the coordination of TACT with 
other initiatives
Donors have updated information on other initiatives (especially State’s ones) and possibility 
to obtain the other stakeholders collaboration with TACT’s objectives.
Recommendation 3 – To TACT Project - Synchronise closely to the goals of 
the Strategy of Social Services
As a social service provider, TACT should synchronise closely to the goals of the Strategy of 
Social Services during the transition period. This should be a contribution to the
implementation of a clear policy for reforming the system of social services with a special 
focus for TACT on the TACT Project target groups.
Recommendation 4 – To TACT Project – Maintain role as provider of
social services during transition period.
During the policy implementation period (transition period), the role of TACT as a provider 
of social services should be maintained. 
The grassroots intervention of TACT offers:
· Information for NGOs to act as defenders of the rights and interests of children in
need of protection and as an entry point of children at risk of being trafficked;
· Capacity building training opportunities for various actors;
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 26
· A flexible unit which adapts and operates quickly in various situations and 
deals with issues in which the State today has no or little opportunity to 
intervene. TACT Project human resource structure should be downsized in 
order to streamline efforts and further develops partnership with local partners 
and State services.
· Assessment of new trends and some child trafficking aspects (illegal adoption, 
communication between former victim of CT integrated in Greece and Italy and 
their family)
Recommendation 5 – To TACT Project – Contribute to Capacity Building 
and strengthening.
Capacity Building and Strengthening 
· To stimulate the building up of capacities, by regularly offering additional and 
refresher training for TACT staff in order to consolidate quality services and make 
familiar with new policies and examples of good practice. 
· To offer in the field training conditions for various actors (local government staff, 
NGOs, private providers…) which provide (or are to provide) social services in the 
context of the implementation of the reforming of the social protection system. 
· To offer on the job training for building up and strengthening of the capacities of 
the staff of the local government staff, enabling them to assume new
responsibilities in the framework of decentralisation.
· To contribute to the participation of citizens in the decision making process
through social debate and the transmission of the needs, priorities, ideas and 
opinions of the community into concretely formulated recommendations
(awareness raising with a participatory approach).
· In priority, the project should enhance its support for the initiatives developed by 
the community on Child protection, and not especially CT. The entry point should 
be adapted to the different communities and resources available. Protection issues 
could a transversal issue included (with TACT consultation) in the different
communities or key persons initiatives. 
· TACT should seek good practices to empower discriminated communities as
Romas and Jevgit
· The strategy should support the involvement of education personnel (especially
teachers) with a stronger support to their initiatives (with inclusion of child abuse 
issues with a psycho-social perspective). TACT should work with the Ministry of 
Education, through Unicef facilitation, aiming at including such activities in the 
State educational curriculum. 
Recommendation 6 – To TACT Project – Increase the child participation at 
the level of design and implementation of activities.
We strongly recommend increasing the participation of the children and the communities at 
the level of design and implementation of activities.
Recommendation 7 – To TACT Project – Continue its advocacy through
BKTF.
· BKTF should continue to develop the BKTF Coalition with respect to sharing data 
and coordinating specific case efforts, as well as its operational capacity. Enforcement 
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 27
of the advocacy capacity of BKTF and its members as well as its and national and 
international recognition;
· TACT should continue to denounce the deportation and other violations of the rights 
of Albanian children in Greece and to seek stronger commitment by the Greek
government. It should link its advocacy to the Separated children programme which 
advocates this issue on a European level.
Recommendation 8 - To TACT - Perfect the M&E system
TACT should continue to perfect the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system tools for 
provision of concrete data on children at risk and victims of trafficking, including patterns and 
trends, to authorities, partners, and international institutions. Extension of M&E in other 
issues of Child Protection;
Facilitate the use of the M&E system by the field team:
· For the field staff, to fill the system should be lighter 
· The identification of indicators should be discussed with the social workers and other 
stakeholders (especially for the reintegration axis)
· TACT should re-think its reintegration indicator based on a capitalisation of the 21-
months activities. This indicator should be adapted to the different issues (trafficking 
and the other child protection issues too) and to different age of the children
(especially for the teenagers).
· The quarterly report should be made more reader-friendly in order to be understood by 
all the TACT staff and participating partners.
· The results should be discussed and debated at regional, national and local level with 
an operational analysis which leads to adapted operational work plan. 
Recommendation 9 - To TACT – Conduct a basic economic appraisal
Before the end of the end of the TACT Project a basic economic appraisal should be
conducted. In addition, a tentative appraisal distinguishing between technical efficiency, 
efficiency in ressources allocation, social efficiency, social welfare and value judgements is 
also conducted. This tentative appraisal will set the grounds to incorporate such an appraisal 
from the start of the next phase of TACT.
Recommendation 10 - To BKTF - Reinforce relationships and networking 
between its members
As a coalition structure, it should reinforce relationships and networking between its members. 
Workshops and “good practices” could improve the operations of the different members of 
the coalition.
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 28
REFERENCES
· Terre des hommes, “The Trafficking of Albanian children in Greece”, January 2003
· Terre des hommes – Ndihmë për Fëmijët, “Child Trafficking in South Eastern Europe: 
The development of good practices to protect children”, November 2004
· TACT implementation report 21 months – TACT donor meeting
· TACT strategic planning 2003 (PMP)
· TACT quarterly reports
· Rapport of evaluation – mission in Kosovo, February 2005
· Tdh Albania strategic plan 2005-2009
· OSCE “Current situation and response to human beings Trafficking”, 2003
· OSCE “Current situation and response to human beings Trafficking”, 2004
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 29
ABBREVIATIONS
AVR Assisted Voluntary Return
BKTF All Together against Child Trafficking (Albanian acronym)
CT Child Trafficking
HQ Headquarters
HR Human resources
INGO International Non Governmental Organisation
IOM International Organisation of Migration
M&E Monitoring and evaluation system
MoH Ministry of Health
MoLSA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
MoPO Ministry of Public Order
NGO Non Government Organisation
NPF Ndhïmë për Fëmijët
PMP Performance Monitoring Plan
SSS State Social Services
SCF Save the Children
Tdh Terre des hommes/Lausanne
UN United Nations
USD US dollar
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 30
List of annexes
Annexe 1 – PowerPoint presentation at donors meeting April 11th, 2005
Annexe 2 – Terms of reference
Annexe 3 – Evaluation framework plan
Annexe 4 – Graph on children in the project per axis
Annexe 5 – List of people met
Annexe 6 – Place of the project in development action
Annexe 7 – Evaluators’ background
Annexe 8 – Background to the project as per project proposal
Annexe 9 – TACT implementation report 21 months – TACT donor meeting
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 31
ANNEXE 2 – TERMS OF REFERENCE
Terms of Reference
TACT PEER REVIEW7
1. Place of work: Albania, Greece and/or Italy
2. Reports to: Head of Mission Terre des hommes Albania
3. Duration of review: 7 and 14 days. Total of 21 days between both peers8
.
4. General responsibilities:
The Consultant will conduct his or her duties in respect of the charter of Terre des hommes 
and the convention of the child's rights, including the Tdh Child Protection Policy. 
The Consultant will direct his or her activities and engagements without preoccupation of 
political, racial or religious affiliation.
Special recommendations bound to the station of the Consultant: 
The Consultant has direct access to confidential and highly sensitive information, such as 
trafficking routes and trends, children in situation of trafficking, the national strategy of Tdh 
and of Transnational Action Against Child Trafficking (TACT) Project, legal and police 
documents and information related to beneficiaries. A professional sense of security, team 
work, confidentiality, and proper representation is paramount to the job profile.
Background 
TACT II project is resulting of four years of specific anti-child trafficking activities in
Albania. Different phases were developed following the principles of research and action 
approach (Prevention and Protection – PRAEVE project; Assisted Voluntary Return – RSA 
project; full model of action – TACT I). Several trainings, reports and development of good 
practices and other complementary activities were implemented in the mean time.
The 3 year TACT II project is representing the full development of the model of action on 
both operational and advocacy levels. The involvement of partners (civil society and public 
services) is a paramount of project implementation. The multi-donor aspect of TACT II is also 
a relevant factor of Tdh intervention.
TACT II project is developed with a transnational dimension, involving actors in transit and 
destination countries. Today, the partnership with Greek actors (especially the NGO Arsis) is 
the main confirmation of this dimension. Other countries are envisaged and/or concerned, 
such as Italy, Kosovo, Slovenia.
Further information regarding intervention objectives and key stakeholders are available in 
the main documents of the project at the disposal of the Consultant (Monitoring and
Evaluation tools, quarterly reports, public reports, and documents on good practices).
 
7
 Referred to as “evaluation” in the rest of the terms of reference
8
 Referred to as “consultants” in the rest of the terms of reference
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 32
Purpose of the evaluation 
Today, more than 50% of TACT II project is implemented. The purpose of the evaluation is 
to provide Tdh with an independent assessment of the main challenges of programmes against 
child trafficking and the relevance, appropriateness and results of the chosen approaches and 
activities of the TACT Project. To give recommendations on how to develop child trafficking 
programme in South Eastern Europe.
Intended use:
The evaluation should facilitate improvements for the next phase of the project in Albania and 
the others anti-trafficking projects in South Eastern Europe. The evaluation report will be 
distributed to the five donors of TACT II.
Scope and focus 
6.1. Relevance / Appropriateness
Relevance is the degree of correspondence between the identified problem and the needs of 
the target population and the objectives defined. Appropriateness is the correspondence
between the input/resources and the intended results.
ü Was the initial phase of Tdh intervention in Albania, from the assessment of the 
situation to the development of Tdh anti-trafficking activities in the country?
ü Were/are the objectives of the TACT Project appropriate and rational responses to 
the problem and the needs of the target population? (past, present and future phase 
of implementation?)
ü Were/are the objectives in prevention adapted to the problem? (comparison with an 
approach focusing the discrimination issues)
ü Were/are the resources (human, financ ial and material) allocated to the programme 
in line with the assessed needs?
6.2. Results achieved
Results achieved refer to the outputs of the programme and the extent to which the
programme had an effect, planned or unplanned, negative or positive on the target population.
ü Where there any major unplanned positive or negative consequences of the
programme and what were their effect on the quality of the outcome?
ü Could we measure the results in prevention (inside school, inside family, in streets, 
etc.) both in the changes of behaviour and in the level of knowledge of the 
phenomenon? 
ü How has basic knowledge of the community on trafficking changed and
perceptions changed during the time of working with the community? For example, 
do children in the community know how to protect themselves from trafficking?
ü Highlight achievements and failures of the programmes in the light of protection 
and reintegration and examine underlying reasons for these. 
ü What are the results of the approach based on trust relationship with the target 
population? (comparison between the different fields of intervention (e.g. regions 
of Korça and Durrës) and within a region between a new and an old family)
ü Where there any major internal or external constraints to the implementation of the 
programmes that affected the outcomes? 
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 33
6.3. Efficiency
Efficiency is a measure of how economically inputs (funds, expertise, time etc.) have been 
converted into outputs.
ü Could we achieve same results with fewer inputs? Were the activities
implemented in the most timely and productive manner?
6.4. Programme management and Coordination 
Coordination is the degree of collaboration among the different partners and within Tdh for 
operational and advocacy purposes. 
ü What is the nature and degree of operational coordination with other stakeholders 
(anti-trafficking police, public social services, education staff, municipal services, 
other Ngos) within Tdh delegation?
ü What is the nature and degree of coordination with the Albanian inter-NGO 
coalition BKTF, institutions, and authorities for advocacy purposes?
6.5. Participation – Limited work done 
• Can we evaluate the participation of children and communities in the process of
project design, implementation and adaptation of the activities?
•
• Is the will of the child taken into consideration in protection and Assisted Voluntary 
Return (AVR) processes? 
• Does the child participate to the conception of prevention kits?
• What is the level of community ownership? (What is the level of active participation
of community members in discussing trafficking? This should be measured in terms of 
the community's level of interest in the issue rather assuming the community will 
necessarily take up the issue of their own accord (this might not be feasible due to 
other constraints). 
• How has the project been adjusted in response to the needs and views of the
community?
6.6. Sustainability
Sustainability is whether the results are likely to continue after the TACT support is
withdrawn and responsibility shifts fully to the National Authorities. Is any intermediate 
phase foreseen between the end of the project and the handover to authorities?
ü What steps have been taken to work towards sustainability?
ü To what extent are the different stakeholders (social services, education staff, other 
Ngos) willing and able to manage and carry on the programmes successfully if 
TACT support fades out? Is there a process towards assuring the necessary support 
and resources? What is the advocacy role played by the project in this direction? 
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 34
(evaluation to be made regarding the situation in both countries, interviews with 
the Greek NGO ARSIS to be arranged by Tdh staff)
ü Is the community now taking initiative on the issue itself? (i.e. ripple effects 
beyond the parameters of the anti-trafficking intervention/project. For example, is 
the community organising its own programmes?)
Existing information sources 
· Reports of precedent phases (PRAEVE, RAS, TACT I)
· TACT II project proposal and annexes,
· Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) and Result Framework (RF) based on USAID 
M&E system,
· Quarterly Program Reports (from 1 to 6),
· Monthly Coordination Meetings,
· “The trafficking of Albanian Children to Greece”, report, January 2003,
· “Child trafficking in SEE, the development of good practices to protect Albanian 
children”, November 2004,
· Other international reports mentioning Tdh/TACT intervention
Evaluation process and methods 
Methods
· Desk research / literature review 
· Interviews with key stakeholders in the Tdh Headquarters and in Albania 
· Field visit to Albania and Greece 
· Debriefing in Albania at the end of the field visit to share preliminary findings 
· Meeting in Lausanne with key stakeholders before finalizing the evaluation report
Process 
The evaluators will produce: 1) an evaluation work plan, and, 2) an evaluation report, 
including an evaluation abstract. A draft work plan and draft evaluation report will be 
submitted to the Tdh-Albania for comments before the final documents are produced.
Deliverables are to be prepared in English.
The draft evaluation report should clearly identify the purpose of the evaluation, what was 
evaluated, how the evaluation was conducted, the data considered, the conclusions drawn and 
recommendations made and lessons identified. 
The final report includes an executive summary that highlights the main findings and
recommendations. Where appropriate, technical appendices should be used to separate
methodological issues, detailed tabulations or analysis of data, instruments or detailed
procedure used, etc., from the main body of the report. For reasons of continuity, the
appendices should also contain the original terms of reference. 
Stakeholder participation 
Interviews with stakeholders will be made possible by Tdh team:
· Anti-trafficking police officers,
· Educational staff (teachers, headmasters, etc)
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 35
· Regional public social services,
· Leaders of NGO partners (ARSIS in Greece, other partners in Albania)
· Leaders of BKTF coalition,
· Community leaders and parents,
· Children (according to CPP guidelines)
Accountability
TACT Project is financially supported by five different donors. The evaluation of the project 
is foreseen twice in its implementation (mid-term and end of the project). All donors will 
receive a copy of the final evaluation report in order to estimate the intermediate results of the 
project (the analysis of financial support will be considered by each donor individually).
Tdh, as the implementing agency, is in charge of maintaining full transparency about the 
evolution of the project, its outputs and the constraints of the implementation toward the 
donors.
Evaluation team 
With a great sense of initiative and discretion, the evaluation team will conduct its works in 
harmony with the implementation of the project. The close consultation of the cadre team of 
the project is necessary to insure the access to information and to beneficiaries. This
permanent consultation is crucial in order to avoid any misunderstanding between the project 
(Tdh and TACT staff) with local authorities and partners. Security and CPP guidelines will be 
observed strictly by the evaluation team.
Procedures and logistics 
· Transportation means will be provided by Tdh team (project vehicles), following the 
evaluation work plan agreed upon,
· A member of the cadre team will be available to accompany the evaluation team, this 
person could play the role of guide and translator from Albanian into English or into 
French.
Budget
Peer working days 21 days
Living allowance and other local expenses 500 CHF
International transport costs 1’600 CHF
Local transport 300 CHF
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 36
ANNEXE 3 – EVALUATION WORK PLAN
Recommendations 
(for TACT II and for 
new phase)
Evaluation of 
achievements
Evaluation of 
project conception
Efficiency
Management and 
coordination
Participation
Sustainability
Diagnosis of 
situation/assessment
Relevance
Goal
Appropriateness
Analysis of results at 
mide-term (*) Objective
Adequacy Appropriateness
Response strategy
Target 
beneficiaries
Target areas
Partnership and 
national strategy
Appropriateness
Adequacy
Activities performed 
at mid-term Activities planned
Appropriateness
Adequacy
Resources used at 
mide-term
Estimated 
resources (human, 
financial and 
material)
Realistic 
planning
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 37
ANNEXE 4 – GRAPH ON CHILDREN IN THE PROJECT PER AXIS CHILDREN Detected in intervention areas
Risk analysis
· Trafficked – 165
· High risk/ risk – 1’003
· Low risk
Children protected
1’168
(of which 619 protected 
and not in re/integrated
scheme)
No documented risk 
analysis
Sensitized children –
24'728 (31'000 
impact)
Protected and integrated 
(Greece 29%) / 
reintegrated (Albania 
53%) – 549
Direct assistance to 154 
families
Child departure (incl. 
Newly trafficked)
File closed by Tdh
Child 
departure 
(incl. Newly 
trafficked - 5)
File closed by 
Tdh
7'104 home visits
4,3% with public social controllers
Change in Aptitude and Practice
Participative adult 
sensitization - 3'638 
(Parents, committee 
members…)
Roma
31%
Others
14%
Egypt.
55%
TACT networking
40 public services (Education, AT￾police, Social services, municipal 
services)
58 partners from civil society
Families
23%
Street
29%
Schools
24%
S. camps
15%
Others
9%
Knowledge change (public 
awarenesse)
Only 1% of the 
children at High 
Risk children
???
??
?
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 38
ANNEXE 5 – LIST OF PEOPLE MET
Government of Albania
Mr. Dolor Tozaj – Advisor to the Minister of State
UNICEF:
Ms Carrie AUER – Country Representative - UNICEF
Miss Galit WOLFENSOHN – Child Protection Officer - UNICEF
USAID:
Mr. Harry BIRNHOLZ – Mission Director - USAID
Miss Arian GIANTRIS – Anti-trafficking Advisor - USAID
Miss Besiana KADARE – Anti-trafficking Advisor - USAID
Albanian NGO:
Mrs. Elira ZAKA – ONACT Coordinator - BKTF Coalition
Mr. Mikael Sterjo – Project Coordinator in Elbasan - Foundation NPF 
ICMC team in Tirana
Terre des hommes Kosovo:
Ms Ajten BUCINCA – Co-Head of Mission – Terre des hommes Kosovo
Mr. Afrim IBRAHIMI – Co-Head of Mission - Terre des hommes Kosovo
ARSIS team in Athens and in Thessalonica
TACT team in Berat, Durrës, Elbasan and Tirana
Director of school and teachers in Berat, Durrës, Elbasan
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 39
ANNEXE 6 – PLACE OF THE PROJECT IN DEVELOPMENT ACTION
Scheme in Project Cycle handbook, Terre des hommes
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 40
ANNEXE 7 – EVALUATORS’ BACKGROUND
Ignacio Packer
Ignacio Packer is head of the programme department of the Terre des hommes Foundation in 
Lausanne. Of multicultural background, he has dual nationality : British and Swiss. He 
graduated in Business Management in Belgium in 1985 before working in banking and in the 
financial auditing sector in Europe and Latin America. In 1988, he joined Médecins Sans 
Frontières (MSF) as a health system manager with a first two year appointment in Guinea. He 
joined the “Medical department” of MSF in Brussels as a specialist in health economics and 
public health. With frequent and extensive field trips, he followed contexts as diverse as the 
war torn Liberia, Zaire, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and contexts where development approaches 
where required such as Guinea, Chad, Cambodia, Laos, Guatemala, Colombia, and Rumania. 
Ignacio Packer worked for MSF until mid-1993 and continued with positions on the board of 
directors until 1996. In 1994, Ignacio Packer graduated as Master in Health Economics at 
York University (UK). He then worked as a health economist with the European Association 
for Development and Health with mandates on economic evaluation in France, Italy,
Switzerland, the Solomon Islands and health project evaluations for the World Bank, USAID, 
EU and bi-lateral donors in Guinea, Tanzania, Niger, Cameroon, Chad... In 1996, Ignacio 
Packer joined the Swiss Tropical Institute to set up the regional health support centre as 
resident representative in Chad and then, in 1998, as health economist in Basel (CH). Ignacio 
Packer joined the Terre des hommes Foundation as head of programme department in May 
2000.
Pierre Philippe
Pierre Philippe is the resource person on Child Trafficking of Terre des hommes Foundation 
in Lausanne. He graduated as Master in Humanities (option: History and Civilisation) in 
France in 1997 before working overseas in Non Governmental Organisations. After 3 years in 
Africa (Burkina Faso and Burundi) as advisor on capacity building of local Ngos, he joined 
Terre des hommes in 2000 as the Tdh representative in Kosovo. In 2002, he worked as 
Itinerant delegate on child trafficking and leads several diagnosis evaluations (Albania-Greece, 
Romania-France, Burkina Faso, Afghanistan…). Since January 2005, he is the resource 
person on Child Trafficking for the Foundation and technical advisor for the International 
Campaign against Child Trafficking of the International Federation of Terre des hommes.
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 41
ANNEXE 8 – TACT BACKGROUND (as per project proposal)
B. Background / Introduction
B.1 An international approach
The mission of Terre des hommes (Charter)
The world-wide appeal of millions of children. Who suffer or die in silence inspires what follows:
As long as one child remains hungry, sick, abandoned, in misery or in pain, whoever and wherever he 
may be, the movement Terre des hommes, created for this reason, will pledge itself to his immediate 
and complete rescue. Having determinedly sought out the child, Terre des hommes will come to his 
aid in the way which responds most closely to his distress. In his country, if circumstances permit, or 
elsewhere, if not, the child will therefore be fed, cared for, provided with a family and restored to a life 
worthy of his rights as a child, always assured of tender and competent support.
Free of any political, religious or ethnic bias, simply human being working for human being, as an act 
of justice not condescension, in a spirit of self-effacement as close to personal anonymity as possible, 
Terre des hommes is composed of voluntary and salaried workers committed to one common goal: 
the rescue of the child for whom the movement is both the ambassador and the instrument of life, 
survival and solace. So that none may be in doubt: neither those who suffer nor those who can relieve 
the suffering, Terre des hommes will strive to alert and to rally humanity around infinite distress of 
countless children.
Terre des hommes’ interventions priorities
The priorities of Terre des hommes foundation are including four main fields of intervention. The 
present project proposal is corresponding to three of them:
· Social: prevention, protection and rehabilitation of children in especially difficult circumstances 
(abandoned, mistreated, street children, adoption, AIDS, psychotraumas, etc.).
· Rights: legal protection of minors and progress in the application of laws.
· Alert/action: public advocacy actions in defence of children (in Switzerland, in Europe and in the 
field).
Project resources and geographical concentration
80% of the projects' resources of Terre des hommes foundation are put to use in 25 countries where 
Tdh is active. Albania is a “concentration country”, and the mission in Albania is acting under its 
Regional Delegation for Eastern Europe (Bucharest, Romania).
As requested by the International Federation of Terre des Hommes (IFTDH), the decision whether to 
join the main organisation has been taken in the year 2000. Such a decision takes into account the 
Foundation's policy of strategic alliance with the aim to defend children's rights on a European scale.
As a contribution for the year 2002, the Institutional and Human Development (IHD) Programme of 
Terre des hommes, Lausanne, and the Regional Delegation in Bucharest have organised training 
sessions on strategic planning in Albania. The result of these training sessions is applied for the next 
three years strategy against child trafficking.
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 42
Children Rights Department (CRD) contribution
The children rights are a major concern for Terre des hommes, Lausanne. Given the considerable 
increase in information received from countries that intervene in child trafficking and from the media, 
the children rights department organised in 1998 a seminar with magistrates, lawyers, police officers, 
journalists and witnesses on the specific action it is taking as an NGO with respect to this matter. Out 
of this seminar came a document entitled "Practical Guide from an NGO dealing with child trafficking" 
that provided some practical instruments for the collection and verification of information, the
interviewing of witnesses, the comparison of laws and that showed ways in which NGOs could
intervene with the police and the courts (without replacing them).
On the other hand, the CRD is the key actor of Terre des hommes, Lausanne, in the “Stop child 
trafficking” international campaign. The CRD had - and will - directly contribute to TACT Project by 
taking in charge investigations and proposing its itinerant delegate for short-term missions.
The next contribution of the CRD for the years 2003 - 2005 is explained in the strategic planing 
document.
Children in Street Situations contribution
The Programmes for " Children in Street Situations " (CSS) are a major concern of the 
Foundation Terre des hommes (as the Foundation’s priority intervention, social field) and 
is implemented in 13 countries.
The final goal of Tdh supported programs is empowerment of children in street situations and their 
families. In this way, Tdh wants to contribute to social development through consideration for
beneficiaries as social actors. Identification of their needs and competencies allows drawing major 
profiles and related appropriate support. For this purpose, a specific tool, the " Child-Street System ", 
has been developed by Tdh in co-operation with the Department of Sociology of the University of 
Fribourg (Switzerland). Tdh is an implementing agency working with local partners, both NGOs and 
GOs, with a networking perspective that strives to offer coordinated services and opportunities for 
children who have decided to leave the street. 
Tdh's Resource person for CSS is a facilitator for capitalization of experiences in this field. His function 
is to identify best practices, give strategic guidelines and continuous technical support, organize 
international workshops, share experience both inside and outside Tdh, and, as a sociologist,
elaborate specialized tools in co-operation with academic competencies.
As new contributions for the years 2002 - 2005, the CSS programme is planning to organize training in 
Albania, with Tdh and partners, which would contribute to issue capitalization document on the
approach of children being trafficked.
The International Campaign against Child Trafficking (ICaCT) contribution
The member organizations of the "Stop child trafficking" Campaign are launching an appeal to all 
players in the international community - media, non-governmental organizations and governments - for 
urgent mobilization to stop child trafficking, regarded by Terre des hommes as a crime against 
humanity. 
To promote this mobilization, at the end of 2001, the Campaign adopted three interconnected
approaches: 1.awareness raising, 2.projects, and 3.legislation. More specifically, the objective is to 
increase awareness about the urgency of combating this scourge, undertake action in the field to 
remove children from the hands of traffickers, and promote adoption and the application of legislation 
against such trafficking. 
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 43
Six regional coordinators have been appointed for South-East Asia, India, Southern Africa, West Africa, 
South America and Europe9
. Together with Terre des hommes delegates already present in some 
dozen countries, coordinators will have the task of implementing the three approaches of the "Stop 
Child Trafficking" Campaign. The Campaign is planned to continue until the end of 2003.
The definition of trafficking in persons formulated and disseminated by the United
Nations Office for Crime Prevention will be adopted in this Campaign:
"the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of 
force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a 
position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a 
person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation".10
B.2 Regional strategy and experience
The Regional Delegation for Eastern Europe management
The Regional Delegation for Eastern Europe, based in Bucharest, Romania, comprises 
programmes in Romania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania. All implemented 
projects are concerning the social field (prevention, protection and rehabilitation of
children in especially difficult circumstances) and children rights field (legal protection of 
minors and progress in the application of laws).
Regarding especially child trafficking aspects, an information network is organized between countries 
part of the regional delegation (either countries of origin, transit or destination countries). In the same 
way, contacts with regional partners (such as OSCE, IOM, EU, Unicef and SDC) are established to 
gather information on regional and field levels.
Mission in Albania
Terre des hommes opened a delegation in Albania in 1993, implementing projects for the most 
vulnerable children. In 1998, the foundation Ndhimë Për Fëmijët (NPF) is created by former cadre-staff 
of Tdh delegation. All projects were directed locally by NPF foundation. So Terre des hommes decided 
to leave the country. In 1999, Terre des hommes decided to come back to Albania to implement 
emergency project for Kosovar population in refugee camps.
First phase: investigation on child trafficking
In October 1999, Terre des hommes took on Mrs. Nathalie Heppell, a former Canadian police officer, 
to lead an investigation into the trafficking of Albanian children in Greece, in response to information 
communicated by the Albanian Foundation "NPF", the Terre des hommes correspondent in the three 
Albanian towns of Elbasan, Korça and Berat. The temporary or final disappearance of children from 
schooling programmes gave rise to a strong presumption that they were victims of organized
trafficking. 
This first report is the result of interviews conducted between October 1999 and January 2000 with 
about a hundred children, parents, school principals, social workers and other persons responsible for 
schools, maternity clinics, adoption and rehabilitation centers, police stations, government institutions, 
NGOs, international organizations, United Nations agencies in Greece and Albania and national and 
international firms of lawyers. The aim was to confirm the existence of trafficking in Albanian children: 
more than a thousand Albanian children are exploited in Greece11
.
 
9
 The regional coordinator of the campaign in Europe is the Head of mission of Tdh in Albania
10 See Annex “Information about ICaCT”
11 See “first investigation summary” Tdh report
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 44
Second phase: prevention programme
P.R.A.E.V.E - "Prevention, Reintegration and Assistance for Child Victims of Exile" 
This project was implemented in 2001, together with the correspondent association NPF, with the 
agreement of the Albanian authorities and the support of UNICEF (Tirana), and the OAK Foundation 
(Geneva). The objectives of this programme were to prevent the risks of exile by making 3000 children 
of Elbasan and Korça regions aware of the problem and, with the support of the schools and parents, 
to set up a recording and detection system for children at risk, as well as a system of intervening 
directly to help "high-risk" children.
Various activities were planned to meet the objectives of the PRAEVE programme, such as the 
production and distribution of material (booklets, posters, videos, etc.) to make people more aware of 
the problem and the creation of an identification file with a photo for each child. Moreover, teaching 
material on school dropouts and the risks of street life have been prepared for the attention of 
teachers.
At the same time, the Terre des Hommes Delegation in Albania acts as coordinator between national 
and foreign NGOs working on child trafficking. Given the proportions of the phenomenon, it is essential 
that every NGO know the expertise, means, objectives and territories of the others and that, globally, 
the standards used for detecting, registering, repatriating and reintegrating the children be
harmonized12
.
Third phase: second investigation in Greece
The Tdh and NPF teams returned to Thessaloniki and Athens in May and June 2001 to 
take stock of the situation for a second time. We noticed a considerable reduction in the 
number of children in the urban centers. Nevertheless, Tdh did find several of them in 
the places frequented by tourists, selling flowers or handkerchiefs. It is estimated that 
their numbers in the towns were down to less than 20% of the total number in 1999. The 
begging and torn, dirty clothes have disappeared making way for better cared for and 
better clothed Albanian boys and girls. Yet, the report of this reduction in the number of 
begging children in Greece is in contradiction with the reports on the spot in Albania, 
from where children continue to leave for Greece.
The disappearance of Albanian children
There are various hypotheses about the disappearance of the children identified more than one year 
earlier:
Firstly, the summer is a low season for work in the urban centers and it is plausible that the children 
migrate to the country to help with fruit harvesting or to other tourist places. Secondly, a move to 
Western Europe is considered a possibility (Italy at first, then Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Britain) 
for the purpose of sexual exploitation or other illegal activities. The third hypothesis is that a number of 
children might be in Greek institutions, transit or detention centers, police stations, shelters or
orphanages. There is also the possibility that children return to Albania. But on the contrary, there is a 
fear that some children completely disappear, are sold off and sent elsewhere or are killed in an
accident or voluntarily.13
The Albanian Ministry of Public Order published in September 2002 the last figures about
unaccompanied minors: approx. 1400 children in Greece and 3700 children in Italy.
 
12 See PRAEVE project final report
13 See “second investigation summary” Tdh report
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 45
Fourth phase: Repatriation pilot project (RSA Project)
Since the beginning of the bilateral partnership between Albania and Greece and with the close co￾operation with the Greek NGO Arsis and with the Filoxenia center of Thessaloniki, more than 15 
children have been returned to their families in Albania and have now benefited from adapted
programmes. Since 2001, the children and families, beneficiaries of our programmes in Albania, are 
henceforth all be registered and photographed so that they can be identified in case of disappearance. 
The repatriation of Albanian children, victims of cross-border trafficking is however extremely complex 
for various reasons:
-. Expatriation, legal and illegal immigration is a collective phenomenon. 
- All repatriation procedures must be conducted according to procedures accepted by the authorities of 
the two countries concerned. 
- The children should accept this repatriation to be with their families14
. 
- All repatriation presupposes reintegration and that the family is motivated, failing which the child -
with or without its consent - will drift back into trafficking. 
So the work being done by Terre des Hommes therefore consists in encouraging the Albanian
authorities and NGOs to meet the destination country’ authorities and NGOs over this phenomenon of 
child trafficking so that they can cooperate on the criteria for analyzing the situation of child trafficking 
victims, on the procedures accepted by the two sides and on the financing of repatriation, in
compliance with their respective laws and international standards.
Fifth phase: TACT Pilot Project
TACT, pilot project objective: “At the end of 2003, all concerned Albanian and Greek 
organizations are mobilizing a part of their means to fight child trafficking, in preventing, 
protecting, repatriating and reintegrating actions, through an effective and accredited
inter-regional15 and international coordinated network. All concerned Albanian and Greek 
authorities are sensitized on a national level to fight child trafficking and co-ordinate 
actions towards trafficked children, and are co-operating on international level with their 
counterparts16”.
All expected results have been met (quantitative and qualitative expected results), with a 
12-months action plan (12 000 beneficiaries). For more information, please see TACT 
pilot project report.
Sixth phase: international report about child trafficking between Albania and Greece
Published in December 2002 (in four languages French, English, Albanian and Greek), this report is 
included in TACT pilot project. It describes the actual situation in both countries. The objective of this 
report is to transmit the information gathered, first of all in order to raise awareness of the extent of this 
trafficking in children during the 1990s and the fact that it is continuing, as well as to testify to the 
horrible experience these children have undergone. This document describes the assistance put in 
place, but also and especially the lack of response on the part of states to protect the victims and allow 
them a better future.
The recommendations for waging a better struggle against the trafficking, communicated 
at the end of this document, stress the urgency of implementing long-term responses in 
order to permit these children to remain children. For more information, please see the 
public report.
 
14 Related to gender, age and maturity of the child
15 Inter-regional: between Albanian regions
16 Counterparts: concerned local authorities in origin or destination countries
Albania - TACT peer review – April 2005 – PPH/IPA Pg. 46
Official distinctions of Tdh and partners
Terre des hommes project against child trafficking between Albania and Greece received in December 
02 the "French Republic Human Rights Award 2002". (This award is the official recognition of the 
works done together with the Albanian foundation NPF (“Ndhimë Për Fëmijët” – in English “Help the 
children”) and the Greek organization ARSIS.)
ARSIS have been nominated in December 02 as “The more dynamic Greek NGO in Social 
Work – Northern Greece Region” By the Greek Ministry of Health and Social Affairs,
NPF (“Ndhimë Për Fëmijët” – in English “Help the children”) have been elected as “the NGO of the 
Year 2002” by Tirana Women International Group (TWIG).