NAMIBIA - PROGRAMME ON LEGISLATIVE SCRUTINY REPORT SUMMARY 8 - 11 NOVEMBER 2017 PROGRAMME OVERVIEW The programme on legislative scrutiny, as part of CPA UK’s Parliamentary Partnership Programme (PPP) with the National Assembly, was delivered in Windhoek between 8 and 10 November 2017. The three day training programme, involving both parliamentary staff and the Members of National Assembly, provided an opportunity for both delegates and participants to share their best parliamentary practices, discuss critical challenges they face to undertake their work effectively, and explore efficient ways to improve legislative scrutiny. AIM & OBJECTIVES Day one allowed participants to highlight key challenges they face in their work which include: Aim. To strengthen the capacity • Lack of research support leading to poor reporting quality of the Parliament of Namibia • Unfamiliarity with international reporting formats to undertake its functions • Absence of proper training to write succinct reports effectively and efficiently, in • Absence of a parliamentary service commission particular, legislative scrutiny. • Parliamentary staff are civil servants and accountable to the government as opposed to parliament Objectives. In the context of the Westminster Model and through Day two and three examined legislative scrutiny. Participants highlighted the following issues: a programme of meetings briefings, plenary sessions and • A shortage of legislative drafters interactive discussions, the • Inadequate legislative business timetable programme will deliver the • Less adherence to Standing Orders following objectives: • Most of the bills are considered in the whole House as opposed to standing committee • Objective 1. To improve the technical capabilities of Participants discussed ways to create good legislation. Participants agreed that legislation parliamentarians to conduct should be clear, coherent, accessible, and effective; legislative drafters and ministers should effective legislative scrutiny consider these characteristics at the time of drafting new legislation. The delegation highlighted • Objective 2. To increase best practices in the UK and other parts of the Commonwealth and discussed ways to improve the capacity of parliamenta- legislative scrutiny. ry staff to undertake parlia- mentary work efficiently • Objective 3. To enhance the understanding of parlia- mentarians of the UK legis- lative scrutiny process and compare it with their own system • Objective 4. To strengthen bilateral relations between the Parliament of Namib- ia and CPA UK as the basis for further engagement and parliamentary strengthening programmes. UK PROGRAMME PARTICIPANTS CPA UK delegation with the Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly Prof. Peter Katjavi MP Sir Peter Bottomley MP, Delegation Leader SUPPORTED BY: Baroness Barker Dr Rupa Huq MP Nick Walker, Clerk, Justice Committee Mariam El-Azm, Deputy Head, International Out- COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION UK - CPA UK reach Team, CPA UK Westminster Hall, Houses of Parliament, London SW1A 0AA Yashasvi Chandra, Africa @CPA_UK T: +44 (0)20 7219 5373 E: [email protected] www.uk-cpa.org Programme Manager, CPA UK Registered Charity No.1095118 | Registered Company No. 4606846 NAMIBIA - PROGRAMME ON LEGISLATIVE SCRUTINY FULL REPORT 8 - 11 NOVEMBER 2017 CPA UK AND NAMIBIA Members and staff from the Parliament of Namibia have regularly participated in CPA UK’s multilateral conferences and workshops, including its annual Westminster Seminar. However, CPA UK and Namibia relations made great stride after the visit of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, Hon. Professor Peter Katjavivi MP, to Westminster in May 2016 at which time he expressed the need for capacity building support in the National CPA UK delegation with the Members of the National Assembly Assembly of Namibia, both for the Members and for the PROJECT BACKGROUND • Issue 3. Capacity of the Parliament and parliamentary administration. In 2016, the Speaker of the National Assembly, committees to manage its business Hon. Professor Peter Katjavivi MP, during his visit efficiently; Later in November 2016, the to Westminster, requested CPA UK to support the • Issue 4. Capacity of parliamentary staff to Parliament of Namibia hosted Parliament of Namibia on effective parliamentary support Members in committee work. the African Regional Workshop management and scrutiny of government policy, on cyber security in Windhoek, practices, and budgets at the national level, as Based on the above-identified themes, CPA UK the delivery of which has been well as enhancing the skills of the parliamentary ran a three-day capacity building programme on coordinated by CPA UK, the secretariat. legislative scrutiny for parliamentary staff and for Commonwealth Secretariat and members on legislative scrutiny. the Organisation of American Responding to this request, CPA UK developed States. a three-year strategic Parliamentary Partnership The programme was structured as follows: Programme (PPP) (2017-2020) to strengthen Later, CPA UK sent a the scrutiny functions of the Parliament and to Day 1: Training of parliamentary staff to delegation of five in February increase the capacity of parliamentarians in undertake their work efficiently 2017 to Windhoek to deliver effective parliamentary management. a training programme on Day 2: Training of members to undertake strengthening parliamentary In February 2017, CPA UK sent a delegation of five effective legislative scrutiny practice and procedure. This to deliver an introductory training programme programme also served as on strengthening parliamentary practice and Key Discussion Areas a scoping visit to assess the procedure. The UK delegation also met with needs and requirements of parliamentarians and other stakeholders to plan Day 1: Capacity Building for Parliamentary staff the Parliament of Namibia for future engagement between the Parliament of to undertake their work efficiently future collaboration. Based on Namibia and CPA UK. the feedback received from This day of the training, which included this visit, CPA UK established Following the feedback received from the parliamentary staff, focussed the discussions on a three-year Parliamentary participants after the first training workshop in four areas: Partnership Programme in February 2017 and further discussions with the • Role of clerk in making parliament’s work 2017. Speaker and other parliamentary officials, four efficiently issues were identified as requiring immediate • Member - clerk relations consideration: • Clerk’s role in legislation • Conducting enquires and writing reports. • Issue 1. Capacity of Members to undertake effective pre and post legislative scrutiny While session themes were discussed largely in functions; the panel discussion format, the group discussion • Issue 2. Capacity of Members and clerks of format was also adopted in some instances. the Public Accounts Committee and Finance Committee to undertake effective financial The day allowed participants to explore essential scrutiny functions; skills and knowledge required for clerks to deliver their parliamentary responsibilities efficiently. omitted to make it more powerful and impactful. PARLIAMENTARY As clerks are the primary source of advice on all PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME matter of committee procedures and practice, PARTICIPANTS INSIGHT (2017-2020) they play a pivotal role in the committee’s effective and efficient operations. Clerks should be able to In parallel to the discussions on effective ways This Parliamentary Partnership provide excellent customer service to ensure the to improve their efficiency, participants also Programme (PPP) was smooth running of committee proceedings. highlighted a number of challenges they face established in 2017 between while undertaking their work. These were the National Assembly of the Member Clerk Relations grouped into three categories: production of Parliament of the Republic of reports, lack of a service commission, and Namibia and Commonwealth Participants discussed that clerks’ role includes issues associated with legislation. Parliamentary Association UK a wide range of responsibilities and is not limited (CPA UK). The PPP lays out a to drafting agendas, papers, and reports, and Production of reports three-year engagement strategy distributing committee papers. It also includes with the National Assembly maintaining cordial relations with other members Through open discussions, participants of Namibia to strengthen the of the committee and between committee concluded that committee reports are poor technical skills of Members to members including the chair, and liaising with quality. They pointed to a lack of research support undertake their parliamentary witnesses and other external stakeholders which leads to limited information affecting responsibilities efficiently and like government departments. Participants the quality of content. Clerks also informed the effectively, particularly legislative recognised that for a committee to function delegation that as they do not undergo proper and financial scrutiny. efficiently, it is essential to have a good working training, they have limited skills to produce relationship between committee members effective and succinct reports. In addition to this, Under the PPP, CPA UK will aim and clerks with mutual respect and esteem. as they have had limited international exposure, to address fours issues during Futhermore, while clerks should be able to advise they are also not aware of comparative