P arliamentarian Education Program in South Africa: a Pathway to Domestic Accountability

1. Parliamentarian Education Program in South Africa: a Pathway to Domestic Accountability Nhlanhla Nene, Chair, Portfolio Committee on Finance, SA National Assembly Neal P. Cohen, formerly with USAID in South Africa LenCD Forum, Nairobi, Kenya, 3-5 October 2006

2. The First Graduation Class of South African Parliamentarians University of the Western Cape, March 2004 INSERT GRAPHIC TO ADD PHOTO

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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