Pre-School Education

From 2019 to 2024, "Smart Processes" played a pivotal role in assisting 30 municipalities to develop and implement a comprehensive preschool education management model. Our efforts focused on providing technical support for service diagnostics, identifying gaps, and drafting detailed Service Improvement Plans to elevate the quality of preschool education. Through collaboration with 33 additional municipalities, we also designed and rolled out 11 targeted training measures, which contributed to strengthening the capacity of local authorities to enhance preschool services.

Key achievements include:

1. Service Planning and Access – Streamlining service planning and improving access for children in need, including managing seasonal registration.

2. Parent Board Functionality – Strengthening the role of parent boards as proactive bodies within kindergartens.

3. Digitalization – Modernizing preschool education assets through digital tools.

4. Education Tax Implementation – Introducing the temporary education tax to support preschool services.

5. Director Performance Assessment – Establishing systems to assess preschool education directors' effectiveness.

6. Monitoring Plans – Overseeing the implementation of service improvement plans and the quality of teaching in kindergartens.

7. Emergency Training – Developing training programs for staff to handle emergencies in preschool settings.

8. Annual Monitoring – Reviewing annual kindergarten plans and monitoring their execution.

9. Didactic Unification – Creating a unified didactic set for children aged 3-6 years.

10. Special Needs Support – Ensuring assistant teacher services for children with special needs.

11. Psycho-Social Services – Providing necessary psycho-social services for kindergartens.

These initiatives were driven by the legal framework established in Article 23 of Law 139/2015, mandating municipalities to manage preschool education within their jurisdictions. In line with this, the “Bashki te Forta Programme (BtF)” engaged our consortium from February to September 2019 to deliver consultancy services focused on improving the management of preschool education.

Key phases of our work included:

• Legal Framework & Standards Identification – Researching and documenting relevant laws, regulations, and standards.

• Internal Management Models – Drafting management models for six municipalities to optimize their preschool education processes.

• Diagnostic & Improvement Plans – Analyzing current service delivery and drafting tailored improvement plans to address identified weaknesses.

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – Creating SOPs for consistent and effective service delivery across municipalities.

• Regulatory Drafting – Enhancing the regulatory framework for preschool education services.

By engaging with local governments and providing strategic, technical support, "Smart Processes" has significantly contributed to the enhancement of preschool education, ensuring better management, accessibility, and quality for young learners across Albania.

This project has been implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation (HSI) Albania - Bashki te Forta Programme (BtF)