Preparation  Cooperation  National Civil Protection Agencies  Albania - New Cooperation  National Civil Protection Agencies  Albania Preparation Cooperation  National Civil Protection Agencies  Albania The contribution will serve to develop a long-erm bilateral cooperation between the Albanian and the Swedish Civil Protection agencies, in order to increase resilience against disasters. Bidraget ska tjäna till att utveckla ett långsiktigt bilateralt samarbete mellan de albanska och de svenska civilskyddsmyndigheterna för att öka motståndskraften mot katastrofer. This intervention intends to assess the feasibility of a full-term bilateral cooperation between the MSB Swedish Contingencies Agency (MSB) and Albanian Civil Protection Agency (NCPA) in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), with the aim of supporting NCPA to strengthen its role as the coordinator of the DDR system in the country,  and achieve its membership in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to its highest benefit.

The intervention will carry out the following:

1. explore the needs, interest and incentives of the NCPA for capacity- and partnership development with MSB;

2.  map and review existing stakeholders, ongoing projects and other initiatives supporting the agency and the disaster risk management system and

3.  assess and suggest how MSB, through its comparative advantages as a national civil protection agency and within the framework of Swedish development aid, EU- and international DRR priorities, and the process for Albania to become a participating state to the UCPM, could meet identified capacity needs and gaps.

 If it is assessed that  a cooperation initiative between NCPA and MSB is feasible,  a project proposal for a long-term bilateral cooperation between the two agencies will be developed, and handed in to Sida for funding. That will be the overall result of the intervention.