2004年-世界发展银行全球_Parliamentary_Strengthening___The_Case_of_Ghana_4页_487kb

报告摘要

Capacity Enhancement in Parliamentary Strengthening: The Case of Ghana

Core Content

This document outlines the World Bank Institute (WBI)’s first multiyear capacity enhancement program focused on parliamentary strengthening in Ghana. It highlights the program's objectives, implementation strategies, outcomes, and lessons learned. The initiative was designed to improve the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight and policymaking through training, institutional development, and cross-partisan collaboration.

Main Objectives

Enhance the capacity of Ghana’s Parliament, particularly the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Finance Committee.
Support MPs in understanding financial management reforms and their role in public sector oversight.
Foster cross-partisan cooperation and reduce partisanship within parliamentary committees.
Strengthen the relationship between Parliament and civil society, as well as with the Executive branch.

Key Activities and Outcomes

Training and Knowledge Sharing

WBI and the Parliamentary Centre of Canada conducted workshops to provide practical guidance on budget processes and link them to broader economic reforms.
Training focused on improving MPs’ understanding of governance and budget issues, enabling them to engage more effectively in parliamentary debates and oversight.
MPs reported increased critical thinking and leadership in development issues, including exposing corruption and analyzing budget allocations.

Organizational Development

The program aimed to build cross-partisan trust within committees.
It encouraged strategic planning of committee activities and provided research support to enhance analytical capabilities.
Committees began to operate more independently, with a focus on their own mandates rather than party interests.

Institutional Collaboration

The PAC and Finance Committee adopted participatory mechanisms and engaged more closely with the Executive and civil society.
The Auditor General established a parliamentary liaison office to improve communication with PAC members.
Parliamentary committees also began to collaborate with international organizations such as the World Bank and the Parliamentary Centre, enhancing their effectiveness and credibility.

Lessons Learned

Strong Domestic Political Support is essential for the success of parliamentary strengthening initiatives.
Complementarity with Governance Reforms ensures long-term impact and sustainability.
Integration of Training into Broader Capacity-Building initiatives improves effectiveness.
Flexible Training Design must reflect the evolving parliamentary agenda, such as budget processes, anticorruption, and poverty reduction.
Nonpartisan Approach fosters more effective committee operations.
Linking with Administrative Structures is critical for embedding changes in parliamentary practice.
Direct Interface with International Organizations enhances the capacity and visibility of parliamentary committees.

Challenges and Future Directions

Incentive systems for MPs remain underdeveloped, despite their commitment and effectiveness.
Staff and research support for PAC and Finance Committee are still inadequate.
Capacity-building efforts should be extended to other parliamentary committees, such as those overseeing decentralization, local government, and health.
There is a need to increase awareness among Bank staff about parliamentary operations and how to engage effectively with parliaments.

Conclusion

The Ghana parliamentary strengthening program, supported by WBI and the Parliamentary Centre, demonstrated the potential of capacity enhancement to transform parliamentary functions. It improved the quality of parliamentary work, promoted transparency and accountability, and fostered cross-partisan and civil society engagement. While challenges remain, the program provides a valuable model for similar initiatives in other countries.

References

Barkan, Joel, Ladipo Adamolekun, Yongmei Zhou, with Mouftayou Laleye and Njuguna Ng'ethe. Forthcoming. Emerging Legislatures in Emerging African Democracies.
Parliamentary Committee Support Project. 2003. "End of Project Report."
Manning, Nick and Rick Stapenhurst. 2002. "Strengthening Oversight by Legislatures."
McGee, David. 2002. The Overseers.
Messick, Rick. 2002. "Strengthening Legislatures: Implications from Industrial Countries."
Parliamentary Centre. 2004. "Parliamentary Centre: Partners in Parliamentary Development."
Saddiqi, Najma and Theodore Dreger. Unpublished paper. "Sustainability of Learning: Tracer Study of WBI's Parliamentary Strengthening Program."
World Bank. 2004. "Governance & Anticorruption."

About the World Bank Institute (WBI)

WBI focuses on sharing knowledge and expertise to help institutions and countries address poverty through informed decision-making and effective policy design. It delivers training and support to policymakers, technical experts, and civil society stakeholders, emphasizing analytical and networking skills.

WBI Contacts

David Potten, Lead Specialist, Country Programs
Tel: 202-458-7873 | Email: dpotten@worldbank.org
Imtiazuddin Ahmad, Sr. Operations Officer
Tel: 202-458-1878 | Email: Iahmad2@worldbank.org