Inauguration of the Parliamentary Centre Training and Resource Unit

The official inauguration ceremony of the Parliamentary Centre’s new Training and Resource Unit in Accra, Ghana, took place on March 6, 2008.  Representatives from the Public Accounts Committee of Ghana were present as well as the Auditor General, representatives from CIDA, DFID, USAID, WBI among others. In addition, Members of Parliament (MPs) and parliamentary staff from Malawi, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda participating at the ongoing training on budgetary oversight were also present.
The Training and Resource Unit is an important resource facility that will cater for the information needs of MPs and parliamentary staff through its continuously growing library of parliamentary related books, reports and periodicals. Being equipped with computers with internet access, a conference room and a liaison office, it is also a multi-purpose training centre designed for the training needs of MPs and parliamentary staff across Africa, with a view to equip MPs and parliamentary staff with the relevant tools to undertake effective budget and financial oversight. In addition, the facility provides an opportunity for parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, as well as academics, researchers and others interested in parliamentary development to network and share their knowledge and experiences.
In his inaugural speech, Dr. Rasheed Draman, Director of Africa Programs, acknowledged the important support PC has been receiving over the years from a multitude of donors. He also expressed his gratitude of the support to establish this Training and Resource Unit, notably with support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and the United State Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Parliamentary Centre Training Unit and Resource Centre is located at Ringway Estates, Osu- Accra.
Please feel free to contact us or drop by when you are in Accra!

Trainings

The Role of Parliamentary Staff and Parliamentary Committees during the Budget Process: The first phase of this pilot training for parliamentary staff on their role during the budget process was hosted by the Parliament of Uganda and took place in Kampala September 29-October 3, 2008. The training workshop included 17 parliamentary staff from Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia.

Parliaments and Financial Oversight: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Budget Analysis: 11 Members of Parliament and 5 committee clerks from Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal participated in the first Francophone five-day training, finaced by the Austrian Development Agency. The training took place in Accra, Ghana, August 11-15, 2008.

Parliaments and Financial Oversight: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Budget Analysis: 17 MPs and 7 committee clerks from Kenya, Liberia Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia participated in a five-day training, finaced by the Austrian Development Agency (Liberia's participation financed by WBI). The training took place in Accra, Ghana, June 23-27, 2008.

Parliaments and Financial Oversight: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Budget Analysis: 9 Members of Parliament and 8 parliamentary staff from Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, Sudan and Uganda participated in a five-day training, finaced by the Austrian Development Agency (Sudan's participation financed by CIDA). The training took place in Accra, Ghana, March 3-7, 2008.

Parliaments and Financial Oversight: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Budget Analysis: 8 MPs and 3 parliamentary staff from Benin, Mali and Niger participated in the first Francophone five-day training, finaced by the Austrian Development Agency. The training took place in Accra, Ghana, September 24-28, 2007.

Parliaments and Financial Oversight: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Budget Analysis: 8 MPs and 3 parliamentary staff, came from Benin, Mali and Niger participated in the first Francophone five-day training, finaced by the Austrian Development Agency. The training took place in Accra, Ghana, September 24-28, 2007.

Parliaments and Financial Oversight: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Budget Analysis: 8 MPs and 3 parliamentary staff from Botswana, Ghana and Zambia participated in the five-day training, finaced by the Austrian Development Agency. The training took place in Accra, Ghana, September 17-21, 2007.

Parliaments and Financial Oversight: Tools and Mechanisms for Optimum Budget Analysis: 11 MPs and two parliamentary staff from Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda participated in the five-day training, finaced by the Austrian Development Agency. The training took place in Accra, Ghana, December 11-15, 2006.

Training on Community Monitoring of Poverty Reduction for Parliamentary Staff & Civil Society from Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, Tamale, Ghana February 28 – April 6 2005

Training on Community Monitoring of Poverty for MPs from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Rwanda in St. Jean, Benin, December 17 – 23, 2004.

Training on Community Monitoring of Poverty for MPs from Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda, Tamale, Ghana, September 27 - October 1, 2004

Training Session on Community Monitoring of Poverty for Parliamentarians and Civil Society, Cotonou, Bénin, August 19-27, 2004

Training on Community Monitoring of Poverty for Parliamentary Staff and Civil Society of Benin, Niger and Senegal, Cotonou, Benin, July 19-August 28, 2004

Training on Community Monitoring of Poverty for MPs from Benin, Niger, and Senegal in Ouidah, Bénin, April 19-23, 2004.

Workshops

Self- Assessment Workshop, Accra, Ghana, October 27-28, 2006

ECOWAS Parliamentary Strengthening Workshop `Conflict Management and Gender Perspectives – The Role of Regional Parliaments`, Abuja, Nigeria, May 12-13, 2005. Held jointly with AWEPA.

MIMAP and Africa-Canada Parliamentary Strengthening Program Workshop on “Growth, inequalities and poverty” Cotonou, Benin, March 1-3, 2005. Held jointly with IDRC.

MIMAP and Africa-Canada Parliamentary Strengthening Program Workshop `Political Alternatives for Poverty Reduction`, Dakar, Senegal, February 18-20, 2004. Held jointly with IDRC.

APRN Launch and Workshop, Tamale, Ghana, November 7-8, 2003

Policy Dialogues

Africa-Asia Policy Dialogue, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, September 25-27, 2006

Africa-Asia Policy Dialogue, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, October 4-7, 2004

Conferences

Conference on Enhancing the Effectiveness of Parliaments

October 27-30, 2008, the 934th Wilton Park Conference took place in the United Kingdom under the theme “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Parliaments: Challenges and Opportunities”. It was organized in cooperation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Department for International Development (DFID), World Bank Institute (WBI) and the Parliamentary Centre (PC). It included 95 participants from around the globe, representing various non-governmental organizations and government agencies such as USAID, DFID and CIDA. Also present were Members of Parliament from select African countries, South Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe.

The Parliamentary Centre, with funding from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), facilitated the participation of eight African Members of Parliament from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania Uganda and Zambia. With increasing recognition of the critical role legislatures play in enhancing and sustaining democracy and good governance, attention has been focused on how best to enhance the effectiveness of legislatures in the discharge of their multidimensional functions. The 934th Wilton Park Conference theme was therefore apt in this respect.

Presentations from an array of experts and practitioners in the field of Governance and Parliamentary Strengthening offered a rich menu of information and knowledge. In addition, the participants’ contributions added significant value to the discussions that ensued after each presentation.

During the three-day conference, the following themes on enhancing the effectiveness of parliaments were presented and debated:

• Promoting Parliamentary Effectiveness: The Current State of Play and the Road Ahead
• Parliaments Strengthening Initiatives: Lessons Learnt and Good Practice
• Comparative Regional Perspectives on Parliamentary Perspectives (1): Latin America, SE Asia, The Pacific and Middle East
• Comparative Regional Perspectives on Parliamentary Effectiveness (2): Africa
• The Role of Parliaments in Fragile and Conflict Affected State 
• Parliaments and the Political Context
• Parliaments and Parliamentary Strengthening-A view from the South and Transition Countries
• The Role of Parliaments in Poverty Reduction and the Promotion of Gender Equality
• Understanding and Engaging with Political Parties
• Parliamentary Benchmarks and Initiative

Wilton Park "Reducing Poverty: The Roles of Parliaments, Government, and Non-State Actors", June 5-9, 2006

Wilton Park "Strengthening National Responses to Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: What is the Role of the State and Social Welfare in Africa" November 14 – 16, 2005

Wilton Park "The Millennium Development Goals: Achievability and Accountability", June 20-23, 2005

Wilton Park "Economic Policy Choices for Poverty Reduction" June 11-14, 2004

Seminars

Post Elections Seminar for Hon. Members of the 8 th Parliament, Parliament of Uganda, Kampala, Uganda, June 19-23, 2006

Meetings

Meeting of Clerks of Parliament from East and Southern Africa, Kampala, Uganda, July 7, 2006

Centers of Excellence (Consortium) Meeting, Nairobi, Kenya, February 3-4, 2006

Annual Meeting, African parliamentary Poverty Reduction Network, Nairobi , Kenya , January 30-31, 2006