Citizen Participation in Parliament (SL0030)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address? Parliament currently has very limited platforms to engage with citizens and CSOs. Also, several studies authored and published by CSO partners have raised concerns about Parliament’s transparency and accountability strides even when Parliament has improved largely on those areas as scored in the implementation of the Open Parliament Commitment in NAP III. Additionally, since Sierra Leone became a member of the Open Government Partnership in 2013, there have been several commitments that have to do with enactment and amendments of Laws. But most of these commitments were not fully implemented due to the fact that Parliament was not part of the process. Without Parliament’s commitment and support in the process it will be challenging for many of the OGP commitments to be fully implemented and there will continue to be challenges. However, the leadership of Parliament has in a Consultative meeting engaged CSOs and come up with what is known as a Parliamentary CSO framework that defines how both parties can work with each other in supportive manner.

What is the commitment? This commitment is about building better relationship between CSO and Parliament. It also further gets CSOs to be less confrontational and more collaborative. It will also further create awareness among citizens the roles of Parliament and create a feedback mechanism for citizens to effectively participate in the work of Parliament.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem? By building a stronger relationship, an avenue for dialogue and collaboration between Parliament and CSO. Increase in awareness on the Parliamentary Agenda among citizens It also makes Parliament accountable to citizens through publishing of its annual report

Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values? This commitment is relevant to the OGP values of citizen participation and transparency Sierra Leone Parliament appetites to embrace the OGP principles in an inclusive way. This period will promote Parliament’s interaction with the CSO community to increase citizens’ involvement in its legislative, oversight and representation work. This position communities and other vulnerable groups to contribute through their local social structures. OGP has gained recognition as a model that creates an enabling environment to carry out its functions in overseeing service delivery and enhanced representation, accountability, and transparency.

Additional information In 2019, through the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, an Open Parliament commitment was proposed and later incorporated in to the third action plan.

Milestone Activity with a verifiable deliverable Start Date: End Date: Regular civil society and Parliament interaction by holding half yearly forum between Parliament and CSO (apart from the Open Day) to share updates on Parliament’s activities and dialogue on issues that are important to citizens March 2022 March 2023 Establish a fully equipped CSO desk in Parliament which will host representatives in thematic sectors in governance and provide a platform for CSO to make input into Bills coming to Parliament making it a citizen owned process Dec 2021 August 2022 Reform and strengthen the budget making process to make it people centred and allow CSO participation in the final annual budget debate by expunging section 75 of the standing order Oct 2022 Jan 2023 Parliament shall conduct a training for members of Parliament on the roles and responsibilities of CSO to enhance the relationship between members of Parliament and CSO representatives March 2022 March 2023 Establish Parliamentary – CSO joint oversight Committee Dec 2021 Sept 2022 Parliament shall erect service charter in strategic locations in each of the following 4 regions – South, North, Northwest and East April 2022 June 2023 Parliament shall set up a data management system to analyse and support citizen’s accessibility in its work Dec 2021 June 2022 Parliament shall make public its annual report through different platforms (website, the parliamentary app etc) on an annual basis April 2022 April 2023

Action Plan Review

Commitment 1. Open Parliament

● Verifiable: Yes

● Does it have an open government lens? Yes

● Potential for results: Substantial

[Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Campaign for Good Governance, OGP Steering Committee, OGP Parliamentary Working Group]

Context and objectives:

This commitment aims to build stronger relationships between parliament and civil society organisations (CSOs) by providing an avenue for dialogue and collaboration. It aims to create awareness among citizens on the role of parliament and create a feedback mechanism for citizens to effectively participate in the work of parliament. Specifically, Parliament of Sierra Leone committed to hold a biannual forum with civil society (Milestone 1), establish a parliamentary-CSO joint oversight committee (5), and train parliamentarians on the roles and responsibilities of CSOs (4). They also committed to establish a ‘CSO desk’ to facilitate collection of CSO input to draft laws (2) and to expunge section 75 of the standing order to enable CSO participation in the final budget debate (3). Section 75 currently prohibits publication of Select Committee Reports before committee proceedings are reported to parliament. [1] Regarding strengthening transparency, parliament committed to establish a service charter in the Southern, Northern, North West, and Eastern regions (6); create a data management system (7); and publish its annual report each year on various platforms (8).

Potential for Results: Substantial

This commitment has a substantial potential to create new channels for civil society participation in parliaments’ work and to make information on parliamentary activities accessible to the public. If implemented as written, this reform will strengthen civic participation and government transparency. It is not clear at the time of writing this report whether the milestones listed will have a direct contribution to public accountability, as the parliamentary-CSO joint oversight committee had not yet determined its mandate. ^[2] Mohamed Jalloh of the Office of the Clerk of Parliament stated that the Steering Committee included this commitment in the action plan following a communiqué in which parliament and 52 CSOs agreed to establish a parliamentary-CSO joint oversight committee. ^[3]

Historically, Parliament of Sierra Leone has provided limited transparency and opportunity for public engagement around its work. As one proxy metric, the 2019 Open Budget Survey scored Sierra Leone below 50% in the areas of participation, transparency, and accountability in the budget process. ^[4]

At the time this commitment was designed, parliament had begun modest efforts to strengthen transparency and create opportunities for citizen engagement under the previous action plan. [5] Specifically, parliament launched the Sierra Leone Parliament app (2019), [6] established a 15-member OGP Parliamentary Working Group, launched the Parliamentary Service Charter (2021), [7] and held the first parliamentary Open Day. [8] In addition to these efforts, parliament currently live streams hearings on Facebook. [9] In 2020, the Working Group and other parliamentary leadership participated in a study tour that included a conversation on strengthening CSO collaboration to open parliament, as reflected in this commitment. [10]

This new commitment represents an increase in ambition, as it aims to go beyond releasing information to establishing permanent channels for collaboration and dialogue between the parliament, public, and civil society. Milestones not completed under the first commitment to publish regionally focused service charters and publish the parliament’s annual report were carried over into the second commitment.

At the time of formulating this commitment, parliament and CSOs had jointly signed a memorandum of understanding, with a series of recommendations by parliament. ^[11] Already, the leadership of parliament has approved a resolution signed between parliament and CSOs for the establishment of a CSO desk in parliament. ^[12] In 2022, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy co-hosted a second parliamentary Open Day that enabled advocates for the disability community to meet with the Speaker and other leaders of parliament. [13]

Opportunities, challenges and recommendations during implementation

Sierra Leone’s first open parliament commitment has already demonstrated that parliamentary engagement has the potential to advance open government reforms across the action plan, through the advancement of the Gender Empowerment Bill. [14] If fully implemented, this second commitment holds the potential to strengthen parliamentary engagement in open government reforms through greater collaboration with civil society. Specifically, communication channels such as the joint oversight committee and the CSO desk could further advance the aim to increase marginalised communities’ access to parliament, as aimed for under the first open parliament commitment.

Looking ahead, parliament and civil society partners could use these new channels to collaboratively strengthen protection for civic space. As of November 2022, CIVICUS rated Sierra Leone’s civic space as ‘obstructed’. [15] Freedom House notes that nongovernmental organisations operate under some restrictions, such as a need for ministerial approval for projects. Moreover, the right to freedom of assembly has not been consistently protected. [16] A robust civic space is a vital precondition to effective public participation in government decision-making. Collaboration between parliament and civil society to strengthen legal protections for civic space could help establish trust and reinforce a necessary pillar for open government reforms.

In the near term, commitment implementers could take stock of progress made under the commitment thus far and design an implementation road map for the remainder of the action plan period. The implementation road map could identify the following:

• A specific and detailed mandate of the parliamentary-CSO joint oversight committee. Mohamed Jalloh ^[17] noted the lack of a detailed framework on the mandate of the joint committee and said the committee will develop this once parliament establishes the CSO desk.
• Specific mechanisms under the CSO desk to enable greater public input in the legislative process. Similarly, the format for the data management system planned under Milestone 7 and how it will support citizen participation.
• A plan to roll out the Parliamentary Service Charter to the public. According to Mohamed Jalloh ^[18] the government plans to work with CSOs to roll out the charter in the relevant regions and possibly establish a Public Relations Office for this purpose.
• The nature and type of information parliament will publish, and a plan for disseminating the annual reports. This plan could consider how to address citizens without internet access to view reports or the parliamentary app.

Results Report

Commitment 1. Open Parliament

[Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), OGP Steering Committee, OGP Parliamentary Working Group]

Context and Objectives:

Parliaments are critical for open government as they are responsible for representing the electorate, making laws and providing oversight to the executive. Opacity around these key functions can harm public trust and keep the public to the margins of governance. [1] The Parliament of Sierra Leone has made strides to increase public information on its activities. However, reformers identified a need to create mechanisms for civil society and the public to engage with parliament directly.

This commitment aimed to build a stronger relationship between parliament, citizens and civil society organisations (CSOs) by providing avenues for dialogue and collaboration. It introduced ambitious aims built on a previous commitment in Sierra Leone’s 2019–2021 action plan. [2] This reform was included in response to CSO reports raising concerns about parliament’s transparency and accountability. [3]

The eight milestones to address these concerns included hosting half-yearly forums between CSOs and parliament; establishing a fully equipped CSO Desk in parliament; reforming and strengthening the budget-making process by expunging Section 75 of the Standing Order; training members of parliament on the roles and responsibilities of CSOs; establishing a parliamentary-CSO joint oversight committee; erecting service charters in the four regions; setting up a database management system, with analysis supporting citizen’s accessibility; and making parliament annual reports public through different platforms.

Early Results: Significant Results

Significant progress has been made in opening parliament, bringing about meaningful changes in practices that could strengthen trust between citizens and the state. This commitment achieved a substantial level of completion, standardising means of parliament and civil society engagement through a CSO Desk and joint committee. Parliament staff and CSO representatives of Parliament CSO Network (ParlCSOnet) [4] reported regular discussions and meetings between parliament and civil society throughout implementation. Ongoing efforts and Sierra Leone’s fifth action plan indicate that there is commitment by the parliament and CSOs to sustain these practices.

The Parliament of Sierra Leone had established some channels for public information before implementation of this commitment. Parliament had launched the Sierra Leone Parliament App, established a 15-member OGP Parliamentary Working Group involved in crafting the commitment and its implementation, [5] launched the Parliamentary Service Charter, and hosted the first parliamentary Open Day. In addition to these efforts, parliament live streamed hearings on Facebook, and the working group and parliament leadership participated in study tours. [6] These prior activities formed a solid foundation to go beyond releasing information to establishing permanent channels of collaboration and dialogue between parliament, the public and CSOs. [7]

A CSO Desk was established on 16 November 2022 (milestone 2). The Speaker of Parliament lauded the launch as a first step towards fulfilling commitments made to strengthen parliament and CSO relations. [8] Civil society had highlighted the CSO Desk as a priority at an August 2021 meeting that included civil society representatives from across the country. [9] The CSO Desk is located within the parliament compound but separate from the main building. This arrangement aims to balance accessibility to parliament with independence and freedom for CSOs to engage with the office. The desk has two staff members, one dedicated from parliament and one from CSOs. [10] A logo was designed, [11] a term of reference for technical support was developed, [12] and a WhatsApp group was formed to foster communication. The desk has a membership of 42 CSOs that are representative of the districts. The Centre for Strategy and Parliamentary Studies developed a training manual, which was used to train about 50 CSOs to fully engage with parliament. [13] The CSO Desk focuses on public education on the roles and responsibilities of parliaments, ensures access to the parliament compound, and shares information with CSOs, members of parliament, and sectoral committees in deliberations that affect citizens. [14]

A steering committee, known as the parliament, Civil Society Organization Network (ParlCSOnet), was established to oversee parliament-civil society relations, including the CSO Desk (milestone 5). This joint oversight committee includes 20 members, 6 members of parliament, 6 leaders of selected CSOs; 2 staff of the Department for Programmes, Research and Partnership, with the director serving as secretary to the committee; and 6 representatives of development partners. [15] A collaboratively developed Terms of Reference [16] outlines membership, formation of technical clusters, frequency of meetings and roles and responsibilities of the actors. Parliament staff specifically have a greater opportunity for CSOs to share sector research reports to inform decision-making and oversight. Parliament intends to integrate the committee into the standing orders of parliament, which were under review. [17]

CSOs and the Clerk of Parliament noted that the CSO Desk and engagement of CSOs through ParlCSOnet is founded on clearer understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities. The desk has structured engagement, making it valuable and predictable, and includes regular meetings and engagement through the parliamentary sectoral committees. The Clerk of Parliament [18] shared that because of improved CSO-parliament engagement through ParlCSOnet and the Joint Oversight Committee, for the first time, a CSO’s research report on the impact of free education and health on citizens was discussed in Parliamentary Chambers. Before this, parliament would not discuss reports from non-statutory bodies, thus excluding civil society input.

ParlCSOnet has also participated in various discussions with parliament [19] (milestone 1). For example, ParlCSOnet engaged in a meeting where CSOs and parliamentary members of the Committee on Gender and Children Affairs discussed the review of the Child Marriage Bill. [20] WFD hosted several meetings that raised awareness of the roles and responsibilities of CSOs in the legislative process. [21] Parliament hosted sessions that updated CSOs on implementation of OGP commitments and facilitated discussions between CSOs and parliament on how CSOs could work better with parliament. [22]

Progress was limited under milestone 6 to establish service charters in South, North, Northwest and East regions (milestone 6). In May 2022, WFD hosted a meeting to review the service charter. [23] At the time of writing, the new parliament was expected to continue and complete the review process, and the charter will be erected in the four regions. In addition, annual reports were to be published each year on various platforms (milestone 8). At the time of assessment, the parliament website included a 2021 report, [24] and the 2022 report was under evaluation. [25]

Parliament also committed to reviewing Section 75 of the standing orders [26] (milestone 3). The order prohibits publication of select committee reports before committee proceedings are reported in parliament. At the time of assessment, Section 75 was still in effect. Two meetings, supported by WFD, were hosted to review the standing orders. The review process was at the Parliamentary Committee on Standing Orders undergoing scrutiny as there remained outstanding issues. [27]

Lastly, parliament made progress in setting up a data management system (milestone 7). WFD trained designated staff in February 2022 and distributed iPads for data collection. [28] A Citizen’s Accessibility Data Management System, info pack and forms were developed in collaboration with WFD, the Public Relations Unit, the Department of Parliamentary Assistance and Coordination, and the Sergeant at Arms Department. [29] Analysis of the data is intended to inform decisions such as how to improve access for persons with disability. This included a data collection form that every person fills upon arrival to parliament. [30] Data collected include date of visit, sex, age, disability, nationality, institution, purpose, and time in and out. In 2022, an analysis was conducted on visitors to parliament. [31] This report highlighted information on the different categories of people visiting parliament, organisations represented, ages, and departments visited, and identified regular users, among others.

Looking Ahead:

The Parliament of Sierra Leone has made notable progress towards opening parliament, particularly in fostering productive dialogue between civil society and parliament. This reform has been included in the 2024–2028 Action Plan with milestones that focus on the development and launch of an online Legislative Transparency Portal, establishment of a Citizen Feedback Mechanism, implementation of measures to promote enhanced budget transparency, launch of open data initiatives, and strengthening of oversight mechanisms through training programmes among others. [32]

The IRM presents the following recommendations for consideration to further institutionalise progress made: