CAPACITY BUILDING

Southern Sudan has gone through a protracted period of war for 21 years. This has had a devastating toll on human life affecting all spheres of political and socio – economic development. Despite the war coming to an end, the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the formulation of an Interim Constitution, there are insurmountable challenges in the reconstruction process and putting into place institutions relevant to the political and socio-economic development of the people of Southern Sudan.

The signing of the CPA and the coming into force of the Interim Constitution for Southern Sudan (ICSS) has brought into being a new political dispensation.   The system of governance and the governance structures in place are based on a system of a devolved and decentralized government.  One of the immediate effects of the system is a demand for knowledge, skills and competencies across the eleven legislative assemblies and in other spheres of the public service.   This has therefore compounded the problem and has spread any limited legislative and administrative skills that may have existed thinly and widely.

The SSLA and the State Legislatures Assemblies (SLA’s) are composed of Members of Parliament (MP’s) staff members.  Many of whom are former combatants with little or no prior experience in democratic governance or parliamentary affairs.  The Ministry of Parliament Affairs (MPA), which is responsible for legislative business at the GOSS level, is staffed with officers who have no legislative experience as well.

The need for establishing strong democratic practices and traditions is therefore one daunting task facing the legislative assemblies at the GOSS, state and local government levels. There is therefore a need to promote and enhance the capacity of the legislators on democratic ideals, parliamentary practices and processes necessary to enhance traditions of a parliamentary democracy.
The challenge on effective and successful implementation of the CPA and the ICSS has placed a great demand on the legislators.  There is a deliberate need to develop legislative skills and abilities to enable the attainment of the road map.

The MPA is expected to meet the challenges and to find ways and means of overcoming the capacity challenges that exist at the SSLA and the SLA’s.  The capacity building needs not only affect the legislative Assemblies but the MPA as well.

The capacity needs range from inadequate skills to lack of appropriate legislative facilities like buildings and communication facilities.
It is in this context that the need for capacitating the MP’s, staff and the MPA staff is one of the key priority areas. 
Identified Problem

The SSLA and the State Legislatures consist of MP’s and staff members.  Many of the MP’s are former combatants with little or no prior experience in democratic governance or parliamentary affairs.   The MPA, which is responsible for legislative business at the GOSS level, is staffed with officers too who have no legislative experience.

The MPA priority is on strengthening the Parliamentary process at both the GOSS and State level. 

Proposed Remedial Measures

In the long term the MPA planned interventions should be aimed at strengthening the parliamentary processes at both the national and state levels.   More broadly these shall include, increasing the parliaments effectiveness in exercising its oversight functions, development of a parliamentary library , improving the effectiveness of the Committee system, making parliament transparent to the public, improving the standards and procedures for the development and debate of the annual estimates, developing parliamentary procedures and regulations and establishing a clear division of responsibilities between parliament and other oversight and investigative agencies like the judiciary, Parliamentary Accounts  Committee and the Ministry of Interior (MI) among other agencies.

 Specifically the long term strategy shall focus on a planned set of activities designed to:

In the short term the MPA’s intended strategy is to focus on short term training interventions. These measures should introduce basic concepts of the parliamentary processes and drafting of legislation.