Capacity Building Training for Young CSO Professionals in Albania

Deadline: 04-Oct-2026

The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), in partnership with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Tirana, is offering a free three-day capacity-building training for young professionals working in Albanian civil society organizations. The training will strengthen practical skills in project management, regional cooperation, peacebuilding, reconciliation, media literacy, and youth engagement. This three-day training is designed to empower young civil society professionals in Albania with practical knowledge and tools for developing and managing effective projects. The program focuses on the specific needs of civil society organizations operating within the Western Balkans. It combines project management education with regional cooperation, peacebuilding, reconciliation, and media literacy. Experienced facilitators will lead interactive sessions that encourage participants to apply new concepts, exchange experiences, and develop ideas for impactful regional projects.

The training is organized by:

RYCO promotes reconciliation, cooperation, mobility, and dialogue among young people across the Western Balkans. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung supports democratic participation, social justice, civic engagement, and regional cooperation. Through this partnership, the organizations aim to strengthen the capacity of young professionals who contribute to Albania’s civil society sector. The initiative seeks to improve the ability of young civil society professionals to design and manage projects that contribute to positive change in Albania and the wider Western Balkans.

The training aims to:

The program will cover several interconnected areas relevant to civil society work. Participants will learn practical approaches to designing, planning, implementing, and managing projects.

Relevant concepts may include:

The training will help participants understand how to develop initiatives involving partners, communities, or stakeholders across the Western Balkans. Regional projects require clear objectives, strong partnerships, cultural awareness, effective communication, and a shared understanding of regional challenges. Participants will explore how civil society projects can support dialogue, social cohesion, trust-building, and reconciliation. Peacebuilding initiatives may address community divisions, prejudice, discrimination, misinformation, and limited interaction among young people from different backgrounds. Media literacy refers to the ability to access, evaluate, understand, and responsibly use information from traditional and digital media.

This component can help participants:

The training will examine ways to involve young people meaningfully in civil society initiatives. Effective youth engagement gives young people opportunities to contribute to decision-making, project design, implementation, advocacy, and community development. The training is open to young professionals who: Applicants should review the official call for any additional requirements concerning age, professional experience, organizational affiliation, or attendance. Only young professionals working in civil society organizations in Albania are eligible. The training is specifically designed for participants from the Albanian civil society sector.

Participation in the training is free of charge

The entire training will be conducted in Albanian. Applicants should therefore have sufficient Albanian-language proficiency to participate actively in the sessions and group activities. Candidates should consult the official announcement to determine whether travel, accommodation, meals, or related participation expenses are covered. The capacity-building program will take place over three days and will use an interactive learning approach.

Participants can expect

The interactive format will help participants connect theoretical knowledge with real challenges faced by civil society organizations. Selected participants will have an opportunity to: Civil society organizations play an important role in supporting democratic participation, social inclusion, community development, youth empowerment, and peacebuilding. However, meaningful projects require more than a strong idea. Professionals must be able to define needs, establish realistic objectives, manage resources, coordinate activities, measure results, and communicate impact. In the Western Balkans, civil society projects can also help strengthen regional dialogue and reconciliation. Building the capacities of young professionals can therefore contribute to more effective organizations, stronger cross-border partnerships, and greater youth participation. Interested professionals should follow the application process provided in the official training announcement. Applicants should generally take the following steps: Applicants should rely on the official announcement for confirmed dates, application links, required documents, and selection procedures. Applicants can improve their submissions by:

Applicants should avoid:

The training is organized by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office in partnership with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Tirana. Young professionals currently working in civil society organizations in Albania may apply. They should be interested in improving their project management capacities and engaging with topics such as regional cooperation, peacebuilding, media literacy, and youth participation. Yes. Participation in the three-day training is free of charge. The training will be conducted in Albanian. The capacity-building program will take place over three days. The main topics include project management, regional project development, regional cooperation, reconciliation, peacebuilding, media literacy, and youth engagement. Participants will gain practical project management tools, improved knowledge of peacebuilding and media literacy, experience developing regional initiatives, and opportunities to connect with other professionals from Albania’s civil s