This book explores and explains institutional coordination and its challenges, in the process of implementing the transposed EU policies and legal acts in Albania. As the country moves closer to EU membership, the challenges of implementing the policies adopted in this process have increased, representing a major obstacle. 

The book analyses the institutional interaction and policy implementation process by focusing on the policy formulation phase and its shortcomings. More specifically, it is based on theoretical models used for the understanding of the role of three main factors in policy making: administrative and coordination capacities, the effectiveness of the involvement of non-state actors and the contribution of EU representatives and experts. 

The research strategy uses two main methods: triangulation and process tracing. Process tracing is used to analyse and understand policy from the design stage to its practical implementation, while triangulation brings to the surface important interesting gaps and different understandings of the policy process among involved actors. Four policy areas (chapters) are selected for the study: Free Movement of Goods, Competition, Food safety and Environment.  Based on findings from the four areas, the study draws broader conclusions on institutional coordination and policy implementation challenges facing the country.

The contribution of the analysis and findings of this study are practical and theoretical. On the one hand, it aims to reach some consolidated conclusions on the institutional factors and practices that influence implementation performance. On the other hand, it also contributes to the wide field of implementation studies by enriching it with an unexplored case such as Albania.