integration

Dritan Agolli

Ref Batch
R
Focus Area(s)
Ref Batch Number
1
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Itumeleng Makgetla
Name
Dritan Agolli
Interviewee's Position
General Administrator of the City Municipality
Interviewee's Organization
Tirana, Albania
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Albanian
Town/City
Tirana
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Dritan Agolli discusses the municipal reforms that took place in Tirana, Albania, when Edi Rama became mayor of the city in 2000. He talks about the administration’s efforts to reduce illegal construction, improve infrastructure, and tackle special interests. He details how city administrators were able to improve facades, rebuild roads, clean city parks, and build playgrounds. He also discusses how private-public partnerships helped overhaul the city’s public transportation. Finally, he explains how Rama motivated Tirana’s municipal staff and successfully changed the attitude of its citizens. 
 
Profile

At the time of this interview, Dritan Agolli was the general administrator of the city municipality of Tirana, Albania. He served in several important positions in the municipality under the mayor, Edi Rama, first as the general director of Public Works and then the general director of Urban Planning before becoming the general administrator. Prior to moving to Tirana, Agolli was cleaning supervisor in the city of Fier, Albania. Agolli was part of Tirana’s municipal team that radically improved city infrastructure and service delivery from 2000 to 2010.

Full Audio File Size
51MB
Full Audio Title
Dritan Agolli Interview

Clearing the Jungle Raj: Bihar State, India, 2005-2009

Author
Rohan Mukherjee
Focus Area(s)
Country of Reform
Abstract

Nitish Kumar was elected chief minister of Bihar, India’s poorest state, in December 2005, when the state’s government was weighed down by two decades of institutional decline, widespread lawlessness and a society deeply divided by caste and religion. Improving law and order was a major priority of his new government. The main challenges were rampant criminal activity that curtailed social and economic life, a short-staffed and under-motivated police force, widespread corruption in the ranks, and the poor image of the Bihar police. Using innovative measures, Kumar and his top police officers set out to rid Bihar of its so-called jungle raj, or law of the jungle.

Rohan Mukherjee drafted this policy note on the basis of interviews conducted in Patna, Bihar, in July 2009.  Two separate memos, “Coalition Building in a Divided Society” and “Reviving the Administration,” describe Kumar’s efforts to build a coalition for reform and improve administration, respectively.
 
Associated Interview:  Abhayanand