/prsp_seminar_report

Cape Town, South Africa March 15, 2007

Seminar How to Strengthen the Role of Parliamentarians in the PRSP Process in Development Programs?

Draft Report

Disclaimer: This report was prepared in May 2007 by Taies Nezam, consultant at the World Bank, under the supervision of Pierre Girardier, World Bank. The background document (annex A) was prepared in February 2007 before the PRSP seminar.

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of PNoWB or of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent.

PNoWB and the World Bank do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work.

Background1 The Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNoWB) is an independent association of more than 1,000 parliamentarians from 110 countries. It was founded in May 2000 to mobilize parliamentarians to address global poverty challenges and promote transparency and accountability at the World Bank. One of PNoWB’s key activities is the “Parliamentarians in the Field” program, which is supported by the Finnish government. This program enables parliamentarians to visit World Bank projects and meet with World Bank staff, civil society representatives, and government officials. One of the main objectives of the visits is to review the development and implementation of national poverty reduction strategies (PRS). So far, there have been 15 country visits, with each lasting four days.

Workshop The World Bank and PNoWB organized a oneday workshop on strengthening the role of parliamentarians in poverty reduction strategies.

The workshop was held in Cape Town, South Africa on 15 March 2007. The objectives of the workshop were to (i) discuss PRS content (e.g. identifying priorities) and process (e.g. participating in consultations and approving the PRS), (ii) identify best practice in PRS implementation, and (iii) review the “Parliamentarians in the Field” program. The program of the workshop included two sessions in the morning and two sessions in the afternoon.2 Each session began with a number of short presentations and concluded with a question and answer period. The workshop brought together, inter alia, 90 parliamentarians and World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), African Development Bank, Finnish government and World Development Movement officials.3 It preceded the 7th Annual Conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank, which was hosted by the Parliament of South Africa.

Two documents were made available to workshop participants: the first presenting the main findings of the 15 field visits and the second summarizing the role of parliamentarians in PRS.4 Session One: Learning from Experience The first session began with some introductory remarks by Alain Destexhe, Senator, Belgium, and Jean-Christophe Bas, World Bank. Mr. Bas also thanked the Finish government for its continued and generous support to the “Parliamentarians in the Field Program”.

1

This report was prepared by Taies Nezam, consultant to the World Bank.

Please refer to the Program.

3 Please refer to the List of Participants.

4 Please refer to “Parliaments and Poverty Reduction Strategies” and “Main Findings of the Field Visits 2001-2007”.

Both available at www.worldbank.org/parliamentarians.

2

Program Experience: the “Parliamentarians in the Field Program” Alan Destexhe, Senator, Belgium, reviewed the “Parliamentarians in the Field” program. He based his comments on field reports and discussions with parliamentarians who had participated in the country visits. Since 2001, about 120 parliamentarians from over 50 countries have participated in 15 country visits. The program has had two main achievements: parliamentarians have i) improved their knowledge of development policies and the PRS process, and ii) increased their understanding of the World Bank. In addition, through presentations, reports and articles, they have also passed on this knowledge to their constituents and colleagues. Nonetheless, it is difficult to measure the impact of these visits on the PRS and development policies.

With this in mind, Mr. Destexhe made a number of suggestions to improve the program.

1. The field visits were organized by the World Bank country teams. To make them more relevant to the needs of MPs, PNoWB and a few MPs could become involved early in the preparation process.

2. Some field visits were focused on one topic such as HIV/AIDS or governance.

Others did not specify an objective or focused more broadly on the entire PRS. The objectives of the each visit could be better defined and, perhaps, narrowed.

3. A decision needs to be made on whether the focus of the visits should be on parliamentary involvement in development policies or the policies themselves. It is difficult to do both during a four day visit.

4. To allow for both broad and effective participation, the number of MPs participating in each visit could to be limited to 10 and include both junior and senior MPs. Perhaps we need more field visits with a smaller number of MPs. 5. To build on the knowledge gathered during these visits, MPs who have participated in the field visits could form a core group.

6. To improve the quality of the field reports, a PNoWB staff member could be tasked with writing them.

7. Perhaps a set of topic-specific guidelines could to be prepared, including how the topic could be included in the PRS and what role the parliament should play.

Country Experience: Tanzania and Ghana Anne Makinda, Deputy Speaker/Member of Parliament, Tanzania, presented her country’s experience with the PRS. Although parliamentarians were largely excluded from the preparation of the first PRSP, they have become actively involved with the second PRSP called MKUKUTA. This has included parliamentary plenary and committee discussions on the PRS as well as the budget. This has also included a variety of consultations with constituents. To build on this, parliamentarians need to increase their partnership with civil society and become more involved in the budgetary process. This may require some form of financial assistance from donors.

Perhaps a certain percentage of the funding provided for projects/programs could be set aside for parliamentary oversight.

Moses Asaga, Member of Parliament, Ghana, presented his country’s experience with the PRS. Because opposition members were not included in the development of the first PRSP, they were not willing to implement it when their government came to power. Parliamentarians were also not involved in the preparation of the first PRSP. With the second PRSP, the executive branch allowed members of parliament (MPs) to review the document and set up a Poverty Reduction Strategy committee.

However, the work of the committee was hampered by lack of funding. Perhaps donors could find a way to fund these types of committees. In addition, including MPs in the consultative group meetings could improve their participation in the PRS and budget processes.

Multilateral Institution Experience: the African Development Bank Amani Abou-Zeid, African Development Bank (ADB), presented the ADB’s experience with the PRS. The ADB recognizes the importance of good governance for poverty reduction, economic growth and sustainable development. At the heart of good governance is the involvement of parliaments. Hence, the ADB has undertaken a number of initiatives to build the capacity of MPs to participate in the PRS process (e.g. statistics training for MPs in Uganda and equipment for parliamentary committees in Nigeria).

Comments from Participants during Session One • •

It is not enough for MPs to have the opportunity to participate in the PRS process. It is also important for them to have the technical and financial capacity to make the most of that opportunity.

With respect to the participation of MPs in the field visits, it is important to have some MPs from the region, some MPs from another region and some MPs from donor countries.

Session Two: from Wish-list to Implementation This session focused on the need to have coherence between the poverty reduction strategies and national development priorities and programs.

Donor Perspective: Finland Max von Bonsdorff, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland, presented a donor’s perspective on aid coordination and the PRS process. The presentation focused on general budget support to Tanzania. In accordance with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, which encouraged donors to base their aid policies and programs on the priorities of the country and focus on results, a joint assistance strategy was signed by 18 donors and the Tanzanian government. This strategy outlined the type and amount of aid given to Tanzania. It also indicated that the budget

cycle would be the key process through which priorities would be identified and resources allocated. In addition, general budget support was identified as the preferred aid modality because it increased government ownership and management of the national development process. General budget support, unlike other forms of aid, is not earmarked for a particular sector or project. However, annual disbursements are based on a set of monitorable results.

Country Perspective: Kenya and Cambodia Billow Kerrow, Member of Parliament, Kenya, presented his country’s experience with the PRS. Kenyan MPs find it difficult to monitor and evaluate the implementation of their country’s PRS because they do not receive regular progress reports. In addition, they find it impossible to link budget allocations with PRS priorities.

Saumura Tioulong, Member of Parliament, Cambodia, presented her country’s experience with the PRS. Where parliament is dominated by one party or one coalition of parties, its oversight role becomes theoretical and it becomes subservient to the executive branch. Cambodia has had some success with respect to monitoring the implementation of its PRS by organizing a group of female parliamentarians from the ruling and opposition parties. Overcoming the current political, technical and financial constraints to parliamentary involvement in the PRS process requires the World Bank to i) make the approval of the PRS by parliament compulsory, ii) make the participation of the opposition parties compulsory, and iii) set aside a certain percentage of its assistance for parliamentary monitoring of the PRS. Comments from Participants during Session Two • •

In Ghana, when the chairman of a parliamentary oversight committee challenged the government too many times, he was removed by his own party.

If a country was like a company, its government would be its board of directors and responsible for managing it. Certain measures (such as the PRS), however, would require approval by its shareholders (citizens).

Session Three: An Opportunity for More Participation The third session began with some general remarks by Ben Turok, Member of Parliament, South Africa. First, the field visit to Kenya benefited enormously from the active participation of the Kenyan MPs in each session. Second, the South African parliament is careful not to accept donor budget support because it does not want to jeopardize its independence. It does, however, accept technical assistance. Third, parliaments should not get too involved in technical aspects of the PRS. They should, instead, focus on the overall direction of the strategy. And fourth, what does country ownership and management of the PRS imply for World Bank approval?

Vinay Bhargava, World Bank, responded to Mr. Turok’s final comment by indicating that the PRSP is a country document and not subject to World Bank approval. However, the staff of the World Bank and IMF do prepare an assessment of the document. In addition, the World Bank takes the relationship between the executive and legislative branches in a country as a given.

Nonetheless, it welcomes and supports parliamentary participation in the PRS process through technical assistance.

Building a Parliamentary Budget and Research Office Habeeb Fasinro, Member of Parliament, Nigeria, presented his experience with parliamentary capacity. Because most MPs do not have technical backgrounds, they need to rely on a strong, independent and well-funded budget and research office. With the assistance of this office, they are more able to scrutinize the policies (including the PRS) and budgets put before them by the executive branch.

Strengthening Parliamentary Capacity: the World Bank Luiza Nora, World Bank, presented the Parliamentary Strengthening Program of the World Bank. Given that the first generation of PRSPs largely excluded parliamentarians, the program began by raising awareness. Now that parliamentary participation is more significant, the program works on areas where MPs can have the most impact such as the budget cycle.

Activities include parliamentary committees and their staff. In addition, leadership training is provided to female parliamentarians.

Developing Parliamentary Scrutiny: the World Development Movement Martin Powell, World Development Movement, presented a civil society organization’s experience with parliamentary capacity. Since the 1980’s, the World Development Movement has been campaigning against the negative impact of World Bank and IMF policies. More recently, it has become concerned with the influence that the World Bank maintains over the content of many PRSPs. The Movement believes that country ownership is not possible without parliamentary involvement at every stage of the PRS. Toward this end, it has prepared a document called “Building Scrutiny of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund: a Toolkit for Legislators and Those Who Work with Them”. The document is short, accessible and full of case studies.

Comments from Participants during the Session Three • •

Given the high turnover of MPs, those with knowledge and skills relevant to the PRS process could consider remaining engaged in some capacity (e.g. employees of or consultants to civil society groups working with parliaments).

Because poverty affects men and women differently, it is important to design policies accordingly.

• • •

• •

To improve the amount of information available about the PRS process, the World Bank could develop Good Practice Guidelines for Information Provision. It could also ensure that documents are translated into local languages.

“Aid is aid.” The line between technical assistance and other forms of support to parliaments is very thin. “You either drink deep or do not taste at all.”

“Our experience is totally different. We are not told by the World Bank what to do. In fact, most of the time, the World Bank is listening to the representative of the people.”

Thanks to PNoWB, cooperation between the World Bank and parliamentarians in India has increased significantly.

“You have the donors, the government and relatives of the leaders (civil society or the cousins, parents and brothers of the leaders). The parliamentarians are not involved, not even the majority party parliamentarians.”

Perhaps PNoWB could consider forming a standing committee on parliamentary capacity (similar to the ones on HIV/Aids and trade).

• Closing Session The last session began with Jean-Christophe Bas, World Bank, reiterating the objectives of the workshop. Then, Pierre Girardier, World Bank, summarized the day’s presentations and discussions with the following seven words: 1. Information. MPs need access to information to fulfill their oversight role. Governments and donors are often not good at sharing information.

2. Timing. It is important to be involved as early as possible. This is important both for the PRS process and the preparation of the field visits. In addition, how the timing of the PRS relates to the budget cycle and elections must be considered.

3. Resources. Perhaps a certain percentage of the funds allocated for each project could be set aside for parliamentary oversight. It is also important to invest in human resources or building the capacity of parliamentarians, especially with respect to the budget cycle.

4. Alignment. There needs to be alignment between national development plans and donor requirements.

5. Structure. There needs to be a parliamentary committee responsible for all issues related to poverty reduction. There may also need to be a committee within PNoWB focusing on parliamentary capacity.

6. Indicators. Indictors are necessary to measure the impact of the field visits and the PRS. 7. PNoWB. The network is unique because of the number of MPs and countries involved. Hence, it needs to play an important role in the poverty agenda.

Finally, Hugh Bayley, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom, made some concluding remarks. Country ownership means that the World Bank must be accountable to the people of the country. This is why parliamentarians have to be involved. Good or bad, they are the representatives of the people of that country. And, for parliamentarians to be effective involved, they need capacity. Perhaps PNoWB could create a committee on parliamentary capacitybuilding and a field visit to a donor country could be arranged.

ANNEX A

Parliaments and Poverty Reduction Strategies A Background Note

March 2007

Paris, France

Introduction In December 1999, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) began to require the development and implementation of poverty reduction strategies (PRS) by low-income countries.

These strategies sought to empower governments to set development priorities and encouraged donors to align their assistance around these priorities. By providing a framework where country policies, programs and resource needs were specified, it was hoped that progress could be made toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Five years later, the two institutions undertook a review5 of this approach. By this time, about 50 countries had prepared national poverty reduction strategies, with about half of them in subSaharan Africa and about half of them in heavily-indebted poor countries (HIPCs). Overall, the review found that the PRS approach was useful with respect to providing a framework for achieving sustainable development at the country level. However, five elements were identified to enhance the effectiveness of the approach. One of these elements was “sustaining meaningful participation”.6 According to the review, the PRS process had enabled a number of stakeholders to participate in a national dialogue about economic policy and poverty reduction. However, much of this participation had been “broad rather than deep” and focused on PRS development rather than implementation or monitoring. Moreover, focusing on civil society engagement may have neglected other groups like parliamentarians. For example, PRSs were presented to parliaments in only one-third of the countries. Similarly, a number of NGOs, bilaterals, and others (e.g.

ActionAid, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Development Institute and UN Development Programme) have indicated that low parliamentary participation has been detrimental to the PRS process.7 Hence, the review called for efforts to improve the capacity of parliaments to engage in the PRS process.

This note focuses on the role of parliaments in the poverty reduction strategy process. It begins by explaining why it is important to involve parliamentarians and providing a framework for their participation. Then, it discusses how parliaments have been involved so far. It concludes by identifying some constraints to “sustainable and deeper” parliamentary participation and suggesting ways to address these constraints. While a number of documents were reviewed, the note draws heavily on the work of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Division of the World Bank Institute (WBIPR). It was prepared8 as a background note for the participants of a one-day seminar on strengthening the role of parliamentarians in the poverty reduction strategy process, held in Cape Town, South Africa on March 16, 2007.

5

World Bank and IMF. September 2005. “2005 Review of the PRS Approach: Balancing Accountabilities and Scaling Up Results.”

6 The other four elements were: i) strengthening the medium-term orientation of the PRS, ii) utilizing the PRS as a mutual accountability framework, iii) enhancing linkages between PRSs, MTEFs and budget processes, and iv) tailoring the PRS approach to country circumstances, particularly to the circumstances of conflict-affected and fragile states.

7 World Bank. 2004. “The Poverty Reduction Strategy Initiative: An Independent Evaluation of the World Bank’s Support Through 2003.” Operations Evaluation Department (OED).

8 The note was prepared by Taies Nezam, consultant, Development Policy Dialogue Team, World Bank. The author acknowledges comments by Luiza Nora, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Division, World Bank Institute (WBIPR). The findings expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the World Bank.

Why involve parliaments?

Most parliaments fulfill four key functions that are central to PRS development, implementation and monitoring/evaluation.9 • • •

•

Representative. Parliamentarians consult with their constituents in order to be able to present their views on national policy.

Legislative. Parliaments review bills and ratify laws that are necessary to support reforms and development programs.

Financial. Parliamentarians oversee national budgets. In this regard, they insure that resource allocation is consistent with the country’s development objectives, scrutinize government revenues and expenditures (including loans and credits from the World Bank and IMF), and identify financial dishonesty and irregularity.

Oversight. Parliaments and/or parliamentary committees monitor and evaluate national development programs.

In addition, legislative involvement reinforces four core PRS principles.10 • • •

•

Country-driven (with broad-based participation). Parliamentarians can raise awareness of poverty issues and ensure that the views of their constituents (including the poor) are reflected in the PRS process.

Medium-to long-term continuity. Support for PRSs by members of parliament from both governing and opposition parties can ensure that changes in government will not derail the process.

Comprehensive and results-oriented. Given the geographic and political composition of parliaments, they can provide a good space for debating and developing comprehensive poverty reduction initiatives. In addition, as already noted, parliamentarians can support PRS implementation through legal reform and resource allocation.

Partnership-oriented. Parliaments can improve donor coordination by having committee hearings and/or preparing reports on the PRS process.

A participation framework11 The preparation of a poverty reduction strategy begins with the identification of factors that create and/or reinforce poverty. According to the World Development Report (WDR) 2000/200112, poverty is multi-dimensional and includes material deprivation (low consumption and income levels), human development (low health and education status), vulnerability to adverse shocks (economic crisis and natural disaster) and disempowerment (powerlessness and inability to influence decisions). Members of parliament can play a role with respect to the latter, i.e., ensuring that the voices of citizens and citizen groups are heard during the PRS process. This is especially true in countries where local and/or regional governments have limited authority.

9

Katrina Sharkey, Theodore Dreger, and Sabina Bhatia. 2006. “The Role of Legislatures in Poverty Reduction: Experience and Future Directions.” World Bank Institute.

10 K. Scott Hubli and Alicia P. Mandaville. 2004. “Parliaments and the PRSP Process”. World Bank Institute.

11 Ibid.

12 World Bank. 2001. World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty. New York: Oxford University Press.

Parliamentary outreach Parliamentary outreach during the various phases of the PRS process can include: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Documenting citizen complaints.

Listening to local leaders to learn about community/village issues.

Meeting with representatives of unions and business organizations.

Consulting with issue-specific civil society organizations (at the local, regional and national levels).

This section provides a framework for parliamentary participation in the PRS process.

Involvement in the process will vary between countries and across the four components of the PRS cycle, namely i) poverty diagnosis, ii) PRS development, iii) PRS implementation, and iv) PRS monitoring/evaluation.

•

•

•

•

Poverty diagnosis. Parliamentary outreach activities (see box on outreach) could highlight non-qualitative aspects of poverty. PRS poverty diagnosis working groups could also include parliamentarians. In addition, the poverty diagnosis reports could be presented to parliaments.

PRS development. Parliamentary outreach activities could solicit and aggregate citizen input on various policy options. PRS sector-specific working groups could also include members of parliament or parliamentary committees (health, education, etc.). Where this is not possible, the working groups could periodically brief sector-specific parliamentary committees on their work. In addition, the draft PRSP could be reviewed by parliaments.

PRS implementation. Parliamentary outreach activities (town hall/village meetings, public service announcements, interviews with the media, etc.) could build support for PRS initiatives. In addition, parliaments could approve PRS-compatible budgets and PRS-relevant legislation. They are more likely to do this when they have been involved in PRS formulation, i.e., the priority-setting process.

PRS monitoring and evaluation. Parliamentary outreach activities could monitor changes in the non-quantitative aspects of poverty. This could include consulting with civil society organizations (see box on Malawi). Parliamentary committees could also ensure that expenditures are in line with PRS priorities. In addition, PRS monitoring/evaluation working groups could also include members of parliament or parliamentary committees (health, education, etc.). Where this is not possible, the working groups could periodically brief sector-specific parliamentary committees on their work. Finally, annual PRS progress reports could be reviewed by parliaments.

NGOs in Malawi monitor PRS implementation13

In 2002, four civil society networks representing 80 local NGOs testified at a public hearing of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Malawian Parliament. They presented documentation and testimony on the delivery of government services in the health, education and agriculture sectors. Members of parliament from the health, education and agriculture committees also attended the hearing. The hearing generated a great deal of media coverage.

13

Ibid.

Experience so far There is great variation with respect to parliamentary involvement in the poverty reduction strategy process. During the development phase, members of parliament and other stakeholders have been included in events organized by the government to disseminate information about and gather input on the PRS (Cambodia, Guinea, Kyrgyz Republic, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Senegal, Tanzania and Yemen). They have also been included as members of multi-stakeholder working groups on specific sectors such as education, health or water (Malawi, Mali, Niger, Tajikistan and Zambia). In addition, special consultations on the PRS have been organized with parliamentarians (Cambodia, Gambia, Niger and Uganda) and the PRS has been formally discussed and approved by parliaments (Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Honduras and Mauritania).14 However, in other countries, elected officials have been largely ignored during the PRS formulation phase (Albania, Mozambique15 and Georgia16).

Parliaments in Africa17 During consultations in Mtwara, members of the Tanzanian parliament and their constituents agreed that better access to education must be part of the country’s PRS. A few years later, school fees were eliminated, 7300 new teachers were recruited and 13,000 new classrooms were built. This resulted in a net primary enrollment rate of 85% in 2002, up from 59% in 2000, prior to the shift in policy. In addition, the MPs were able to raise some of the funds required for the policy change from among their constituents.

Given that Malawi has one of the highest HIV/AID incidence rates in Africa (estimated in 2001 as 15% for the 15-49 age group), its PRS has called for HIV/AID-related workplace interventions in all ministries. When members of the parliamentary Health Committee noticed that the budget allocated for this item had not been spent, they met with the Minster of Health and demanded that the situation be rectified.

In Niger, a special poverty reduction committee has been established within the National Assembly.

Members of this committee have been active on the radio explaining key elements of the country’s PRS. In addition, they have been visiting various regions to obtain citizen’s views on PRS implementation.

During the implementation and monitoring/evaluation (oversight) phase, parliamentarians are being asked to establish a PRS standing committee (e.g., Azerbaijan) or join a PRS steering committee managed by the president’s office (e.g., Chad and Georgia). In addition, governments have been asked to prepare progress reports for their parliaments (e.g., Benin, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan). Finally, some members of parliament are building their capacity to monitor linkages between the budget and the PRS (e.g. Burkina Faso and Cameroon) and consult on a 14

Katrina Sharkey, Theodore Dreger, and Sabina Bhatia. 2006. “The Role of Legislatures in Poverty Reduction: Experience and Future Directions.” World Bank Institute.

15 World Bank. 2004. “The Poverty Reduction Strategy Initiative: An Independent Evaluation of the World Bank’s Support Through 2003.” Operations Evaluation Department.

16 OXFAM. January 2004. “From Donorship to Ownership.”

17 Steven Langdon and Rasheed Draman. 2005. “PRSPs in Africa: Parliaments and Economic Policy Performance.” GTZ and Parliamentary Centre.

regular basis with their constituencies on poverty-related issues (e.g. Mauritania, Rwanda and Tanzania).18

Constraints to parliamentary involvement This section outlines the major constraints to greater parliamentary participation in the PRS process. 19 •

•

•

Constitutional. The balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of the government determines the degree to which the parliament can play a meaningful role. Where executive control is absolute, parliamentarians are unable to play an effective role.20 Political. A political environment characterized by free and fair elections, freedom of expression, and the rule of law enables useful legislative engagement. Where members of parliament are intimated and threatened, they are not able to make independent interventions.

Technical. Analytical capabilities and access to resources influence parliamentary effectiveness. In some cases, parliaments lack experience and can not engage in a wide range of policy issues. This is especially true of countries coming out of conflict. In other cases, they lack competent staff, independent research and timely (and relevant) information. The latter is especially true with respect to national budgets, which results in them not being aligned with PRS priorities.

Next steps A number of initiatives (e.g., a Handbook for Parliamentarians on the PRS process, an awareness raising effort among members of parliament about the PRS process, and a global training program on “Parliaments, Governance and the PRSP”) have been undertaken by the World Bank, IMF, UNDP and others to address these constraints. Despite these efforts, important challenges remain.21 •

• •

18

Capacity. It is essential to develop the capacity of parliamentarians and their staff, especially with respect to economic and sector issues. For example, the National Assembly of Lesotho opened its sixth parliament with an orientation that included various sessions including one on parliamentary rights and responsibilities Information. It is crucial to improve the quality of information available to parliaments.

For example, Nigeria is considering the establishment of a National Budge Office.

Communication. It is important to improve communication between parliamentarians and their constituents and the executive branch. For example, Ghanaian MPs set up a Poverty Reduction Committee to, inter alia, reach out to neglected (northern) regions of the country.

World Bank and IMF. 20 September 2004. “Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers—Progress in Implementation.”

Katrina Sharkey, Theodore Dreger, and Sabina Bhatia. 2006. “The Role of Legislatures in Poverty Reduction: Experience and Future Directions.” World Bank Institute.

20 Steven Langdon and Rasheed Draman. 2005. “PRSPs in Africa: Parliaments and Economic Policy Performance.” GTZ and Parliamentary Centre.

21 Katrina Sharkey, Theodore Dreger, and Sabina Bhatia. 2006. “The Role of Legislatures in Poverty Reduction: Experience and Future Directions.” World Bank Institute.

19

• •

Legislation. It is helpful to work with parliamentarians on the development of freedom of information and freedom of association legislation.

Networks. It is useful to build networks among parliamentarians to facilitate information sharing and collaboration. Such networks include the Parliamentary Network of the World Bank (PNoWB), Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the South African Development Council Parliamentary Forum (SADCPF).

Bibliography

Hubli, K. Scott, and Alicia P. Mandaville. 2004. “Parliaments and the PRSP Process”. World Bank Institute.

Langdon, Steven, and Rasheed Draman. 2005. “PRSPs in Africa: Parliaments and Economic Policy Performance.” GTZ and Parliamentary Centre.

OXFAM. January 2004. “From Donorship to Ownership.”

Sharkey, Katrina, Theodore Dreger, and Sabina Bhatia. 2006. “The Role of Legislatures in Poverty Reduction: Experience and Future Directions.” World Bank Institute.

World Bank. 2001. World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty. New York: Oxford University Press.

World Bank. 2004. “The Poverty Reduction Strategy Initiative: An Independent Evaluation of the World Bank’s Support Through 2003.” Operations Evaluation Department (OED).

World Bank and IMF. 20 September 2004. “Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers—Progress in Implementation.”

World Bank and IMF. September 2005. “2005 Review of the PRS Approach: Balancing Accountabilities and Scaling Up Results.”

ANNEX B

List of participants

Members of Parliament and Parliamentary Staff Afghanistan

Sabrina Saqib

Albania

Ylli Bufi

Albania

Edmond Shyqyri Spaho

Belgium

Gerolf Annemans

Belgium

Sfia Bouarfa

Belgium

Alain Destexhe

Belgium

Pierre Lano

Belgium

Paul Tant

Bolivia

Ximena Flores

Bolivia

Fernando Messmer Trigo

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Branko Dokic

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Azra Hadziahmetovic

Brazil

Eduardo Suplicy

Burkina Faso

Abel T. Lompo

Burundi

Victoire Ndikumana

Burundi

Schadrack Niyonkuru

Cambodia

Saumura Tioulong

Cameroon

Akere Muna

Cameroon

Marie Rose Nguini Effa

Cameroon

Louis Claude Nyassa

Canada

Peter Stollery

Colombia

Santiago Castro

Congo

Marie Eleka

Congo

Joseph Kignoumbi Kia Mboungou

Denmark

Steen Gade

Denmark

Mogens Jensen

Ecuador

Lucia Burneo Alvarez

Finland

Klaus Hellberg

Finland

Guy Lindström

Finland

Jari Pekka Olavi Vilén

Finland

Janina Vilén

Gabon

Pierre Mamboundou

Parliament of Afghanistan Member of Parliament Parliament of Albania Member of Parliament Parliament of Albania Member of Parliament Parliament of Belgium Member of Parliament Parliament of Belgium Senator Senate of Belgium Senator Parliament of Belgium Member of Parliament Parliament of Belgium Member of Parliament Parliament of Bolivia Member of Parliament Parliament of Bolivia Member of Parliament Parliament of Bosnia Member of Parliament Parliament of Bosnia Member of Parliament Parliament of Brazil Senator Parliament of Burkina Faso Member of Parliament Assembly of Burundi Member of Parliament Assembly of Burundi Member of Parliament Assembly of Cambodia, Sam Rainsy Party.

Member of Parliament Transparency International President of Panafrican Lawyers Union Parliament of Cameroon Member of Parliament Parliament of Cameroon Member of Parliament Senate of Canada Senator Parliament of Colombia Member of Parliament National Assembly of Congo Member of Parliament National Assembly of Congo Member of Parliament Parliament of Denmark Member of Parliament Parliament of Denmark Member of Parliament Parliament of Ecuador Member of Parliament Parliament of Finland Member of Parliament Parliament of Finland Director, International Department Parliament of Finland Member of Parliament; Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee Parliament of Finland Parliamentary Staff Parliament of Gabon Member of Parliament

Gabon

Luc Oyoubi

Georgia

Jemail Inaishvili

Germany

Helmuth Markov

Ghana

Moses Asaga

Greece

Nikolaos Christodoulakis

Greece

Verginis Xenofon

Guyana

Robert H O Corbin

Guyana

Raphael Trotman

Indonesia

Laode Ida

Kazakhstan

Shirkinbay Erkebulan

Kazakhstan

Aytakhanov Kuanysh

Kenya

Billow Kerrow

Kenya

Christine Mango

Liberia

Kuku Y. Dorbor

Liberia

Worlea-Saywah Dunah

Madagascar

Solofonantenaina Razoarimihaja

Malawi

Aleke K. Banda

Malawi

Austin Mtukula

Malawi

Abbie Shawa

Mali

Moussa dit Sadio Traoré

Mali

Fanta Mantchini Diarra

Moldova

Irina Vlah

Morocco

Mohamed Oudor

Namibia

Nora Schimming-Chase

New Zealand

Martin Gallagher

Finance Committee Member of Parliament Parliament of Georgia Member of Parliament European Parliament Member of the European Parliament Parliament of Ghana Member of Parliament Parliament of Greece Member of Parliament Parliament of Greece Member of Parliament Parliament of Guyana Member of Parliament National Assembly of Guyana Member of Parliament Parliament of Indonesia Deputy Speaker of the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) Parliament of Kazakstan Deputy Assistant Senate of Kazakhstan Senate Deputy Parliament of Kenya Member of Parliament Parliament of Kenya Member of Parliament National Assembly of Liberia Member of Parliament National Assembly of Liberia Member of Parliament Parliament of Madagascar Deputy Parliament of Malawi Member of Parliament Parliament of Malawi Member of Parliament Parliament of Malawi Member of Parliament Parlement of Mali Member of Parliament Parliament of Mali Member of Parliament Parliament of Moldova Member of Parliament Parliament of Morocco Membre du Comité Central Parliament of Namibia Member of Parliament Parliament of New Zealand

Niger

Mohamed Bazoum

National Assembly of Niger

Niger

Aissata Mounkaila

Nigeria

Wale Okediran

Norway

Ågot Valle

Pakistan

Riffat Kahlon

Assemblée Nationale du Niger Députée Assembly of Nigeria Member of Parliament Parliament of Norway-Stortinget Member of Parliament National Assembly of Pakistan

Paraguay

Herminio Chena

Peru

Martin Perez Monteverde

Philippines

Janette Garin

Romania

Victor Ponta

Romania

Valeriu Stefan Zgonea

Parliament of Paraguay Member of Parliament Parliament of Peru Congresista de la Republica Congress of Philippines Representative Parliament of Romania Member of Parliament Parliament of Romania Member of Parliament

Romania

Corina Cretu

South Africa

Ben Turok

South Korea

Regina Sang Mi Lee

South Korea

Sang Kyung Lee

Sweden

Anna LilliehÜÜk

Sweden

Olle Thorell

Tanzania

Anne Makinda

The Netherlands

Janine de Vries

Togo

Kansongue Yambandjoi

Uganda

Norbert Mao

United Kingdom

Hugh Bayley

United Kingdom

Lyn Brown

United Kingdom

Quentin Davies

United Kingdom

Anna Dickson

United Kingdom

Ian Liddell-Granger

United Kingdom

John McFall

Uruguay

Pablo Alvarez Lopez

Yemen

Ali Ahmed Al-Emrani

Yemen

Mohamed Al-Tayeb

Zimbabwe

Priscilla Misihairabwi

European Parliament-Romania Member of the European Parliament Parliament of South Africa Member of Parliament Assembly of South Korea General Director National Assembly of South Korea Director of CPE Parliament of Sweden Member of Parliament Parliament of Sweden Member of Parliament Parliament of Tanzania Member of Parliament -Deputy Speaker Parliament of the Netherlands Liaison for Dutch PvdA MPs National Assembly of Togo Member of Parliament Parliament of Uganda Chair of Gulu District Uganda Parliament of United Kingdom Member of Parliament Houses of Commons Member of Parliament Parliament of United Kingdom Slct Ct Treas Parliament of the United Kingdom Member of Parliament Houses of Commons Member of Parliament House of Commons Member of Parliament Parliament of Uruguay Member of Parliament Parliament of Yemen Member of Parliament Consultative Chamber, Shura Council Member of the Consultative Chamber Parliament of Zimbabwe Member of Parliament

Other participants & speakers Amani Abou-Zeid Jean-Christophe Bas Mark Baskin Naye Bathily Vinay Bhargava Robert Burgess Pierre Girardier Louise Mushikiwazbo

African Development Bank Lead Expert World Bank Manager, Development Policy Dialogue SUNY (State University of New York) Senior Associate World Bank External Affairs World Bank Senior Advisor, External Affairs IMF Deputy Resident Representative World Bank External Affairs African Development Bank

Peter Pearson

Jubilee South International Coordinator World Bank Parliamentary Strengthening Program SACC-South African Council of Churches

Martin Powell

World Development Movement

Nicole Schaffer

German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)

Zuleikha Salim Said

PNoWB Coordinator

Max von Bonsdorff

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland Economic Advisor AAPPG-Africa All Party Parliamentary Group Group Coordinator

Lidynyda Napcil Luiza Nora

Nicholas Waddell

ANNEX C

Agenda

How to Strengthen the Role of Parliamentarians in the PRSP Process & in Development Programs 9:30-9:40

Opening Session Alain Destexhe, Senator, Belgium Jean-Christophe Bas, Development Policy Dialogue Manager, World Bank

9:40-11:00

Session 1 Learning from experience: What helps or hinders MPs’ contribution to the 22 PRSP process? What are the principal constraints to parliamentary involvement in the process?

Chair: Jari Vilén, Member of Parliament, Chair of European Affairs Committee, Finland o Program experience: the “Parliamentarians in the field” program.

Review of past achievements and discussions on how to make the program more effective: Alain Destexhe, Senator, Belgium o The PRSP experience at the African Development Bank: Amani AbouZeid, Lead Expert, African Development Bank o Country experiences: Moses Asaga, Member of Parliament, Parliament of Ghana Anne Makinda, Member of Parliament, Deputy Speaker, Tanzania

11:00-11:30

Coffee break

11:30-13:00

Session 2 From wish-list to implementation: Where is the gap? How to ensure coherence between PRSPs and development programs?

Chair: Saumura Tioulong, Member of Parliament, National Assembly of Cambodia, Cambodia o Donor harmonization & coordination and PRSP: The Case of Budget Support, with particular reference to Tanzania.

A bilateral perspective: Max von Bonsdorff, Economic Advisor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland o What role for parliaments in monitoring consistency between PRSP and country development strategy?

Billow Kerrow, Member of Parliament, Parliament of Kenya

22

PRSP: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

13:00-14:00

Lunch

14:00-15:30

Session 3 The second generation of PRSP: an opportunity for better parliamentary participation?

Chair: Ben Turok, Member of Parliament, Parliament of South Africa o Presentation of findings of the PRSP Review 2005, and of the concrete implications for the second generation of PRSP: Vinay Bhargava, Senior Advisor, World Bank o A pre-requisite: building the capacity of MPs to better contribute.

What does this imply concretely?

Habeeb Fasinro, Member of Parliament, Parliament of Nigeria Marie Rose Nguini Effa, Member of Parliament, Parliament of Cameroon o The “Parliamentary Strengthening Program” of the World Bank Institute, Luiza Nora, World Bank o A civil-society perspective: Martin Powell, World Development Movement

15:30-16:00

Closing Session The Way Ahead- What implications for the program of field visits? How to make it even more effective in the future?

Chair: Alain Destexhe, Senator, Belgium; Jean-Christophe Bas, World Bank o Presentation of key points discussed during the seminar: Pierre Girardier & Naye Bathily, World Bank Zuleikha Salim Said, PNoWB Coordinator o Hugh Bayley , Member of Parliament, Parliament of United Kingdom