Third Pacific Women and Deputies Dialogue Meeting_hand book

Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue

Tanoa International Dateline Hotel Nuku`alofa, Tonga 30 - 31 October 2018

30 October 2018 – Day 1 Time

Session Details

8:30 – 9.00am

Registration The Lord Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, Lord Fakafanua

9.00 – 9.30am

Welcome and Opening Remarks The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, Gloria Poleo

9.30 – 09.45am

Official Photo Shoot

09.45 – 10.00am

Introductions and Overview of the 2 days

10.00 – 10.30am Morning Tea

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Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

UNDP

Session 1: Parliamentary engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals

UNDP

Issues to cover:

The Parliament of the Cook Islands.

• Overview of UNDP/ GOPAC handbook on Parliaments role in implementing the SDGs • 10.30 – 11.45am

Parliament of the Republic of Fiji;

Fiji Parliament: Self-assessment exercise on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

• Reflection on the role of the Clerk in ensuring effective support to MPs on SDGs: Staffing, Strategic Planning, Budgeting; • Working with donors and development partners: ensuring assistance supports Parliament’s priorities

Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

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Session 2: Building an Effective Parliament Secretariat

Parliament of the Republic of Fiji;

Issues to cover:

Legislative Assembly of Tonga.

• Developing an effective Corporate/Strategic Plan for Parliament – processes and lessons learned; Review process?

11.45 – 1.00pm

• Annual reporting processes • Preparing an effective parliament secretariat budget submission • Standard Operation Procedures for the effective administration of parliaments • Fiji Parliament: Reflection on functioning of parliament in the 2014-2018 term.

1.00 – 2.00pm

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LUNCH

Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

Session 3: Operating in a Political Environment

Code of Conduct for Members of the Scottish Parliament (Video);

Issues to cover: • Effective liaison and communication with MPs • Effective liaison and communication with party caucus 2.00 – 3.30pm

• Maintaining Neutrality in dealing with MPs – standard policy to guide secretariat Staff • Overview of the CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Codes of Conduct applying to MPs • Issues for consideration in administering a Code of Conduct applying to MPs.

3.30 – 3.45pm

Wrap up and Evaluation

3.45pm

Afternoon Tea

6.30 – 8.30pm

Official Dinner

Experience of Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly on self assessment against CPA Benchmarks for Code of Conduct (Video);

The Legislative Assembly of Niue;

Parliament of Nauru.

Ancient Tonga, Tamakautonga Rd | Fangaloto, Nuku’alofa.

Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

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31 October 2018 – Day 2 Time

Session Details

8:45 – 9.00am

Registration Session 4: Serving Members of Parliament

Issues to cover: • Preparing for a 9.00 – 10.15am

• Parliament sitting and Committee meetings;

Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia;

The Legislative Assembly of Niue;

• Research Support – policies and guidance to ensure research is parliamentary and politically impartial.

10:15 – 10:30am

Morning Tea Session 5: Parliament Outreach

The Parliament of the Cook Islands;

Issues to cover:

10.30 – 11.45am

• Innovative ways of undertaking Parliament Outreach; • Global best practices relevant for the Pacific; • Engaging CSOs and stakeholders in a politically sensitive outreach initiative;

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Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

Legislative Assembly of Tonga;

Session 6: Empowering Parliament staff

All Clerks and Deputy Clerks

Issues to cover: 11.45 – 1.00pm

• Undertaking needs assessment; • Developing learning plans for staff • Mentoring of key staff (succession planning on role of clerk)

1.00 – 2.00pm

LUNCH Wrap Up and Evaluation

UNDP

2.00pm – 2.30pm Discussion on priority areas for professional development of Clerks and Deputies 2.30pm – 3.00pm Official Closing and End of Day 2

Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

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Pacific Women Clerks and Deputy Clerks Dialogue 30 – 31 September 2018 Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku’alofa, Tonga.

Biographies of Participants

Nauru - ANN MARIE CAIN Ms. Ann-Marie Cain has been serving as Clerk of Parliament since 2013. Prior to that she served as Assistant Clerk and Acting Clerk for the Parliament. She has been trained in the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST) in Lok Sabha, Parliament of India.

She has done a Diploma in Parliamentary Strengthening from McGill University, Canada. She assists Hon. Speaker and the Members in all Chamber duties during the sittings of Parliament. She is Secretary to the House Committee of Parliament and advises other Committees also such as Committee of Privileges and Select Committees. She also approves the final version of the Hansard prepared by the Secretariat and is responsible for the supply of material and documents to all stakeholders. She is focal point of contact with International Organisations such as Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, IPU, APPU and other Parliaments. Widely travelled, she speaks English and Nauruan language.

Samoa - CHARLENE MALELE Susuga Charlene Malele succeeded as new Clerk of the Legislative Assembly on 1st August 2016. She has been working in the Office Legislative Assembly for more than 20 years; she started as a Hansard Editor, providing verbatim account of parliament proceedings. Susuga Carlene Malele later became the Deputy Clerk, of which she served for 15 years before her appointment as Clerk. The position of Clerk of the Legislative Assembly is a constitutional position under the “Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa”; other constitutional positions include the Head of State, Speaker & Deputy-Speaker, Auditor General and Ombudsman.

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Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

TONGA - GLORIA GUTTENBEIL-POLEO Ms. Gloria Guttenbeil was appointed as the Clerk of the Parliament of Tonga by the Legislative Assembly in 2013. Prior to serving as Clerk of the House, she worked for three and a half years as the Secretary/CEO of the Royal Land Commission. She holds a BCom/Llb (Economics) and has worked for seven years as a Crown Counsel at the Crown Law Office (now the AttorneyGeneral’s Office) as a prosecutor, legislative drafter, and secretary to the Government Law Committee. Gloria is also a member of the Tonga Law Society and Women in Law Association. Apart from her professional roles, she is a dedicated wife and mother to three children.

COOK ISLANDS - HELEN MAUNGA Ms Helen Maunga is the Acting Clerk of the Parliament of the Cook Islandsand is directly responsible to the Clerk and Speaker of Parliament to provide supportive roles in the operations of the institute. Prior to serving as the Deputy Clerk, she held the position of Director of Labour and Employment for the Ministry of Internal Affairs for six years. She holds a Diploma in Management Studies from the University of the South Pacific (USP), a Masters in Business Administrations also from USP, a Professional Diploma in Legislative drafting and a Professional Certificate in Pacific Executive Leadership from Canberra

FIJI - JEANETTE TERUBEA EMBERSON

Ms Jeanette Emberson is the Deputy Secretary-General for the Department of Legislature which serves the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji. The role is comparable to Deputy Clerk in other Westminster Parliaments and she reports directly to the Secretary-General to Parliament and through that role to the Speaker of Parliament. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Secretary-General, she had past work experience in Public Sector Law. She was an Acting Senior Legal Officer with the Office of the Attorney-General, under the aegis of the Solicitor-General (appointed 27th July 2011). In that role, she had worked in the Drafting Section, the primary responsibility was to draft government’s legal documentation. Primarily, this entailed the drafting and vetting of written laws as well as subsidiary legislation including but not limited to regulations, orders, bylaws, notices, declarations, rules, delegation of powers. Other responsibiliThird Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

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ties included legal advice and assistance to Ministries/Public Agencies, assisting the Solicitor-General in the general administration of the Office of the Attorney-General, other functions assigned by the Solicitor-General, vetting of Cabinet papers in respect of any legal policy proposals, and undertaking and facilitating public consultation on proposed laws.

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA (FSM) - JESSICA REYES Ms Jessica Reyes is the Assistant Chief Clerk of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia. She has held this position for the past five years. Prior to this, she served as Assistant Health Educator with the Pohnpei Cancer Programme for more than three years. She holds an Associate of Arts Degree (Liberal Arts) from the College of Micronesia in FSM. In her free time, she likes to spend it with family members.

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA (FSM) - LIWIANA IOANIS Ms Liwiana Ioanis is the Chief Clerk of the Congress of FSM. Prior to this appointment, she was Chief Clerk of the second FSM Constitutional Convention of FSM and prior to this, she served as Deputy Chief Clerk for more than four years. She holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in History from the Brigham Young University in Hawaii as well as other certifications and in Legislative Seminar from Portland, Oregon, Computer Training at Comp at Honolulu in Hawaii, Contract by Negotiation from USDA Graduate School and from Hubert Humphry, Institute of Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota. She enjoys gardening, fishing, community service, playing with her grandchildren and just relaxing reading a good book.

FIJI - VINIANA QICA NAMOSIMALUA Ms Viniana Qica Namosimalua is the Secretary General of the Department of Legislature. As Secretary General to Parliament she is the principal procedural advisor to the Speaker, the members and the Committees of Parliament. Mrs Namosimalua previously served as Secretary to the Cabinet from 2003 – 2014, before her appointment as Secretary General. She is a graduate of the University of the South Pacific, Fiji as well as the Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English, History/Politics 9

Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

and Justice Studies, respectively. She also graduated with a Masters Degree in Public Policy from the Korean Development Institute. When she is able to find time, Mrs Namosimalua loves to read, and spend time with family who have been her main support through the challenges of life and career.

NIUE - CHERIE MORRIS-TAFATU

Ms Cherie Morris-Tafatu is the Clerk of the Niue Legislative Assembly. She has served in this position since 4 September 2017. Ms Tafatu has a Diploma of Horticulture, a Bachelor of Applies Science and a Master of Arts in Human Resources. Her interests include Bible study, reading, shellfishing, badminton and gardening.

Parliamentary career:

NIUE - MELISSA DOUGLAS Ms Melissa Douglas is the Deputy Clerk of the Niue Legislative Assembly.

Third Pacific Women Clerks and Deputies Dialogue Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, Nuku`alofa, Tonga

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