Co-PLAN, a non-profit organization that contributes to sustainable urban and regional development by enabling good governance, developing civil society and empowering community participation, was founded in 1995. Active in Albania and Kosovo, Co-PLAN has 20 employees working full-time and a large network of experts and practitioners contributing part-time in different initiatives.
Co-PLAN works closely with institutions of local and central governments and has experience in influencing policy developments at local and national levels. Co-PLAN has actively supported civil society organizations and groups that promote social and economic development in Albania. Co-PLAN has also organized many national and international conferences and seminars and has published a set of research papers and publications.
The staff of the Institute cooperated with Co-PLAN in 1996/97 to introduce new approaches to community development and the upgrading of informal housing and to launch the now completed World Bank financed Urban Land Management Program. In 2002, John Driscoll worked with two other members of an evaluation team to review Co-PLAN's current activities and provide recommendations for future ones. In 2007, John and Christa Lee-Chuvala presented a research paper that featured Albania for the World Bank's Fourth Urban Research Symposium entitled Delivery of Security of Tenure, Infrastructure Services and Access to Finance through Community Based Approaches. Dritan Shutina of Co-PLAN coauthored the paper with John and Christa and Co-PLAN undertook the field surveys. The paper discusses the Urban Land Management Program in the Tirana area and its success in creating a partnership between the community, local authorities, and a variety of other organizations for development.
CO-PLAN and the institute share a similar mission to promote sustainable urban and regional development. In October, 2008, Co-PLAN hosted IIUD's Board in Albania to share institutional experiences and visit urban development projects in Tirana, Bathore, Durres, and Berat.
