This Work Plan covers the First Year of the Property Rights Program (PRP) starting on May 8, 2014. We have aligned our program planning with USAID’s Fiscal Year. As such, the work plan describes program implementation through the end of September 2015.
The rule of law in Kosovo is constrained by poorly defined and enforced property rights, especially the property rights of women and members of minority communities. The absence of an effective property rights regime weakens democratic governance, impacts human rights, disempowers women and impedes sustainable economic growth.
The overall goal of the PRP is to improve the property rights regime in Kosovo, strengthen the rule of law, and increase economic growth and investment. The Property Rights Program is implemented under four objectives:
- Objective 1: Better Coordination and Policy Priorities
- Objective 2: Improved Court Procedures Related to Property Claims
- Objective 3: Enhance Women’s Rights to Use Property in Practice
- Objective 4: Improved Communication, Access to Information and Understanding of Property Rights
Together with the EU, PRP will assist the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to develop a property reform strategy and amend existing property legislation. PRP will support the MOJ to own and direct the property reform process and coordinate the EU and other donors’ support to the MOJ and property reform with technical inputs from line ministries and agencies to avoid duplication of efforts and maximize development impacts. PRP has a particular mandate to improve court procedures related to property claims, with emphasis on improving court practices to remove constraints to women inheriting property in practice. PRP’s activities with the courts will inform EU assistance to the MOJ to draft implementation oriented property legislation. PRP results under Objectives 1 and 2 support improved legal regimes and stronger implementation and improved court performance that contributes to achieving USAID/Kosovo’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy Development (CDCS) Objective 1 “Improved Rule of Law and Governance that Meet’s Citizens’ Needs.” Improved legislation and court procedures also support creation of an Improved Economic Governance and Business Environment under the CDCS Development Objective 2 “Increased Investment and Private Sector Employment.”
The PRP supports USAID Forward implementation and Local Solutions by building sustainable organizational and technical capacity of Kosovo Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and municipal governments to manage and administer USAID direct awards through grants and Government to Government (G2G) agreements under Objectives 3 and 4 respectively. Under Objective 3, CSOs will develop and implement public information and advocacy campaigns to inform women and men about women’s rights to property and change attitudes and behaviors about women’s rights to inherit property. Under Objective 4, municipal capacity will be built to improve delivery of property related services enabling citizens to more efficiently transact their rights to property.
This work plan underlines the PRP focus on results. Our experienced professional staff is capable and ready to design and implement a coherent and effective program between legal and policy activities and improved court processes related to property claims with due consideration to women’s access to inheritance and other property rights. The work plan will serve as a living document so that if the program staff finds that a different approach will be more effective in attaining the desired result during the period of the work plan, the program, in consultation with and approval from USAID, will modify the work plan to meet the result.
A Performance Management Plan (PMP) has been developed in parallel with this first annual work plan to ensure that both documents are congruent, complementary, and mutually supporting. Program deliverables are listed in the PMP along with a schedule for completion.