Parliamentarian Education Program in South Africa:
a Pathway to Domestic Accountability
LenCD Forum, Nairobi, Kenya, 3-5 October 2006
Nhlanhla Nene, Chair, Portfolio Committee on Finance, SA National Assembly
Neal P. Cohen, formerly with USAID in South Africa
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The First Graduation Class of South African Parliamentarians University of the Western Cape,
March 2004
Rationale for Capacity Development
• The end of apartheid• Shortage of professional black economists• Government to control own destiny, make own decisions• No World Bank, IMF, or donor “dictating” policy (non-prescriptive)• Secure domestic support – blacks do analysis, policy development• Whole program build around achieving domestic accountability• Assumption: Good policy flows from/based on good analysis• Principles: full partnership, cost sharing, SA decision making, move
training programs to SA from US, all TA includes training
Why Work with Parliament?
• Accountability to the citizens for policy• Expanded questioning, hearings – public discussion
of policy with civil society, private sector, academia and government
• PFMA and monitoring government spending• Leads to policy becoming understood and thus
sustainable
Public Account Committees (PACs)
• Request from Auditor-General to help PACs understand Auditor-General reports
• Training in importance of PACs to democracy and ending corruption, motivate, reading audit report (demystify and remove fear)
• Hearings: ask questions publicly (why no approvals or records, lack of financial controls, how was contractor selected – inculcate accountability)
• Government value for money – monitor government performance, achieve targets cost effectively
• Pocket guide of best practices
Parliamentarian Economics Education
• Focus on budget speech and macro-economic policy – stages: understand, ask elaboration questions, probe/discuss, make policy
• Focus on issues of concern to parliament – critical notion of opportunity cost, demystify economics
• Hearings: improved questioning of government officials, public discussion, spending accountability
• Work with parliamentarians to determine how/what to deliver – they design within known funding levels (agreed objectives, not predetermined methods, flexible)
• Benefits to government of public hearings
Lessons Learned - 1
• Parliamentarians’ program, filled gap they identified; USAID funder and catalyst, provide ideas
• Strong support from top government leadership; good enabling environment
• Quick rewards and recognition from the training (documented proof of success – certificates, diplomas, degrees)
• Taught by top SA economists, organized by SA universities and SA economic think tanks and in SA (lower costs, achieve critical mass)
• UWC willing to develop program with flexible hours, venues and special tutorials: applied not theoretical economics
Lessons Learned - 2
• CD support was aimed at learning how to analyze, non-prescriptive
• Open, public hearings and questioning of government officials, the private sector, NGOs and academia – leads to domestic accountability (non-confrontational)
• Parliamentarian ownership and direction – not USAID program for parliamentarians led to continuation when USAID funding ended
• Flexibility in implementation, not pre-determined methods, not HQ driven, listen
• Improving the capacity of Parliament is vital for domestic accountability and for policy sustainability
Future Steps for Parliamentary CD
• Public Account Committee-like institution at local government level
• Share PAC training with other countries (SADCOPAC)
• Parliament/legislatures need research staff and access to commissioned research
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