|
NCSL International Programs
International Technical Assistance Projects
Updated June 5, 2007
Overview
By Country
Other Technical Assistance Projects
Desk Studies
Bill Drafting Institutes
Overview
The National Conference of State Legislatures is often asked to provide technical assistance in democracies and emerging democracies across the globe with the goal of strengthening the legislative institution. Drawing on a wealth of American knowledge and experience in the U.S. states, NCSL is ideally positioned to provide expert assistance on such institutional issues as the legislative process, parliamentary procedure, committee structures and functions, staff organization, ethics training, leadership training, and constituent relations. NCSL has conducted a variety of projects in the areas of accountability, civic education, ethics, federalism, legislative management, new member training, and transparency in government. NCSL has also organized a number of workshops in foreign countries aimed at strengthening the legislative institution. These workshops often involve the entire legislature and are usually conducted by U.S. state legislators, legislative staff and/or NCSL staff.
By Country
Algeria
Since the beginning of 2006, NCSL’s activities in North Africa and Lebanon have been targeting MPs and staff of the Algerian parliament. In September 2006, NCSL carried out a bill drafting and legal services workshop in Algiers, Algeria, for members and staff of the Algerian Parliament along with staff from 11 ministries. Two two-week technical assistance consultancies followed the four-day workshop. In February 2007, NCSL conducted a Media Relations workshop in Algiers for members of parliament, their staff, and journalists. The workshop aims to enhance dialogue between the Parliament and the media by improving access to information; fortifying the public image of the parliament; and enhancing constituent relations.
Albania
Press Relations: Under the auspices of the United States Information Agency (USIA), NCSL sent a staff member to lead a seminar for government spokespersons. The seminar, titled "The Role of the Spokesperson: Responsibility, Transparency, and Responsiveness" aimed to promote transparency of government activities in order to encourage citizens to feel a greater link to civic institutions. Attendees included spokespersons for the President, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Finance, Economy, Labor, Health and Environment, Economic Development and Cooperation, and the Department of the Interior.
Anglophone Africa
Through several United States Information Agency (USIA) sponsored projects aimed at strengthening the legislative institution in the Anglophone African countries of Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, NCSL conducted a series of needs assessments and subsequent workshops in all five countries. NCSL staff and several U.S. legislative staff participated in this project. Other projects in Anglophone Africa
Bénin
Legislative Strengthening & Workshop at the National Assembly: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded a project to conduct a needs assessment and workshop in the National Assembly of Bénin. One NCSL staff member and two U.S. state legislative staff conducted the program.
Bilateral Legislative Staff Internships: With the assistance of USIA, NCSL conducted two-way internships for legislative staff from the U.S. and the National Assembly of Bénin. A staff member from New Jersey spent two months in this Francophone African country, and two members of the National Assembly in Bénin conducted two-month internships in the legislatures of New Jersey and Vermont. The focus of the project was the strengthening of the legislative institution through staff development and training. Other projects in Benin
Bosnia
Civic Education: NCSL was asked by a U.S. federal agency to send a staff member to Bosnia to serve as a judge in a program aimed at helping Bosnian educators teach principles of democracy in the classroom. Students in local Bosnian schools created projects in a widespread competition focused on the importance of democracy and civil society. The goals of the project, titled CIVITAS, were to share information about civic exchange programs and products, strengthen civic exchange partnerships, and participate in sessions and workshops designed to strengthen civic education and civic culture. Other projects in Bosnia
Brazil
Technology & Communication: NCSL was asked to send technical experts to Brazil to discuss the importance of technology and communication in legislative institutions. The seminar focused on the importance of data processing and the widespread availability of the Internet as a tool for research.
Federalism and NGO Development and Management: NCSL hosted a delegation of lawmakers from Brazil in the U.S. to examine the organization and structure of NCSL in their quest to form a similar organization aimed at providing nonpartisan research and information to legislators and legislative staff. Other projects in Brazil
Côte d'Ivoire
Bilateral Legislative Staff Internships: With the assistance of a U.S. government grant, NCSL conducted two-way internships for legislative staff from the U.S. and the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire. A staff member from Vermont spent two months in this Francophone African country, and two members of the National Assembly staff in Côte d'Ivoire conducted two-month internships in the legislatures of Vermont and Wisconsin. The focus of the project was the strengthening of the legislative institution through staff development and training. Other projects in Cote d'Ivoire
Francophone Africa
Parliamentary Staff Training: Through a grant from USIA, NCSL conducted a multi-phased parliamentary staff training program with the National Assemblies of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad and Sénégal. Focusing on legislative staff functions and information services, this program aimed to assist in developing a more independent and effective legislature. Other projects in Francophone Africa
Ghana
NCSL participated as a subcontractor to the Center for Democratic Development in Ghana (CDD-Ghana) for legislative strengthening work with the Parliament of Ghana. NCSL’s particular task will relate to the creation of a new Legal Services Office in the parliament for bill and amendment drafting as well as legal research. NCSL will send a small assessment team to Accra for meetings and to provide recommendations to CDD-Ghana and the Parliament for establishing, staffing, equipping, and managing this office as well as initial input on operations and manuals.
Italy
Fiscal Federalism: Under the auspices of USIA, NCSL sent a staff member to Italy to conduct a series of seminars on fiscal federalism. NCSL also provided NGO development assistance to members of the Regional Councils in Italy on establishing a counterpart organization to NCSL. Other projects in Italy
Madagascar
Ethics Training, Committee Development, Research, New Member Training: With the support of USAID and under a subcontract from the State University of New York (SUNY) in Albany, NCSL conducted a three-month intensive legislative strengthening project in the National Assembly of Madagascar. Workshops and study tours focused on ethics, committee development, research, library staff training, and included a New Member Orientation for members of Parliament.
Mali
Legislative Staff Development and Training: Bilateral Legislative Staff Internships: With the assistance of USIA, NCSL conducted two-way internships for legislative staff from the U.S. and the National Assembly of Mali. A staff member from Wisconsin spent one month in this Francophone African country, and two staff members of the National Assembly in Mali conducted two-month internships in the legislatures of Wisconsin and New Jersey. The focus of the project was the strengthening of the legislative institution through staff development and training. Other projects in Mali
Nigeria
Parliamentary Staff Development: Under a USIA grant, NCSL conducted a multi-phased parliamentary staff development program with the National Assembly of Nigeria that focused on legislative research skills.
Pakistan
The Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Project is a two-year initiative, designed to strengthen parliamentary processes related to and within Pakistan’s legislative bodies: the National Assembly, Senate and four provincial assemblies. The National Assembly and the Senate of Pakistan have been included in the overall Government of Pakistan’s e-governance program which is organized and implemented by the E-Governance Department (EGD). Advisors will work with Punjab Assembly IT and legislative branch officers, together with programmers from a private IT firm, NETSOL, to identify what modification in the existing NETSOL modules are necessary for the system to be of optimal use to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. Advisors will also work with select standing committees in the national parliament to undertake a midterm review of the federal budget – a process that has traditionally been “secret and sacred.”
Paraguay
Legislative Strengthening & Budget Processes: NCSL was asked by USAID Paraguay to arrange a ten-day study tour for chairmen and members of financial committees in the National Legislature and executive officials charged with budgetary issues. NCSL also sent one NCSL staff member and one U.S. state legislative staff member to participate in a workshop in Paraguay on the subject of fiscal federalism.
Russia
Needs Assessment and Focus on Federalism: With funding from a U.S. government grant, NCSL conducted a technical assistance project in Tomsk. The program included a needs assessment and workshop on federalism for Russian legislators and legislative staff. Other projects in Russia
Yemen
Administration & Legislative Management: NCSL provided a technical assistance consultant to Yemen to focus on documenting the minutes of the Yemeni Parliamentary sessions. The project was funded through Amideast under a contract from USAID.
Other Technical Assistance Projects
Desk Studies
NCSL was part of a winning team that was awarded an Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC) subcontract for Legislative Strengthening by USAID's Center for Democracy and Governance. Under this IQC, NCSL was asked to produce three papers, or desk studies, to be combined with numerous other studies on legislative institutions to serve as a resource to advise USAID's Center for Democracy and Governance and USAID missions around the world. A senior NCSL staff member produced papers on "Communication Between Representatives and Their Constituents," "Public Participation and Confidence in the Legislature," and an NCSL consultant produced a paper on "Professionalizing the Management of Legislatures." All papers were produced and submitted to USAID under the auspices of NCSL and SUNY.
Bill Drafting Institutes
NCSL has organized and provided faculty for Legislative Drafting Workshops in Romania, Russia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Belarus in Eastern Europe and Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. In these workshops, experienced state legislative bill drafters taught legislators, legislative staff, ministry officials and staff, judges, law professors and students, and lawyers how to improve the process by which their laws are drafted. The workshops all involved basic bill drafting skills and procedures, but special points of emphasis were added for each country's workshop. For example, the Belarus workshop included presentations on openness in government and the role of media and special interests, Bosnia included a major session on drafting criminal codes, Romania included bank secrecy and money laundering legislation, and Russia included budget and revenue laws, procedures and strategies. The workshops were usually one week long and used lectures, small group work, and critical review of actual bill drafts.
Visitor counts for this page.
![Top]()
![]() NCSL International Programs
|
