Details

Related name

• Stapenhurst, Rick [Browse]

Series

• World Bank e-Library. [More in this series]
• Directions in Development; Directions in Development - Public Sector Governance

Summary note

With international focus on good governance and parliamentary effectiveness, a standards-based approach involving benchmarks and assessment frameworks has emerged to evaluate parliament's performance and guide its reforms. The World Bank's has been a leader in the development of these frameworks, stewarding a global multi-stakeholder process aimed at enhancing consensus around parliamentary benchmarks and indicators with international organizations and parliaments across the world. The results so far, some of which are captured in this book, are encouraging: countries as diverse as Australia, Canada, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zambia have used these frameworks for self-evaluation and to guide efficiency-driven reforms. Donors and practitioners, too, are finding the benchmarks useful as baselines against which they can assess the impact of their parliamentary strengthening programs. The World Bank itself is using these frameworks to surface the root causes of performance problems and explore how to engage with parliamentary institutions in order to achieve better results. The World Bank can identify opportunities to help improve the oversight function of parliament, thus holding governments to account, giving 'voice' to the poor and disenfranchised, and improving public policy formation in order to achieve a nation's development goals. In doing so, we are helping make parliaments themselves more accountable to citizens and more trusted by the public.

Source of description

Description based on print version record.

Contents

• Front Cover
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Summary
• Outline of the Book
• Systems of Benchmarks
• The Evaluation Criteria
• Trends in Governance and Benchmarks
• The Cases of Sri Lanka, Canada, and Australia
• References
• Chapter 1 Benchmarks and Self-Assessment Frameworks for Parliaments
• Key Actors and Assessment Frameworks
• Parliamentary Benchmarks and Self-Assessment Frameworks as Part of a Larger Trend
• The Frameworks: Commonalities and Differences
• The Frameworks and Gender
• Initial Guidelines for Using the Frameworks and Experiences at the National Level
• Conclusions
• Annex 1A: Overview of the Process, 2004-10
• Annex 1B: Key Actors and Assessment Frameworks
• Annex 1C: International IDEA's Questions on the Democratic Effectiveness of Parliament
• Annex 1D: The Frameworks: Commonalities and Differences
• Annex 1E: Regional Perspectives
• Notes
• Chapter 2 The IPU's Self-Assessment Toolkit
• Possible Contexts for Using the Toolkit
• Issues Covered by the Toolkit
• Using the Toolkit
• Use of the Toolkit to Date
• Conclusion and Next Steps
• Annex 2A: Full List of Self-Assessment Questions
• Note
• Chapter 3 Benchmarks for Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures
• Background
• Development of the Benchmarks
• Content of the Benchmarks
• Development of Regional Benchmarks
• Going Forward
• Annex 3A: Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures
• Annex 3B: Recommended Benchmarks for Codes of Conduct for Parliamentarians
• Chapter 4 The Democratic Reality of Parliaments: What Evaluation Criteria?
• Role of the APF
• Development Process of the Evaluation Method
• Specific Content of the Evaluation Criteria.
• Challenges of Developing Evaluation Criteria for the Francophone World
• Conclusion
• Chapter 5 The Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas: Toward the Consolidation of Parliamentary Democracy
• Introduction to COPA
• The Adoption and Looking Forward
• Annex 5A: Recommended Benchmarks for the Parliaments of the Americas
• Chapter 6 Benchmarking for Democratic Parliaments
• Merits of Benchmarking
• Systems of Benchmarking
• Parliamentary Entry Points for Benchmark and Assessment Frameworks
• Chapter 7 Parliamentary Benchmarks: A Requisite for Effective Official Development Assistance
• Decentralization of the Aid Program, Budget Support, and the Trend to Country Ownership
• Implications of the New Aid Model for Donor Organizations
• Budget Support and the Implications for Parliaments
• Benchmarks Required for Mutual Accountability
• Chapter 8 The Role of Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations
• Roles and Effects of PMOs
• Development of Normative Frameworks for Democratic Parliaments and Global Emergence of PMOs
• The Declaration as a Contribution to International Parliamentary Norms and Standards
• Content of the Declaration
• Benefits of Greater Collaboration between PMOs and Parliaments on Normative Frameworks
• Strengthening the Capacity of PMOs to Refine and Apply Democratic Norms and Standards
• Chapter 9 The African Parliamentary Index
• Parliamentary Capacities in Africa
• Purpose and Scope of the API
• Approach and Methodology
• Annex 9A: Self-Assessment for African Parliaments-Parliaments' Role in the Budget Process
• References.
• Chapter 10 Assessing Parliamentary Oversight in Sri Lanka
• IPU Toolkit for Self-Assessment
• CPA Benchmarks and the Sri Lankan Parliament
• Chapter 11 Building on the CPA Benchmarks to Establish a Parliamentary Accountability and Management Framework: The Case of Canada
• Guidelines for Benchmarking Frameworks
• Identifying Core Products, Processes, and Services
• Chapter 12 Rating the ACT Legislative Assembly against CPA Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures: From an "A−" to an "AA"?
• The First Benchmark Exercise: 2006
• The Second Benchmark Exercise: 2011
• Annex 12A: Results of the First Benchmarking Exercise
• Reference
• Chapter 13 Assessing Parliament Using the CPA Benchmarks and the IPU Toolkit: A Personal Perspective from Kiribati
• Objective of the CPA Benchmarking Exercise
• Practical Applications Leading to Valuable Assessments
• A Higher Standard for Kiribati's Parliament
• Concluding Remarks: A Vision for Kiribati
• Annex 13A: CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures-Kiribati
• Annex 13B: Application of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Toolkit in Kiribati
• Chapter 14 Assessing Parliament Using the CPA Benchmarks: A Personal Perspective from Bermuda
• Results of the Benchmark Exercise
• New Benchmarks
• Chapter 15 The African Parliamentary Index: Case Studies
• Representation
• Legislation
• Power of the Purse
• Parliamentary Oversight
• Institutional Capacity
• Transparency and Integrity
• Overall Ranking
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• Chapter 16 Other Benchmarking Experiences at the National Level
• Cambodia
• Colombia.
• Pakistan
• Rwanda
• Boxes
• Box 1A.1 Process Events Timeline
• Box 1B.1 Overview of Categories Covered in the National Democratic Institute of International Affairs Standards Publication
• Box 1B.2 Overview of Categories Covered in the CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures
• Box 1B.3 Overview of Categories Covered in the APF Criteria
• Box 2.1 Toolkit Example
• Box 6.1 Country-Specific Factors That Can Affect Benchmark Exercises
• Box 6.2 Assessment Frameworks for Democratic Parliaments: Areas of Consensus
• Box 8.1 Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations' Use of Benchmarks: PILDAT
• Box 8.2 Activities of Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations: Parliamentary Ethics
• Figures
• Figure 1.1 Parliamentary Report Card
• Figure 1.2 Sample of Report Card Performance Area and Related Indicators
• Figure 15.1 Weighted Capacity Ratio: Representation
• Figure 15.2 Weighted Capacity Ratio: Legislation
• Figure 15.3 Average Weighted Capacity Ratio: Financial Function
• Figure 15.4 Average Weighted Capacity Ratio: Oversight Function
• Figure 15.5 Average Weighted Capacity Ratio: Institutional Capacity of Parliament
• Figure 15.6 Weighted Capacity Ratio: Transparency and Integrity
• Figure 15.7 Weighted Averages of Assessment Ratings per Capacity Area
• Figure 15.8 African Parliamentary Index: Seven Country Rankings
• Figure 15.9 Areas of Capacity in Which Countries Are Close to Best Practice
• Tables
• Table 1B.1 IPU Framework on the Parliamentary Contribution to Democracy
• Table 1D.1 Comparative Table of the CPA Benchmarks, NDI Standards, and APF Criteria
• Table 1E.1 Comparative Table of Standards or Benchmarks in the Category "Elections"
• Table 2.1 Examples of Countries That Have Used the Self-Assessment Toolkit
• Table 6.1 Benchmarks and Standards: Summary of Possible Benefits.
• Table 11.1 Effectiveness of Corporate Risk Management
• Table 11.2 Example of the Dashboard Approach: Verbatim Records of Debates
• Table 12A.1 Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures: Compliance Results for the Australian Capital Territory
• Table 13A.1 Results of the Assessment Using the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Benchmarks
• Table 13B.1 Results of the Assessment Using the Inter-Parliamentary Union Toolkit.

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ISBN

1-4648-0328-5

OCLC

946887351

Other standard number

• 10.1596/978-1-4648-0327-7

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