Transition to Transformation: Strengthening Regional Parliamentary Capacity in the Southern African Development Community

Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 March 2012 10:51 Written by Awepa Friday, 03 February 2012 14:08

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Duration: 2011 - 2013
 

Programme Objectives

To contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the SADC-PF for the Period 2012–2013. The transformation of the SADC-Parliamentary Forum into a regional parliament is essential to the furthering and support of regional development affecting SADC’s 258 Million citizens. Without a strengthened parliament, complete with legislative functions, regional coherence and coordination will remain elusive. Progress on issues whose causes and remedies cross all borders within SADC will be affected. These include environmental, social, and economic concerns of great scale and consequence.

 

General Programme Information

This project will make a contribution to the fulfillment of the priorities outlined in the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan of the SADC-PF towards its eventual transformation into a fully-fledged regional parliament. The first quarter of the project will serve to fortify the capacity of the Forum at the staff level, as closer engagement between the Forum and SADC National Parliaments on the one hand, and the SADC Secretariat on the other, begins. The development of a detailed list of priority activities and “roadmap” for transformation over the coming three to five years will engage all organs of the SADC-PF, including its Executive Committee, the Plenary Assembly and Secretariat, and will be informed by inputs from Members of National Parliaments and the SADC-Secretariat.
 
Selected priority activities will be implemented within the framework of this project from the second half of 2012 through the close of 2013. Building upon previous success within the pilot phase (2009-2011), participation by the SADC-PF in the Busan High-Level Forum and subsequent participation in the post-Busan discussions will assure voice to the SADC position on the aid and development reform process. It will also ensure that its institutional development efforts are informed by emerging lessons and assessments conducted within the context of the evolving aid and development effectiveness architecture.
 
The project is intended to carry forward the work and outputs of the ADA supported pilot phase, so that by the termination of this implementation phase, a sufficient level of institutional capacity will be evident to sustain the intended short to medium term implementation of institutional strengthening of the SADC-PF towards its eventual transformation into a legislative body.
 

Activities 2011 - 2012

- Participation in the 4th High-Level Forum on Aid and Development Effectiveness;
- Debate within the Regional Development and Integration Committee on the  Global Partnership for Development (GPD) and the role of the SADC-PF in the current development landscape;
- Parliamentary Participation in the Post-Busan Aid and Development Effectiveness Reform Process;
- The drafting of a roadmap for institutional transformation within the SADC-PF based upon consultations with:
  • SADC National Parliaments;
  • SADC-PF Executive Committee;
  • Other Regional Parliamentary Bodies and the Pan-African Parliament;
  • The SADC-PF Plenary; others.

Donor

Austrian Development Agency (ADA)
     
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