2017-2022 Kiribati Parliament Strategic Plan

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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022



MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022



Preface It is my enormous and particular pleasure to introduce this very important “Strategic Plan” of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, August 2017 to August 2022 (MnM 2017-2022) by welcoming you all, in the “Love of the Divine Mercy, Lord Jesus Christ.” KAM NA BANE NI MAURI. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu (MnM) Strategic Plan 2017-2022 has been thoroughly designed by UNDP Technical Assistant Mrs Charmaine Rodrigues with the support from Parliamentary Senior Staff and the valuable participation of Members of the Maneaba/Parliament (MMs/MPs) and in consultation with the Executive branch and this reflects the input of considerable time, effort and expertise, thus, we owe, all of them, a “Very Big Thank You”. Kam bati n rabwa. The National MnM of Kiribati is one of the youngest democracies of the Commonwealth Parliaments; however, it has tremendously played a fruitful role in maintaining the peace, order and good governance of Kiribati. No two Parliaments have identical needs or operate in an identical political environment. Parliament is a dynamic institution, cannot be guided by the oldest Parliament, but adopt what accords with the Traditional Practice(s) for the “Way-Forward of the particular Parliament.” With great hope, our Strategic Plan has therefore developed meaningful, affordable and suitable strategies to achieving MnM’s targeted performances. And, they are also assisting present and future Speakers, MMs and Presiding Officers in executing their roles effectively and efficiently. With my sincerest Prayer to the Almighty God, I dedicate this MnM Strategic Plan, 2017 – 2022 to the MnM, MMs and the entire Nation of the Republic of Kiribati. Te Mauri, Te Raoi ao Te Tabomoa iaora ma abara ae Kiribati.

…………………………………………… Hon. Tebuai Uaai Speaker of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu


TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms

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Executive Summar

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Management Structure

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Purpose, Vision and Mission Recent History

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Situation Analysis

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Goals, Objectives, Strategies

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Key Performance Indicators

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Budget Risks

Maneaba ni Maungatabu Operational Plan Results Management

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Acronyms ACT

Australian Capital Territory

BPA

Broadcasting and Publications Authority

CSOs

Civil Society Organisations

CPA

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

GOPAC Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption KDP

Kiribati Development Plan

LCC

Leadership Code Commission

M&E

Monitoring & Evaluation

MOE

Ministry of Education

MOF

Ministry of Finance

MOJ

Ministry of Justice

MPs

Members of Parliament

MMs

Members of the Maneaba Ni Maungatabu

MMWC

Members of the Maneaba Working Committee

PAC

Public Accounts Committee

LSC

Legislative Services Commission

PSO

Public Service Office

ROPs

Rules of Procedure

SDGs

Sustainable Development Goals

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is the leadership body of the people of Kiribati, representing all of its people and communities from across the islands. As the country looks towards implementing the Kiribati National Development Plan 2016-19, in combination with progressing the Sustainable Development Goals, it is imperative that the Maneaba ni Maungatabu continues to develop as an effective, efficient, inclusive and accountable national institution, that has the capacity to ensure the well-being and prosperity of all of its people – women and men, young and old, urban and rural. This Strategic Plan has been produced to guide the operations and development of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, to ensure that Members of Parliament (MPs) are able to most effectively discharge their duties to the nation. This is a five year plan which sets out the strategic vision and priorities of the legislature’s development from the current date, August 2017 to 2022. This Strategic Plan builds on an earlier Corporate Plan that was drafted to cover the period from 201015. This Strategic Plan supports the development of the legislature as a national institution which has a key role in facilitating sustainable development and accountable governance. Recognising the central role of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu to meeting the development aspirations of the people of Kiribati, the Vision of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is: To be an open, transparent and democratic Parliament bound by the principles of good governance and accountability in order to promote and ensure rights-based, gender sensitive, sustainable development and inclusive governance for the people of Kiribati. In support of this overall vision, the Mission of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is: To provide effective law-making, oversight, and representative functions to the people of Kiribati in accordance with the Constitution of Kiribati. To achieve its mission, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu has identified five goals to target its efforts over the period 2017-2022. These have been prioritised to take into account the envisaged financial and capacity constraints that the Parliament will face, and the need to ensure that they are both ambitious but attainable. The five corporate goals are: 1. Speaker and MPs recognised as accountable leaders, who demonstrate and promote constitutional and democratic values 2. Legislation passed by the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is participatorily developed and contributes to rights-based, inclusive, sustainable development 3. Maneaba ni Maungatabu provides effective oversight of the Government to ensure that public resources are being maximised in support of rights-based, inclusive, sustainable development 4. Maneaba ni Maungatabu becomes a more transparent and participatory institution, which proactively engages with people and communities across the country to build their commitment to parliamentary democracy 5. Increased institutional capacity of the Parliament Secretariat to provide efficient, professional and high quality support services to the Speaker, Members of Parliament and other key clients groups Under each of these goals, the Strategic Plan outlines specific objectives and activities that the legislature believes will ensure that these goals are met. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will develop annual work plans and annual budgets that reflect the vision, mission and strategic objectives of the legislature as outlined in this Strategic Plan.

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Management Structure Parliamentary management structure

Unlike government Ministries, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu does not have a standard senior management team. Rather, the Speaker is the head of the legislative branch of Government and the political head of the Parliamentary Secretariat. The Speaker is responsible for the overall management of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, with support from the Clerk of Parliament. Currently, a Business Committee comprised of Members of Parliament operates as a Standing Committee with responsibilities for arranging the business on the Order Paper on sitting days, but this committee has no broader responsibilities for general operational issues. In line with Goal 5, Objective 1.1 of this Strategic Plan, in the short-term, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu proposes to establish Members of the Maneaba Working Committee (MMWC) which will help the administration in the strategic oversight and management of the legislature. This Committee will also be responsible for overarching strategic, policy, and budgeting decisions. Over time, options will be explored to develop the MMWC into a more formal Legislative Service Commission (LSC), in accordance with international good practice.

Staffing structure While the Parliamentary Secretariat has grown slightly over the last few years, the current staffing structure remains insufficient to ensure the provision of efficient, high quality services to Members of Parliament. The current structure has insufficient professional staff to provide high quality committee, research and advisory support to MPs, and lacks any public education and outreach officers. It has insufficient senior staff to respond to the complex needs of MPs and unclear reporting lines, in the absence of a clear team structure.

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Diagram 1: Current staffing structure

In order to deliver on the long-term goals outlined in this Strategic Plan, it is imperative that the staffing structure of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is reformed to ensure that there are sufficient staffs engaged at the appropriately senior level to deliver high quality services to Members of Parliament and to the broader the community. Diagram 2 below proposes a revised structure which is designed to enable more effective people management by senior staff, as well as to facilitate the professional development of staff across work units. Accordingly, the Senior Management Team would be composed of the Clerk and Senior Parliamentary Staff. Critically, the new structure supplements the professional staff currently employed by the Maneaba ni Maungatabu with a focus on: (i) additional research staff to support implementation of Strategic Plan Goals 2 and 3; (ii) additional committee staff to support implementation of Strategic Plan Goal 3; and (iii) a new public education and outreach unit comprised of two new staff to support implementation of Strategic Plan Goal 4. These new staff are essential to delivering the activities and outputs described in this Plan.

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Diagram 2: Proposed staffing structure

Current staff Approved staff - still to be recruited Proposed new staff

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Purpose, Vision and Mission Purpose

This Strategic Plan has been developed to guide the operations and development of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, in order to ensure that Members of Parliament are able to most effectively discharge their duties to the nation during the course of the current term of the legislature.

Vision The Maneaba ni Maungatabu recognises its role as the central national institution that represents the interests and aspirations of the people of Kiribati. The Members of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu have a constitutional duty to act in the best interests of the nation of Kiribati and to ensure that their actions and decisions contribute to ensuring the well-being of all people and communities throughout the country. Although the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is a political body, nonetheless, as an institution it is committed to achieving the vision of the Kiribati National Development Plan 2016-19, which looks “towards a better educated, healthier, more prosperous nation with a higher quality of life”.

In support of the country’s overall national development goals, as well as the achievement of the long-term Sustainable Development Goals, the overarching vision of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is:

To be an open, transparent and accountable Parliament bound by the principles of constitutional governance in order to promote and ensure rights-based, gender sensitive, sustainable development for the people of Kiribati.

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Mission

The mission of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu provides a framework for achieving the mission and guides the proposed strategic objectives and activities in the period 2010-2015.

The Mission of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is:

To provide effective law-making, oversight, and representative functions to the people of Kiribati in accordance with the Constitution of Kiribati.

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Recent History Over the last ten years, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu has engaged in a proactive programme of institutional and capacity development, in particular, through two critical partnerships with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly, with which the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is “twinned”. In 2001, UNDP completed a comprehensive Legislative Needs Assessments (LNA) of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, the first ever comprehensive review of the legislature’s needs. In August 2008, UNDP updated the LNA, which was used to inform the development of the Kiribati Parliamentary Support Project that ran from 2007 to 2012. In 2012, a third LNA was conducted by the ACT Legislative Assembly and the Federal Government in 2012 to identify current priorities for the Maneaba ni Maungatabu. Five years on from this LNA, it is anticipated that this new Strategic Plan 2017-21 can now be used to update that LNA and provide guidance on future support from development partners. The partnerships with UNDP and the ACT Legislative Assembly have been critical in supporting the Parliamentary Secretariat to drive though major institutional developments. Achievements include: o The first ever post-election Induction Workshop for MPs was organised by the Parliamentary ► Secretariat and UNDP in November 2007, to build MPs knowledge of both parliamentary procedures and substantive policy issues. Induction workshops have been held in 2012 and 2016 following subsequent general elections; o A series of trainings for MPs and staff have been undertaken by UNDP, the ACT Legislative Assembly, ► the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and GOPAC, both procedural and issues-based training on topics such as climate change, corruption, gender and population and development. For example, in 2008, training was undertaken for the Public Accounts Committee, in 2012 an MPs’ Privileges Workshop was held and in April 2017 an Anti-Corruption workshop was organized; o MP exchanges with the ACT Legislative Assembly have also been facilitated. In June 2012, two ► Kiribati MPs had a week’s exchange to the ACT Legislative Assembly during which the Kiribati Room (a committee room at the Assembly) was officially opened. Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly have also visited Kiribati on three occasions to see first-hand how the twinned Parliament programme operates; o A new dedicated website for the Maneaba ni Maungatabu was developed and designed in 2008 ► through technical assistance provided by the ACT Legislative Assembly. The site has been regularly updated for years,

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o An annual Commonwealth Day week has been held every March since 2008, in cooperation with the ► CPA. Activities in the programme include; reading of the Queen’s Message competition, translation of the Queens Message into the Kiribati language competition, drama, choir competition, karaoke competition, and an art competition. The festivities culminate in the annual Youth Parliament, which runs for half a day. Participants in these activities were all young men and women. 2018 will mark the 10th Anniversary of celebrating the Commonwealth day by the Maneaba ni Maungatabu; o The Maneaba ni Maungatabu Rules of Procedure were reviewed in 2009, with funding from UNDP ► and advice from ACT Assembly. A consultant was engaged to work with the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Rules of Procedures. The former Clerk of the ACT Legislative Assembly assisted the Committee in finalising the Rules, the first time external assistance was provided to a Committee to review Rules of Procedures. Translation of the Rules was completed in 2015. The draft is pending awaiting for House’s approval; o A draft Coorporate Plan was completed for the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, covering the period from ► 2010-15. This Plan was commissioned by UNDP and designed in a participatory manner, including contributions from key stakeholders from within the Parliament and from society as a whole. It was used to guide support across the Parliamentary Secretariat; o The “For The Record” (FTR) transcribing system was installed in the Parliament Chamber in ► November 2010, with technical assistance provided by ACT Legislative Assembly and the Australian Federal Parliament, replacing the old cassette tape recorder system. All computer systems in the parliamentary offices have access to the audio debate while it is ongoing in the chamber and transcripts are now being more efficiently produced; o The first-ever Mock Parliament for Women was held in Kiribati in August 2011, in a partnership ► between the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, Department of Women and UNDP. Thirty women participated, from Tarawa and the outer islands. Four days of training were delivered, followed by two days of a Mock Parliament, comprising Mock Question Time, debate of a Mock Motion and debate of a Mock Bill; o The ACT Legislative Assembly sent its Librarian in 2013 to work with the Maneaba ni Maungatabu ► Librarian to develop the Kiribati Parliamentary Library. The ACT Librarian submitted a range of recommendations for considerations by the the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, which are being implemented over time. Already, in 2014 the ACT Legislative Assembly donated library shelves and a training attachment has been undertaken by the Kiribati Parliamentary librarian to the ACT Legislative Assembly; o A Guide for Members of the Kiribati Public Accounts Committee was printed and published in 2014. ► The handbook was drafted by ACT Legislative Assembly and is a useful resource which provides general information on the role of PAC; o Three Kiribati Parliamentary staff (all women) from the Hansard Unit undertook a 1-week attachment ► in early 2017 with the ACT Legislative Assembly. The purpose of the attachment was to observe and learn the experience of ACT procedures and other areas of interests concerning transcribing matters in the ACT Legislative Assembly; o Two Open Day events have been conducted by the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, which were designed ► to enable the public to understand how the legislature works. However, due to the lack of funding, the programme has been discontinued; o Over the last 10 years, the Parliamentary Secretariat staff has expanded from the very small staff ► that initially serviced MPs. To respond to the growing need for online research and services for MPs, one IT Specialist and one IT Assistance were recruited. To service the newly active parliamentary committees, one Secretary to Committee was recruited and in mid-2017 one Research and Table Officer was approved for recruitment. To ensure more efficient administration and financial management, one Office Services Supervisor and one Account Officer were recruited. A handyman was also added to the permanent staff to ensure the upkeep of the parliamentary buildings. These additional staff have been critical to improving services to MPs and ensuring internal accountability for funding, but they are still a very small complement to service 45 MPs.

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Situation Analysis Over the last decade, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu has made substantial progress in developing its capacities to discharge its constitutional duties of law-making, oversight and representation. However, as the Maneaba ni Maungatabu looks to the future, the challenge now will be how to keep the momentum going and build on these foundations. There are three critical areas which must be addressed in order to develop a Maneaba ni Maungatabu that operates as a 21st century legislature, fulfilling its role in accordance with international good practice:  Despite being a constitutionally equal and separate branch of Government, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is still often treated by public officials as equivalent to a Ministry or statutory authority. This is inappropriate and risks undermining the Maneaba ni Maungatabu’s power to effectively oversight the executive branch. This problem is exacerbated by the Maneaba ni Maungatabu being dependent on the executive branch for human resources and funding decisions. This must be addressed, in order to ensure that the legislature has sufficient independence and functional autonomy to perform its functions vis a vis the executive;  The Maneaba ni Maungatabu has made major strides in using its powers of committee oversight to start reviewing the Government’s activities in relation to public accounts, climate change and anti-corruption, but there is still a lack of systematic oversight of the Government’s proposed laws, policies and development activities. Unlike most other similar parliaments, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu lacks any committee with a specific role in reviewing legislation before it reaches the whole House for debate. Likewise, in the absence of one or more sectoral committees, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu has no avenue for overseeing the Government’s efforts to achieve the targets in the KDP or the SDGs. While Question Time allows basic inquiries to be made, there is still no way of properly interrogating government policies and programmes;  The communities and people of Kiribati still generally lack an understanding of the work of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu. While most people understand the politics of elections, the actual functional work of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is often more opaque. It is essential to open up the Maneaba ni Maungatabu to the public (including through the media and CSOs as intermediaries) in order to facilitate their better understanding of what MPs do when they are in Tarawa.

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Broadcasting of sessions is good practice, but committee hearings still remain closed despite their content being of public interest. The parliamentary website is still non-functional making it more difficult to access parliament’s documents;  The Parliamentary Secretariat still requires strengthening if it is support the Maneaba ni Maungatabu’s to perform its roles to the highest standard. There is a problem with insufficient staff numbers to service all MPs, combined with inappropriate staff seniority. Providing parliamentary services to Members of Parliament is a complex and demanding task. Advisory and research services cannot be provided by junior staff, and yet there are currently only the Clerk (who services the Speaker first), Deputy Clerk and Legislative Counsel available at a senior level to advise 45 Members of Parliament (see Diagram 1 above). Likewise, there are currently 5 committees currently operating in the House, while this Strategic Plan proposes the creation of two more, yet there are only two Committee Secretaries currently in the staffing establishment (with one still to be recruited). Further, there are no research officers currently employed on staff, with only a Librarian and a very junior office (still to be recruited) available to undertake research activities to support MPs as they try to develop questions on notice, motions, private members bills and/or responses to proposed legislation;

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Goals, Objectives, Strategies Goal 1 – Speaker and MPs recognised as accountable leaders, who demonstrate and promote constitutional and democratic values Members of Parliament are important leaders and representatives, both of their constituencies and nationally. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to supporting Members to effectively discharge their constitutional duties, in order to ensure that they act as national role models demonstrating values of integrity, accountability and good leadership. To this end, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu aims to strengthen the skills and capacities of Members to discharge their duties, as well as to use the institution of parliament to promote more inclusive and accountable political leadership more generally. Objective 1.1 – Speaker, Members of Parliament and the Clerk effectively discharging their leadership duties and demonstrating the values of accountable and transparent leadership  Action 1: MPs and staff receive regular training on duties under the new Leadership Code At the time of writing, a new Leadership Code Act has been enacted but the establishment of the new Leadership Code Commission (LCC) is still underway. Once the LCC is set up, the Parliamentary Secretariat will liaise closely with the LCC staff to set up a series of seminars throughout the term of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu to ensure that Members of Parliament understand fully their leadership duties. Complementary seminars and briefing notes will also be prepared, as appropriate, on issues relating to public accountability, transparency and corruption, in line with the broader national commitment to addressing corruption.  Action 2: Parliamentary Secretariat supports implementation of Leadership Code conflict of interest disclosure requirements The new Leadership Code Act requires Members of Parliament to disclose any conflicts of interests they may have of relevance to their Ministerial and/or parliamentary activities. Implementation of this new statutory requirement still requires roll out. To this end, the Parliamentary Secretariat will work closely with the new LCC to identify how to best implement this new Act and will work with MPs to facilitate their implementation of their new duties. Objective 1.2 – Strengthen MP’s skills and knowledge in relation to constitutional, procedural and substantive issues  Action 1: Design and implement quality programme of parliamentary knowledge development for Members of Parliament Following the 2016 elections, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu held an induction training week for all Members. It is anticipated that another induction training will be held following the national elections scheduled for November 2021. During the current term, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu recognises that Members of Parliament require assistance from the Parliament administration in order to increase their capacity and stay abreast of developments both in Parliament and in terms of general policy developments and issues. To this end, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will develop a rolling programme of professional development support and assistance for Members. The programme will include, but not be confined to: (i) Regular briefings for MPs on policy and legislative issues; (ii) Rolling programme of training for MPs on issues, such as parliamentary procedures and rules, scrutinising, drafting and amending legislation, effective oversight and committee procedures, SDGs and other critical national policy issues and how to work in constituencies and with civil society (see also additional training activities in support of specific Objectives throughout this Plan).

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 Action 2: Produce “Parliamentary Handbook” for Members of Parliament To complement the training programme outlined in Action 1 above, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to providing each Member with a Parliamentary Handbook that will provide them with useful and practical information on how to carry out their duties. This Handbook will act as an easy-reference guide, and will provide guidance on parliamentary processes and procedures, as well as information on key substantive sustainable development issues. Objective 1.3 – Support the development of a more inclusive and representative Maneaba ni Maungatabu  Action 1: Build the commitment and capacity of MPs to supporting human rights and gender equality through parliamentary processes Kiribati has committed to promoting human rights and gender equality through numerous human rights treaties, as well as through endorsement of the Sustainable Development Goals, regional declarations and the Kiribati National Development Plan. It is the duty of all Members of Parliament to promote and implement these obligations. To this end, the Parliamentary Secretariat will: -

Work with relevant Government Ministries, international development bodies and civil society organisations to regularly brief Members on critical human rights developments as well as on Kiribati’s implementation of its human rights obligations;

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Work with MPs to revise the Rules of Procedure to require: (i) parliamentary committees to consider human rights and gender issues during their committee inquiries and to ensure all committee reports report-back on these issues; and (ii) parliamentary committees have gender-balanced membership, if possible;

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Work with the Government to facilitate the tabling of human rights treaty reports to the Maneaba ni Maungatabu for consideration;

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If the Bills Scrutiny Committee proposed under Objective 2.1 is established, work with MPs to revise the Rules of Procedure to require that the new Committee considers the human rights and gender implications of all Bills.

 Action 2: Support development of Parliamentary Groups on Gender and Human Rights and on Anti-Corruption Cross-party Parliamentary Groups are a popular for MPs interested in a particular subject matter to work together to debate and discuss their ideas in order to develop bipartisan solutions to critical policy issues. In the last term of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, a Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption was established with support from the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC) and UNDP. This group lapsed due to changes in the circumstances of its Members, but the Parliamentary Secretariat will work with Members, as well as reaching out to GOPAC and UNDP to explore options for its re-establishment. Along similar lines, there have been calls for a group to focus on issues regarding gender equality and human rights. Initially, it was proposed that women MPs could form a Women’s Caucus, but as their only 3 female MPs and all are from the same party, this is not practical. However, the Parliamentary Secretariat will work with Members of Parliament who are interested in gender issues and/or human rights more broadly to explore the establishment of one or two parliamentary group(s) on gender and/or human rights. This Parliamentary Group would provide a forum for Members to discuss ways to promote these issues within the parliament as well as within society and offers a focal point for women’s groups and human rights activists to advance the cause of women and the protection of people’s human rights. The Parliamentary Secretariat will facilitate discussions with potential support partners such as UN Women, the Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights, UNDP, the Regional Rights and Resources Team at the Secretariat for the Pacific Community and the Australian Government Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Programme.

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 Action 3: Facilitate support to women MPs Although all MPs deserve equal support, there is globally a recognition within parliaments that women MPs may sometimes benefit from specific additional assistance to enable them to engage more effectively, in particular, as champions of gender equality – though of course, this is also the duty of every single Member of Parliament. The Parliamentary Secretariat will work closely with the current cohort of women MPs to support their professional development, in particular, by identifying and facilitating specific opportunities available to women MPs, including through partnerships with UN Women, UNDP, the Australian Government Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Programme and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Women Parliamentarians Group.  Action 4: Organise and support second Mock Parliament for Women The Maneaba ni Maungatabu believes that a more equitable representation of women in Parliament is required in Kiribati in order to more accurately reflect the composition of society and to ensure that women’s diverse interests are taken into account. The current parliament has only 3 women MPs out of 45 MPs overall, which does not reflect the diversity of Kiribati people. To address this, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to supporting women’s political participation. To this end, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will work with the Department of Women and development partners to organise a second Mock Parliament for Women in advance of the 2020 elections. The Parliamentary Secretariat will also proactively identify other opportunities to promote women’s political participation, as possible.

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Goal 2 – Legislation passed by the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is participatory developed and contributes to rights-based, inclusive, sustainable development Section 66 (1) of the Kiribati constitution states that “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu shall have power to make laws for peace, order and good government of Kiribati.” The Maneaba ni Maungatabu recognises that its current legislative process can be strengthened by allowing more opportunity for in-depth scrutiny of legislation to ensure that laws are constitutionally valid, promote the rights enshrined in the Constitution and human rights treaties, and are appropriately drafted to achieve their policy objectives. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu also commits to implementing legislative review processes that provide an opportunity to more systematically gather the views of stakeholders from outside Parliament, including government officials, experts and members of the public. Objective 2.1 – Facilitate participatory and development-focused law-making through a new Bills Scrutiny Committee  Action 1: Work with Ministry of Justice and Members of Parliament to progress creation of Bills Scrutiny Committee The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to creating a Parliamentary Committee to scrutinise selected legislation in between the first and second reading stages of the legislative process. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will work closely with the Ministry of Justice to develop a Cabinet Paper to approve setting up some form of Bills scrutiny committee, and subsequently to work with Members of Parliament to revise the Rules of Procedure of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu to establish the new Committee. In order to minimise cost implications, it is envisaged that the Committee will scrutinise legislation for up to 6 weeks per annum, will initially hold its hearings only in Tarawa and will not undertake field visits. If established, an additional Committee Secretary will need to be employed by the Parliamentary Secretariat to provide sufficient research, reporting and administration support to Members. It is envisaged that the terms of reference for this Committee will require that it: should be cross party and inclusive; will consider the Budget Bill, as well as other Bills of national importance; will be required to look at whether Bills are gender-sensitive and human rights compliant; will be able to receive both written and oral submissions; will have the power to call witnesses from the Executive and from civil society; and will conduct open public hearings, which are broadcast on the radio, as possible.  Action 2: Support new Committee to discharge its new functions If a new Bills Scrutiny Committee is established, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to providing Members of the Committee with training on their new role and responsibilities and with providing the new Committee with expert advice and assistance during their deliberations. As noted under Action 1 above, this will require an additional Committee Secretary will need to be employed by the Parliamentary Secretariat to provide sufficient research, reporting and administration support to Members. It will also require a small additional budget to cover Committee Member’s sitting allowances. The Committee will be supported to produce a report on each Bill considered, which will be submitted to Parliament in advance of the Second Reading in order to inform debate in the Maneaba ni Maungatabu.

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Goal 3 – Maneaba ni Maungatabu provides effective oversight of the Government to ensure that public resources are being maximised in support of rights-based, inclusive, sustainable development One of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu’s most critical roles is to provide oversight of the Executive Branch of Government. The Government of Kiribati is ultimately accountable to the Parliament; Parliament accordingly needs to ensure that it oversees the Executive in an efficient and effective manner through a range of parliamentary oversight mechanisms. Presently, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu currently has 6 Committees, namely: (i) Standing Committees: Public Accounts Committee, Business Committee, Privileges Committee; and (ii) Select Committees: Climate Change Committee, Anti-Corruption Committee and Rule Committee. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to building on current procedures and practices to improve the capacity of the Parliament to provide effective oversight of the Government. Objective 3.1 – Support Committees to efficiently and accountably plan, progress and report on their committee work  Action 1: Work with Committee Chairs to develop Committee workplans and budgets The current Parliamentary Committees meet regularly and are generally considered to be operating quite actively to implement their mandates. However, their activities are still somewhat ad hoc, in particular, the Select Committees who do not have regular work programmes. This has resource implications, as better planning could ensure better scheduling of travel and hearings with stakeholders. To this end, the Parliamentary Secretariat will: - Develop a workplan and budget template for use by Committees when planning their sessional and/or annual work programmes; - Work with Committee Chairs to agree on a workplan and committee hearings schedule per session and/or annually in order to maximise the efficient use of resources; - Include committee budgets in the parliamentary budget submitted to the Ministry of Finance; - Publish committee workplans and budgets on the parliament website.  Action 2: Support Committees Members to produce timely, high quality Committee reports In order for Committees to be effective, it is essential that they produce timely, accurate reports at the conclusion of their inquiries that can then be considered by the Parliament. Currently, there is only limited support within the Parliament to assist Committee Members, due to staffing constraints. To ensure better reporting processes, the Parliamentary Secretariat will: - Recruit 1-2 additional Committee Secretaries, as well as 1-2 additional Research Officers who will have the skills and capacities to support Members to undertake research and work with Committee Members to support committee report-writing; - Work with the Hansard transcription team to improve the timeliness of transcription of Committee hearings and Committee Members’ transcription requirements in order to ensure there is no delay in report finalisation; - Work with Committee Members and relevant Government Departments and independent agencies to access technical experts who can support Committees in their analysis, deliberations and reportwriting.  Action 3: Provide ongoing training to Committee Members Select Committees may be created at any time during the parliamentary term and the Public Accounts Committee renews its membership every two years. In this context then, the Parliamentary Secretariat will be proactive in providing new and existing Committee Members with a rolling programme of training on their roles and responsibilities and on critical substantive issues. An intensive induction programmes for new PAC Members will also be provided when membership rotates every two years.

MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

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Objective 3.2 – Facilitate more effective oversight of implementation of the KDP and SDGs\  Action 1: Provide Members with training on the KDP and SDGs The Kiribati Development Plan 2016-19 sets out the national development priorities to guide the country for future years. It is complemented by the Sustainable Development Goals, a new global agenda endorsed by international leaders in September 2015 which will guide development for the subsequent 15 years. It is imperative that MPs are familiar with these two complementary development agendas in order to undertake more effectively oversight the Government’s progress in achieving the targets and milestones they establish. To this end, the Parliamentary Secretariat will facilitate seminars on these two agendas, as well as regular update briefings on progress with implementation.  Action 2: Work with the Ministry of Justice and Members of Parliament to explore options for establishing an SDGs Committee Many parliaments have multiple sectoral committees responsible for overseeing key Government sectors to ensure that they are effectively implementing their policies and budgets and are successfully working towards achieving their strategic goals. However, Maneaba ni Maungatabu recognises that financial and capacity restrictions make it impossible for the Parliament to sustain a large number of sectoral committees. Nonetheless, if Parliament is to meaningfully engage in overseeing progress in achieving national sustainable development, some form of committee oversight is necessary to Parliament to use its inquiry and hearing powers to engage in more detailed sectoral oversight.1 To that end, it is proposed to work with the Ministry of Justice to explore options for creating some form of SDGs Committee, with a terms of reference focused on (i) reviewing annual national SDG reports and 6-monthly KDP Reports (as referenced in the KDP 2016-19, p.49), as well as ad hoc Ministry progress reports and (ii) undertaking inquiries into specific sectoral issues, as appropriate.

1 Currently, the Climate Change Committee and Anti-Corruption Committee both have sectoral responsibilities but their Terms of Reference are very narrow and their terms are set to expire at the end of December 2018 in any case.

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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022


In order to minimise cost implications, it is envisaged that the Committee will scrutinise legislation for up to for up to 12 weeks per annum, with up to 6 weeks relating to oversight of the Executive on SDGrelated issues and up to 6 weeks dedicated to scrutiny of SDG-related legislation. This latter work could be done in conjunction with the proposed new Bills Scrutiny Committee (see Objective 2.1 above). The Committee will initially hold its hearings only in Tarawa and will not undertake field visits. If established, an additional Committee Secretary will need to be employed by the Parliamentary Secretariat to provide sufficient research, reporting and administration support to Members. It is envisaged that the terms of reference for this Committee will require that it: should be cross party and gender-balanced; will be required to consider whether laws, programmes and policies are gender-sensitive and human rights compliant; will be able to receive both written and oral submissions; will have the power to call witnesses from the Executive and from civil society; and will conduct open public hearings, which are broadcast on the radio, as possible.  Action 3: Support new Committee to discharge its new functions If a new SDGs Committee is established, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to providing Members of the Committee with training on their new role and responsibilities and with providing the new Committee with expert advice and assistance during their deliberations. As noted under Action 1 above, this will require an additional Committee Secretary will need to be employed by the Parliamentary Secretariat to provide sufficient research, reporting and administration support to Members. It will also require a small additional budget to cover Committee Member’s sitting allowances. The Committee will be supported to produce a report on each issue or report that is subject of inquiry, for submission to Parliament for debate.

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Goal 4 – Maneaba ni Maungatabu becomes a more transparent and participatory institution, which proactively engages with people and communities across the country to build their commitment to parliamentary democracy The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to increasing and improving communication between the legislature and the citizens of Kiribati. The Parliament also has an educational role in terms of communicating with citizens on the role of the legislature within the overall framework of governance structures of the country and an informational role in terms of keeping citizens informed of the latest developments and activities in Parliament. Objective 4.1 – Develop mechanisms to promote greater transparency and participation in parliament’s law-making and oversight processes  Action 1: Upgrade and maintain the parliamentary website to more regularly post information on lawmaking and oversight processes At present, little is known amongst the public of the legislative process. Although internet penetration is still weak across the country, nonetheless, the internet is an effective and cheap mechanism for sharing information and increasing transparency around parliamentary processes. To this end, the Parliamentary Secretariat will commit to more regularly uploading information regarding the parliamentary law-making activities: -

The annual parliamentary calendar, setting out the dates for parliamentary sittings and committee hearings will be uploaded either at the start of the year or each session;

-

All Bills will be uploaded within 48 hours of being tabled in Parliament. Copies of all Bills will also be produced in the Kiribati language. These translated drafts will also be uploaded (and will also be available to the media).

-

A simple Bill Tracker will be uploaded and maintained online, which will provide information on all of the Bills that are currently being considered by Parliament, whether they are at First Reading, in Committee, Second Reading or Third Reading and any supplementary information;

-

Information about Committee Membership, TORs and hearing schedules will be published;

-

All Committee Reports will be uploaded within 48 hours of being tabled in Parliament;

-

All final laws will be uploaded either on the Parliament website or via the Pacific Legal Information Institute within 48 hours of being received by the Secretariat following Presidential assent.

-

Hansard and other parliamentary papers will also be made available to the public on the website and via the Parliamentary library.

 Action 2: Revise Rules of Procedure to require Committee hearings to be open and broadcast to the public Although the proceedings of parliamentary sessions are broadcast on the radio, Committee hearings are generally still held behind closed doors, despite the content of their meetings being of public interest and their transcripts and reports eventually becoming public record. This significantly reduces the transparency of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu’s work and is a missed opportunity to demonstrate to the public the critical oversight role that MPs play in interrogating government officials and holding them to account. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will work with the Ministry of Justice and MPs to revise the Rules of Procedure to require committee hearings to be broadcast. This will have resource implications as radio broadcasts are costly, but this amount is justified in the interests of greater government transparency.

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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022


Situation Analysis ďƒ˜ Action 3: Proactively facilitate the engagement of civil society organisations and experts with the Maneaba ni Maungatabu The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to creating systems within the Parliament which allow Members to interact with and receive information from a range of civil society and expert sources, to the benefit of Members who often cannot easily access the research and advice that they are seeking. To this end, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will develop the parliamentary website as more of an interactive 2-way portal that will enable CSOs, experts and even the public to share their inputs and ideas with MPs. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will also hold outreach training sessions for CSOs with the aim of providing CSOs with information on the workings of Parliament and outlining ways in which CSOs can engage with the political process in Parliament. To this end, it is proposed that an additional staff member is recruited to operate as a Media and Community Liaison Officer, who will be a focal point for media inquiries (among other outreach responsibilities as described in Action 4 below). ďƒ˜ Action 4: Proactively engage with the media to share information on parliamentary processes and activities The Maneaba ni Maungatabu recognises the important role that the media in Kiribati plays in keeping citizens informed of current affairs and political developments. The Parliament benefits from the live radio broadcasts of proceedings in the Chamber and believes that continuing such broadcasts is important, despite the high costs.2 The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to increasing the transparency of its work, and to this end, will progress efforts to broadcast its Committee hearings as well. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu commits to improving engagement with the media through increasing liaison with all broadcasters and newspapers and regularly and pro-actively updating the media on activities in Parliament. Order Papers will be routinely circulated by email to media organisations, and documents will be uploaded in a timely manner to the parliamentary website. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will also explore options for developing a media area within the parliamentary precinct to enable journalists to more easily write and file their stories during sessions. In order to facilitate better relations with the media, it is proposed that an additional staff member is recruited to operate as a Media and Community Liaison Officer, who will be a focal point for media inquiries (among other outreach

responsibilities).

2 These costs are due to the high electricity costs for AM broadcasts which are passed on to the Maneaba ni Maungatabu by the Broadcasting and Publications Authority (BPA). BPA advised that they are exploring options for switching to solar power which would substantially reduce costs. This would make reduce costs passed on to the Maneaba ni Maungatabu.

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 Action 5: Engage in outreach and produce materials to reach out to all citizens Although the majority of Kiribati citizens receive information on the Parliament through the radio, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will continue to develop the parliamentary website as a major source of information on the Maneaba ni Maungatabu’s work, and will establish a Facebook page. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will also produce a regular Parliamentary newsletter, to coincide with the outputs of each session of parliament, that will be distributed both in hard copy and electronically to key stakeholders outside parliament, such as Ministries, CSOs, religious groups, the media and international organisations. In the longer-term, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to engaging communities throughout the country, in particular outlying islands, though outreach visits by the Public Outreach Unit. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will also erect a Parliamentary notice board in a central location in each electoral constituency and to providing information and materials on the role of Parliament and recent activities undertaken in the Parliament for display on these noticeboards. Roll-out will be dependent on additional funding. It is proposed that an additional staff member is recruited into the Parliamentary Secretariat to operate as a Public Education and Outreach Officer, to lead this new programme of work (as well as work under Objective 4.2 below).

Objective 4.2 – Develop a public education and outreach programme to engage with young men and women to develop their understanding of parliamentary democracy  Action 1: Organise and support annual Youth Parliament Statistics from 2008 state that 36% of Kiribati population is under 18 years of age. It is important that the voices of young people are brought into national policy and that young people are supported to engage more with the democratic and development processes that affect them. In order to encourage young people to get involved in the political process, for the Maneaba ni Maungatabu has been running an annual Youth Parliament for almost ten years, in cooperation with the Ministry for Youth, Social Affairs and Women and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to continuing this annual activity with a focus on ensuring that its participants are gender-balanced and represent both urban and rural youth. A week of activities is planned every year around Commonwealth Day, including student competitions and other awareness raising. In addition, it is also anticipated that the Youth Parliament to be conducted in Kiribati language may be hosted on a bi-annual basis.

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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022


Action 2: Work with Ministry of Education to develop and roll out schools outreach programme The Maneaba ni Maungatabu believes that educating young citizens on the work of Parliament is important and that the Parliament should support schools in this task. To this end, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will: - - - -

Work with the Ministry of Education to establish a Schools-Parliament Programme to encourage school visits to the Maneaba ni Maungatabu for a one-day education programme on premises; Develop materials for schools (that could also be used by teachers in their classrooms), as well as interactive learning activities for students; Organise an annual Open Day, in the second half of the year, preceded by a set of student essay and poster competitions designed to raise awareness about parliamentary democracy; Work with the Ministry of Education to develop a schools outreach programme to assist MPs when visiting schools in their constituencies.

It is proposed that an additional staff member is recruited into the Parliamentary Secretariat to operate as a Public Education and Outreach Officer, to lead the development of this new programme of work.

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Goal 5 – Increased institutional capacity of the Parliament Secretariat to provide efficient, professional and high quality support services to the Speaker, Members of Parliament and other key clients groups The Maneaba ni Maungatabu recognises that in order to deliver the agreed vision and mission of the legislature, the Parliament needs an effective and efficient Parliament administration to deliver support to Members in their duties. It is essential that the Parliamentary Secretariat is structured and resourced appropriately in order to ensure that MPs receive a high level of support and assistance. At present, staffing resources are insufficient to meet the needs of 45 MPs and five committees, as well as the broader duties of the parliament to service the expectations of citizens for a transparent, open institution. Accordingly, this Strategic Plan includes critical activities designed to enable the Maneaba ni Maungatabu to more efficiently, economically, accountably and effectively discharge its duties. Objective 5.1 – Parliamentary Secretariat’s powers and capacity strengthened to ensure effective financial and human resource management  Action 1: Establish internal Legislative Management Board Currently, The Speaker is responsible for the overall management of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, with support from the Clerk of Parliament. However, in order to ensure greater accountability over decisionmaking, in advance of efforts to make the parliamentary services more autonomous (see Actions 2 to 5 below), it is important to broaden the decision-making process. To this end, the Office of the Maneaba will establish a new Committee (MMWC), comprised of the Speaker and members from different political parties. The MMWC will be responsible for oversight and management of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu particularly in overarching strategic, policy, and budgeting decisions.

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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022


 Action 2: Work with Public Service Office and Members of the Maneaba Working Committee (MMWC to achieve autonomous human resources management Despite the constitutionally entrenched separation of powers between the executive and the legislature, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is administered in the same manner as a Ministry within the Executive. However, the highly specialised and complex nature of the legislature’s work makes this problematic, with policies such as regular staff rotation underming efforts to develop a cadre of staff with sufficient skills to provide high quality support services to MPs. To address this problem, the Parliamentary Secretariat will work with the Public Service Office (PSO) to develop a Cabinet Paper justifying the need for independent parliamentary control of staffing, including design of the organisational structure, recruitment, staff development and performance management. It is anticipated that the MMWC proposed under Action 1 would take over oversight and management responsibility for human resources decision-making, with the Clerk, Deputy Clerk and Legislative Counsel taking responsibility for day to day human resources management.  Action 3: Work with Ministry of Finance and MMWC to develop more accountable, performancefocused budgeting In order to support more efficient and accountable budgeting and management of scarce funds, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will use the MMWC proposed under Action 1 to produce an annual budget which more clearly explains Parliament’s key expenditures, including breaking down the budgets allocated to key parliamentary activities such as parliament sessions and individual committees. The Clerk will develop an initial budget, which breaks down expenditures according to key activities, and this will then be debated and agreed by the MMWC to ensure that funds are allocated most efficiently to ensure the achievement of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu’s key priorities (as outlined in this Plan). In the longer-term, the Speaker and MMWC will work to build political support for great parliamentary autonomy over budget setting and financial management.  Action 4: Progress options to establish an autonomous, cross-party Legislative Services Commission Implementation of Actions 1, 2 and 3 is intended to set in place an accountable, transparent and bipartisan approach to human and financial resources management within the Maneaba ni Maungatabu. However, in the longer-term, drawing on good practice from other jurisdictions, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu argues that the Parliament can be most effectively administered through the creation of an empowered, independent Legislative Services Commission (LSC). LSC would build upon the good practice of the Legislative Management Board proposed under Action 1. However, it would operate with more independence from the Executive and would be responsible for ensuring that the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is provided with the staff, budget and services it requires to effectively carry out its functions as a legislature in accordance with the Constitution and guided operationally by this Strategic Plan. To this end, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will: -

Commission an Options Paper on good practice approaches to setting up Legislative Service Commission, with a view to identifying the most appropriate way forward for Kiribati, including whether legislation would need to be passed to set up a LSC;

-

Based on the Options Paper, work with the Ministry of Justice and other relevant ministries to develop a Cabinet Paper and, as necessary, legislation, to establish an independent Legislative Services Commission.

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Objective 5.2 – Support ongoing staff development and retention  Action 1 – Facilitate staff professional development opportunities In order for the Parliamentary Secretariat to provide the high level of expertise and support that Members require, the legislature needs to develop a staffing policy which ensures that staffs are afforded the opportunity to develop experience and expertise within the parliamentary field. Ideally, if Objective 5.1 is implemented, staff will be protected from unexpected rotations out of the parliamentary services, and can instead be provided with a programme of professional development designed to build their skills and capacities to provide high quality support to MPs. To this end, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will develop a programme of training for staff, in line with the vision, mission and strategic objectives outlined in this document which will ensure their continued professional development and improved administrative support for Members. To minimise costs, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu will proactively identify opportunities for staff to receive pro bono training from international development partners, such as the ACT Legislative Assembly (with which Kiribati has a “twinning” arrangement), the New Zealand Parliament, UNDP and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Objective 5.3 – Strengthen research and information services available to MPs  Action 1: Provide and/or facilitate better information research support to Members The Maneaba ni Maungatabu is committed to improving existing library services by providing access to an effective e-library of parliamentary documents and resources. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will also provide training to staff and MPs on using online research tools. In addition, it is critical to supplement the very limited research staff currently available to support MPs with research and briefings. The very small Research Unit currently comprises two IT officers, 1 Librarian and one very junior-level Research Officer. It is essential that this Unit be expanded if MPs are to be able to access the quality research support that is a necessary element of parliamentary work, such that this Plan envisages the addition of 2 more research staff. These staff will then be tasked with supporting MPs and Committees upon request, as well as producing regular briefing notes on critical national development issues.

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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022


 Action 2: Support MPs to more effectively utilise online research resources ICT provision in the Maneaba ni Maungatabu has increased at a rapid pace and most staff members now have access to a computer and the internet. In addition, there are a number of computer terminals in different locations in the Parliament which are available for Members of Parliament to use. However, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu affirms its long term aim of ensuring that all Members of Parliament have laptop computers and access to the internet in their offices and to provide training for Members in use of this equipment. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu believes that increased use of ICT will enable Members to more effectively undertake their own research in support of law-making and oversight. It can also facilitate improved communication between the parliament staff and MPs when in their constituencies, as most of the Islands of Kiribati have internet access in at least one location and can enable MPs to engage with constituents when they are working in Tarawa.  Action 3: Harness strategic partnerships with government offices, civil society and development partners to supplement research and advisory capacities While it is a priority to strengthen local capacity within the Parliamentary Secretariat, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu recognises the need to ensure that support services and strategies are sustainable developed and implemented. To this end, the Parliamentary Administration will utilise the expertise of Government Ministries and CSOs, as well as regional and international expertise as appropriate. The Maneaba ni Maungatabu will work to strengthen strategic parliamentary partnerships with organisations in the region. For example, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu’s relationship with the Australian Capital Territory Parliament with which it is “twinned” will be strengthened to enable the Parliament to ensure the implementation of sustainable, cost-effective strategies.

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Key Performance Indicators Strategies / Actions

Verifiable Indicators

Means of Verification

Goal 1 - Speaker and MPs recognised as accountable leaders, who demonstrate and promote constitutional and democratic values Objective 1.1 – Speaker, MPs and Clerk effectively discharging their leadership duties & demonstrating values of accountable and transparent leadership

1.1 MPs and staff receive regular training on duties under the new Leadership Code 1.2 Parliamentary Secretariat supports implementation of Leadership Code conflict of interest disclosure requirements

- Positive MP feedback on their understanding of LC obligations - Conflict of interest register established and maintained

- Post training evaluation forms - Feedback from PMG members - Existence of up-to-date conflict of interest register

Objective 1.2 – Strengthen MP’s skills and knowledge in relation to constitutional, procedural and substantive issues

2.1 Design and implement quality

programme of parliamentary knowledge development for Members of Parliament 2.2 Produce “Parliamentary Handbook” for Members of Parliament

- Positive MP feedback on seminars - Positive MP feedback on utility of Handbook

- Post training evaluation forms - Feedback from PMG members

Objective 1.3 – Support the development of a more inclusive and representative Maneaba ni Maungatabu

3.1 Build the commitment and capacity

of MPs to supporting human rights and gender equality through parliamentary processes 3.2 Set up Parliamentary Groups on Gender Equality and Human Rights and on Anti-Corruption 3.3 Facilitate support to women MPs 3.4 Organise and support second Mock Parliament for Women

- Committee report include analysis of HR and gender issues - HR reports being tabled and discussed in Parl - Parl Group on AC set up and meeting - Parl Group on GE and HR set up and meeting - Positive feedback from women MPs on support - Successful Mock Parl run

- Review of Committee reports - Review of Hansard - Records of meetings of Parliamentary Groups - Interviews with women MPs - Post-Mock Parliament evaluation forms

Goal 2 - Legislation passed by the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is participatory developed and contributes to rights-based, inclusive, sustainable development Objective 2.1 – Facilitate participatory and development-focused law-making through through a new Bills Scrutiny Committee

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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022


1.1 Action 1: Work with MOJ and MPs to create Bills Scrutiny Committee 1.2 Action 2: Support new Committee to discharge its new functions

- Motion passed and/or Rules of Procedure amended to establish committee - Committee holding public hearings on Bills - Committee tabling reports

- Copy of Rules of Procedure - Review of Committee Reports

Outcome 3: Goal 3 - Maneaba ni Maungatabu provides effective oversight of the Government to ensure that public resources are being maximised in support of rights-based, inclusive, sustainable development Objective 3.1 – Support Committees to efficiently and accountably plan, progress and report on their committee work

1.1 Work with Committee Chairs to

develop Committee workplan/budgets 1.2 Support Committees Members to produce timely, high quality reports 1.3 Provide ongoing training to Committee Members

- 5 committee workplans with budgets produced per year and approved by PMG - Committee info uploaded on website - High quality, timely Committee reports tabled and published - Positive feedback on training from Committee Members

- Review of workplans and budgets - Review of website - Review and assessment of committee reports - Post-training evaluation forms

Objective 3.2 – Facilitate more effective oversight of implementation of the KDP and SDGs

2.1 Provide Members with training on the KDP and SDGs 2.2 Work with MOJ and MPs to create SDGs Committee

2.3 Support new Committee to discharge its new functions

- Positive feedback from MPs on seminars - MPs aware of and debating KDP and SDG issues - Motion passed and/or Rules of Procedure amended to establish committee - Committee holding public hearings on Bills - Committee tabling reports

- Post seminar evaluation forms - Review Hansard - Copy of Rules of Procedure - Review of Committee Reports

Outcome 4: Goal 4 - Maneaba ni Maungatabu becomes a more transparent and participatory institution, which proactively engages with people and communities across the country to build their commitment to parliamentary democracy Objective 4.1 – Develop mechanisms to promote greater transparency and participation in parliament’s lawmaking and oversight processes

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1.1 Upgrade maintain parliament website to regularly post information on lawmaking and oversight processes 1.2 Revise ROPs to require Committee hearings to be open and broadcast 1.3 Proactively facilitate the engagement of CSOs and experts with the Maneaba ni Maungatabu 1.4 Proactively engage with the media to share information on parliamentary processes and activities 1.5 Engage in outreach and produce materials to reach out to all citizens

- All documents uploaded on time, in line with this SP - ROPs amended - Committee hearings broadcast - Positive feedback from CSOs on training - Positive media feedback re accessibility of parliament - Facebook page created and updated - Newsletter produced and circulated

- Review of website and Facebook page - Review of ROPs - Confirmation of broadcasts - Post-training evaluation forms - Interviews with media houses - Copies of newsletters

Objective 4.2 – Develop a public education and outreach programme to engage with young men and women to develop their understanding of parliamentary democracy

2.1 Organise and support annual Youth Parliament 2.2 Work with MOE to develop and roll out schools outreach programme

- Annual youth parliament + Commonwealth week activities implemented - Open Day held - Essay and poster competitions held - Schools materials produced - At least 5 schools visit Parliament per year

- Record of Youth Parliament - Copies of programme of activities - Photos and exhibitions from Open Day - Copies of winning essays and posters - Review of schools materials - Photos and records from school visits

Outcome 5: Goal 5 - Increased institutional capacity of the Parliament Secretariat to provide efficient, professional and high quality support services to the Speaker, Members of Parliament and other key clients groups Objective 5.1 – Parliamentary Secretariat’s powers and capacity strengthened to ensure effective financial and human resource management

1.1 Establish Members of the Maneaba Working Committee(MMWC) 1.2 Work with Public Service Office and LMB to achieve autonomous HR management 1.3 Work with MOF and MMWC to do performance budgeting 1.4 Progress options to establish Legislative Services Commission

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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

- MMWC meeting regularly to undertake strategic oversight of Parliament - Parliament given autonomy over HR decisions - Merit-based timely recruitments undertaken by Parliament - Parliament produces outputs budgets - LSC established and functioning as Parliamentary Secretariat HR and financial oversight body

- Copies of PSG Minutes - Copy of Cabinet decision endorsing HR autonomy - Review of HR recruitment paperwork - Review of budget papers - Copy of LSC Cabinet decision and/or PSC legislation - Copies of LSC Minutes


Objective 5.2 – Support ongoing staff development and retention

2.1 Facilitate staff development

Staff performance reviews demonstrate increase in skills

Review of staff performance report

Objective 5.3 – Strengthen research and information services for MPs

3.1 Provide and/or facilitate better information research support to Members 3.2 Support MPs to more effectively utilise online research resources 3.3 Harness strategic partnerships with government offices, civil society and development partners to supplement research and advisory capacities

- MPs feedback on usefulness of Library + Research Unit to their work - MPs feedback on usefulness of laptops to their work - Database being used in support of MPs

- Interviews with MPs - Review of database

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Budget The Medium Term Fiscal Framework for the Maneaba Ni Maungatabu is set out in the table below following from the 2015 budget. The table below shows the annual estimates from 2018 to 2020 which still needs to be reviewed and updated depending on the number of new activities and establishment of new parliamentary committees. However, there are also activities that Parliament could not be financed from the recurrent budget but could be assisted through external sources. These items also appear following this table.

Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework 2017-2020 Code

Description

REVENUE 050 Restaurant rental 050 Conference rental 008 Sale of Publications 015 Charter Revenue

Revised Budget 2016

Estimates 2018

Estimates 2019

Estimates 2020

3,000 3,000 1,000

3,000 4,000 350

3,086 4,114 360

3,169 4,225 370

3,262 4,350 381

1,500 8,500

2,000 9,350

2,057 9,617

2,113 9,876

2,175 10,167

58,298 767,208 12,564 158,183 54,176 10,094 36,000 1,096,522 24,851 447,480 547,091 21,200 375,609

58,100 796,576 16,752 78,120 53,176 10,104 42,000 1,054,828 35,920 217,511 663,516 15,150 422,944

59,262 812,508 17,087 79,682 54,240 10,306 42,000 1,075,085 36,674 222,079 677,450 15,468 431,826

60,447 828,758 17,429 81,276 55,324 10,512 42,000 1,095,746 37,444 226,742 691,676 15,793 440,894

61,656 845,333 17,777 82,902 56,431 10,722 42,000 1,116,821 38,231 231,504 706,201 16,125 450,153

77,006

74,729

76,298

77,901

79,536

110,000

135,000

137,835

140,730

143,685

38,901

38,000

38,798

39,613

40,445

24,000

15,000

15,315

15,637

15,965

69,424

114,024

116,419

118,863

121,359

6,760 4,500

20,892 30,980

21,331 31,631

21,779 32,295

22,236 32,973

459,522

352,042

359,435

366,983

374,690

58,800

68,820

70,265

71,741

73,247

Sub Total Total Recurrent Expenditure

57,375 2,322,519 3,41,9041

2,2045,28 3,259,356

2,250,823 3,325,908

2,298,090 3,393,837

2,346,350 3,463,171

GRAND TOTAL

3,419,041

3,259,356

3,325,908

3,393,837

3,463,171

Total Revenue

EXPENDITURE 201 KPF Contribution 202 Salaries 203 Housing Assistance 204 Allowances 205 Overtime 206 Temporary assistance 208 Leave grants Sub Total 215 Transport to work 216 Internal travel 218 Local Accom&allowances 219 Local training-Catering 227 External Travel 231 Communication charges

37

Estimates 2017

232

Electricity and gas

239

Entertainment

240

Printing

241

Stationery & Supplies

243

Office Equipment & Furniture

244 250

Repairs Equipment Local services

285

Hire of Plant/Equipment

287

Fixed Plant and Equipment

MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022


The table below shows items that are not financed through the recurrent budget. Proposals 1. Review and drafting of updated Parliament Strategic Plan & printing

2017 UNDP/ GoK

2. Produce “Parliamentary Handbook” for MPs

Partner funding / expertise

2018 Validation workshop

2020

Status Complete

Printing Printing

3. PAC members training

4. TA and printing: Establishment of Select Committee on the Rules of Procedures

2019

90% complete

Partner funding / expertise GoK/ Partner funding

Printing final revised version

GoK

5. Members’ training on the KDP and SDGs & establishment of SDGs Committee

Consultation process is on-going

6. Members training on legislative scrutiny & establishment of Legislative Scrutiny Committee

GoK

Consultation process is on-going

7. Rehabilitation Parliament feeder road

GoK / Partner funding

Consultation is ongoing

8. Parliament Open day

Partner’s funding/GoK

9. Security Fence and Solar lights project

Partner’s funding

10. Multi- Purpose Hall

GoK funding

11. MPs’ laptop computer

Pacific Parlimanetary Patnership fund (PPPF)

Prodoc 80% complete Prodoc 100% complete Submission for funding to PPPF completed

12. Chamber microphones 13. IT infrastructure 14. Overhead tank

MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

38


Risks The inherently political nature of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu means that it is difficult to plan for every eventuality. However, this Strategic Plan has been designed to be as practical as possible, based on foreseeable risks and anticipated constraints to implementation. That said, there remain critical risks which could undermine implementation and affect the achievement of the goals and objectives descried above, including:  Difficulties recruiting and retaining critical professional staff. Staff turnover has been a major problem for the Parliamentary Secretariat and can have a severe impact on output, because of the time taken to recruit and train up individuals to understand parliamentary processes.  Failure to achieve implement revised and expanded staffing structure. Implementation is contingent on: (i) additional research staff to support implementation of Strategic Plan Goals 2 and 3; (ii) additional committee staff to support implementation of Strategic Plan Goal 3; and (iii) a new public education and outreach unit comprised of two new staff to support implementation of Strategic Plan Goal 4;  Cooperation from the Ministry of Justice to progress Objective 2.1 to develop a Bills Scrutiny Committee, and with Ministry of Finance to ensure appropriate funding to enable the Committee to operate effectively;  Cooperation from the Public Service Office, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice, as well as support from Cabinet to progress the effort to progress Objective 5.1 to give the Maneaba ni Maungatabu more autonomy over human and financial resource management;

39

MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022


MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

40

Objective 1.2 – Strengthen MP’s skills and knowledge in relation to constitutional, procedural and substantive issues

Public policy Objective

- Draft Parliamentary Handbook revised - Handbook signed off by MMWC - Handbook printed and distributed

Action 2: Produce “Parliamentary Handbook” for Members of Parliament

- Regular briefings for MPs on policy and legislative issues - Rolling programme of training for MPs on parliamentary procedures + substantive issues

Action 1: Design & implement quality programme of parliamentary knowledge development for MPs

Strategy (Activities)

Draft to be completed in-house. Printing costs

Nil (training provided in-house or through partners)

Financial Implications

Positive MP feedback on utility of Handbook

Positive MP feedback on seminars

Same as above

Committee Unit, Reseach Unit & Public Educ Unit

Drafted and printed

Programme ongoing

-

Programme ongoing

-

Programme ongoing

Key Performance Targets Division Performance Aug 2017 to Responsible 2019 2020 Indicator 2018 KPA Outcome 1: Goal 1 - Speaker and MPs recognised as accountable leaders, who demonstrate and promote constitutional and democratic values Catering and Positive MP Clerk & DC, Run seminar Action 1: MPs and staff receive regular Objective PC, Public once LCC training on duties under the new Leadership allowances for feedback 1.1 – Speaker, MP seminars on their Educ Out Unit established Code MPs and Clerk understanding effectively - Liaise closely with the LCC staff to set up Training of LC obligations discharging seminars on leadership duties provided by their leadership - Prepare briefing notes on public duties & accountability, transparency and corruption LCC or inhouse demonstrating Conflict of Same as As required As required As required Action 2: Parliamentary Secretariat supports Nil values of interest register above implementation of Leadership Code conflict accountable established and and transparent of interest disclosure requirements maintained - Work closely with new LCC to implement leadership new Act - Work with MPs to facilitate implementation of their new duties.

Maneaba ni Maungatabu Operationa

-

Programme ongoing

As required

-

2021


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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

$30,000 (to be shared with UNDP and DOW)

Nil

- Work with MPs, GOPAC, and UNDP to reestablish Parl Group on Anti-Corruption. - Work with MPs and dev partners to set up HR and Gender Equality Group Action 3: Facilitate support to women MPs

- Work with women MPs to support professional development priorities - Identify and facilitate training opportunities available to women MPs through partners Action 4: Organise and support second Mock Parliament for Women

Nil (partners to support set up of groups)

Nil

Financial Implications

- Work with partners to organise MP briefings on human rights - Work with MPs to revise ROPs: (i) parl comms to consider HR & gender issues during inquiries and all committee reports report-back on these issues; and (ii) parl comms have gender-balanced membership, if possible; - Work with Ministry of Foreign Affairs to table HR treaty reports in Parliament Action 2: Set up Parliamentary Groups on Gender Equality and Human Rights and on Anti-Corruption

Action 1: Build the commitment and capacity of MPs to supporting human rights and gender equality through parliamentary processes

Strategy (Activities)

Successful Mock Parl run

Parl Group on GE and HR set up and meeting Positive feedback from women MPs

Parl Group on AC set up and meeting

HR reports being tabled and discussed in Parl

Key Performance Indicator Committee report include analysis of HR and gender issues

Clerk, DC, ,

Public Ed Out Unit

Same as above

Clerk, DC, PC

Division Responsible

Liaise with partners Support provided on request -

Support provided on request -

Parl Group on GE & HR set up

Parl Group on AC set up

Work with MOF to table HR reports

2019 ROPs revised

Support provided on request Mock Parliament organised

Liaise with partners

Groups meeting

2020 -

Performance Targets

Liaise with Gender partners Liaise with partners

Liaise with GOPAC/ UNDP

Aug 2017 to 2018 -

Support provided on request -

Liaise with partners

Groups meeting

2021 -

- Work with UNDP to secure funding - Work with DOW and UNDP to organise and run Mock Parliament KPA Outcome 2: Goal 2 - Legislation passed by the Maneaba ni Maungatabu is participatorily developed and contributes to rights-based, inclusive, sustainable development

Objective 1.3 – Support the development of a more inclusive and representative Maneaba ni Maungatabu

Public policy Objective


MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

42

Action 2: Support new Committee to discharge its new functions

- Undertake study tour to ACT (as well as on PSCs (see Objective 5.1) - Work with MOJ to develop Cabinet Paper on setting up Committee - Support MPs to debate motion to establish Committee and/or to amend Rules of Procedure

Action 1: Work with MOJ and MPs to create Bills Scrutiny Committee

Strategy (Activities)

Sitting allowances

$5000 (part funding for study tour to be sourced from partners)

Financial Implications

Committee holding public hearings on Bills

Key Performance Indicator Motion passed and/or Rules of Procedure amended to establish committee

Clerk , PC Committees Unit

Clerk & PC

Division Responsible Aug 2017 to 2018 Work with MOJ on Cabinet Paper

Train members

2019 Draft motion and/or amend ROPs

Organise meetings & public hearings

2020

Performance Targets

Organise meetings & public hearings

2021

- Provide Members with training on new Organise role and responsibilities Committee meetings - Providing new Committee with advice tabling reports & public through new Comm Secretary hearings - Support Committee public hearings - Update website to support public feedback to committee - Produce reports on Bills considered KPA Outcome 3: Goal 3 - Maneaba ni Maungatabu provides effective oversight of the Government to ensure that public resources are being maximised in support of rights-based, inclusive, sustainable development

Objective 2.1 – Facilitate participatory and developmentfocused law-making through a new Bills Scrutiny Committee

Public policy Objective


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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

Objective 3.1 – Support Committees to efficiently and accountably plan, progress and report on their committee work

Public policy Objective

- Organise programme of training for Committee Members on duties and on critical substantive issues - Organise intensive induction programmes for new PAC Members

- Recruit 1-2 additional Committee Secretaries - Recruit 1-2 more Research Officers - Improve timeliness of transcription of Committee hearings - Support Committees to access expertise from relevant Government Depts and subject experts Action 3: Provide ongoing training to Committee Members

Action 2: Support Committees Members to produce timely, high quality Committee reports

- Develop workplan & budget template - Work with Committee Chairs to agree workplan and committee hearings schedule - Include committee budgets in parliamentary budget submitted to the Ministry of Finance; - Publish committee workplans and budgets on parliament website.

Action 1: Work with Committee Chairs to develop Committee workplan/budgets

Strategy (Activities)

Allowances and catering. Training expertise in-house or through partners

Cost of new staff

Nil (in-house)

Financial Implications

High quality, timely Committee reports tabled and published Positive feedback on training from Committee Members

New staff recruited and integrated into organisational structure

Committee info uploaded on website

Key Performance Indicator 5 committee workplans with budgets produced per year and approved by LMB

Clerk & Senior Parliamentary staff

Committee Hansard Unit Research Unit

Clerk & DC

Clerk & DC Committee staff

Division Responsible Aug 2017 to 2018 Template workplan and budget produced

New PAC induction

Committee training

2 Committee Sect + 2 Research Officers recruited

2019 Committee workplans & budgets - produce - approve - implement

Committee training

2020 Committee workplans & budgets - produce - approve - implement

Performance Targets

Committee training

2021 Committee workplans & budgets - produce - approve - implement


MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

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- Work with MOJ to develop Cabinet Paper on setting up Committee - Support MPs to debate motion to establish Committee and/or to amend Rules of Procedure Action 3: Support new Committee to discharge its new functions

Action 2: Work with MOJ and MPs to create SDGs Committee

- Work with Govt to organise seminars on KDP and SDGs - Organise seminars to discuss 6-monthly KDP Progress Reports - Organise seminars to discuss annual SDG reports

Action 1: Provide Members with training on the KDP and SDGs

Strategy (Activities)

$5000 (part funding for study tour to be sourced from partners)

Allowances and catering

Financial Implications

Motion passed and/or Rules of Procedure amended to establish committee

Key Performance Indicator MPs aware of and debating KDP and SDG issues

Clerk , DC, PC, IT Manager

Clerk & PC

Clerk & Senior Parliamentary staff

Division Responsible

Update website re committee info

Aug 2017 to 2018 SDG seminar (before Dec17 session) 2019 2 x seminar on KDP Progress Reports

Draft motion and/or amend ROPs Organise meetings & public hearings

Work with MOJ on Cabinet Paper

2020 2 x seminar on KDP Progress Reports (incl SDG report update if produced)

Performance Targets

Organise meetings & public hearings

2021 2 x seminar on KDP Progress Reports (incl SDG report update if produced)

Sitting allowances

Committee holding public hearings on Bills Committee tabling reports

Train Organise members meetings & Organise public hearings - Provide Members with training on new meetings role and responsibilities & public Keep website - Providing new Committee with expert hearings Keep website committee advice through new Committee Sect Keep website committee pages updated - Support organisation of public hearings committee pages - Update website to support public feedback pages updated to committee updated - Produce reports on Bills considered KPA Outcome 4: Goal 4 - Maneaba ni Maungatabu becomes a more transparent and participatory institution, which proactively engages with people and communities across the country to build their commitment to parliamentary democracy

Objective 3.2 – Facilitate more effective oversight of implementation of the KDP and SDGs

Public policy Objective


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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

Objective 4.1 – Develop mechanisms to promote greater transparency and participation in parliament’s law-making and oversight processes

- Outreach training sessions for CSOs - Include CSOs as experts in MP training activities where possible

- Work with MOJ and MPs to revise the Rules of Procedure to require committee hearings to be broadcast - Work with BPA re bringing down radio costs Action 3: Proactively facilitate the engagement of CSOs and experts with the Maneaba ni Maungatabu

Action 2: Revise ROPs to require Committee hearings to be open and broadcast

- Parliamentary calendar uploaded at start of each year or each session; - All Bills uploaded within 48 hours of being tabled in Parliament (incl translated drafts) - Simple Bill Tracker uploaded and maintained online - Information Committee Membership, TORs and hearing schedules uploaded; - All Committee Reports uploaded within 48 hours of being tabled - All final laws uploaded either on Parliament website or via PacLII - Hansard and other parliamentary papers available on the website and via the Parliamentary library

Action 1: Upgrade maintain parliament website to regularly post information on law-making and oversight processes

Committee hearings broadcast

Positive feedback from CSOs on training

Catering for seminars with CSOs

ROPs amended

Website recognised by public as reliable source of info

All documents uploaded on time, in line with this SP

Broadcasting costs for committee hearings

Ongoing cost of server

Public Outreach Unit

Clerk, PC

IT Manager

Work with MOJ and MPs

Website online again

CSO training seminar

Committee broadcasts commence

ROPs amended

Website regularly updated

Committee broadcasts

Website regularly updated

Committee broadcasts

Website regularly updated


MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

46

Public policy Objective

Cost of new Public Education & Outreach Officer + constituency noticeboards

Action 5: Engage in outreach and produce materials to reach out to all citizens

- Develop parliamentary website as a major source of information - Establish Facebook page - Produce regular Parliamentary newsletter and distribute in hard copy and electronically - Erect Parliamentary notice board in each electoral constituency and update - Recruit Public Education and Outreach Officer (see Objective 4.2)

- Developing a media area within the parliamentary precinct - Order Papers routinely circulated by email to media organisations - Recruit additional staff member as Media and Community Liaison Officer

Cost of new Media & Community Liaison Officer

Financial Implications

Action 4: Proactively engage with the media to share information on parliamentary processes and activities

Strategy (Activities)

Website updated Facebook page created and updated Newsletter produced and circulated

Key Performance Indicator Positive media feedback re accessibility of parliament

IT Manager, Public Outreach Unit

Public Outreach Unit

Clerk, PC

Division Responsible

Facebook page established

Parl website back online

Add all media houses to mailing list for Order Paper circulation Newsletter produced (Aug + Dec sessions)

Aug 2017 to 2018 Create media area within parl precinct

Notice boards installed in constituencies

Facebook and website pages updated

Facebook and website pages updated Facebook and website pages updated Recruit Public Education & Outreach Officer

Newsletter produced (3 sessions)

2021 Circulate Order Paper widely

Newsletter produced (3 sessions)

2020 Circulate Order Paper widely

Newsletter produced (3 sessions)

Circulate Order Paper widely

2019 Recruit Media & Comm Liaison Officer

Performance Targets


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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

- Work with MOE to establish SchoolsParliament Programme to support 1-day education programme at Parl; - Develop materials for schools children + package of interactive learning activities excursions; - Organise annual Open Day + student essay and poster competitions - Work with MOE to develop schools outreach programme for MPs when visiting schools in their constituencies

- Organise annual Youth Parliament activity - Organise complementary one-week community engagement activities Action 2: Work with MOE to develop and roll out schools outreach programme

Action 1: Organise and support annual Youth Parliament

Strategy (Activities)

Competition prizes

Open Day costs $10,000

Cost of developing and printing schools materials

Cost of running youth parliaments $5,000

Financial Implications

At least 5 schools visit Parliament per year

Schools materials produced

Essay and poster competitions held

Key Performance Indicator Annual youth parliament + Commonwealth week activities implemented Open Day held Public Education Unit

Public Education Unit

Division Responsible Aug 2017 to 2018 -

Host school excursions

Host school excursions

Open Day + competitions

Develop materials for schools Open Day + competitions

2020 Youth Parliament + Cth week organised

2019 Youth Parliament + Cth week organised

Performance Targets

Host school excursions

Open Day + competitions

Develop awareness materials for MPs to use

2021 Youth Parliament + Cth week organised

KPA Outcome 5: Goal 5 - Increased institutional capacity of the Parliament Secretariat to provide efficient, professional and high quality support services to the Speaker, Members of Parliament and other key clients groups

Objective 4.2 – Develop a public education and outreach programme to engage with young men and women to develop their understanding of parliamentary democracy

Public policy Objective


MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

48

Objective 5.1 – Parliamentary Secretariat’s powers and capacity strengthened to ensure effective financial and human resource management

Public policy Objective

- Commission Options Paper on good practice approaches to setting up LSCs - Study tour on PSCs with ACT Legislative Assembly (same time as Bills Scrutiny Committee study tour) - Roundtable with key stakeholders to discuss process for creation of LSC - Work with MOJ to develop Cabinet Paper and, as necessary, legislation, to establish LSC

Action 4: Progress options to establish Legislative Services Commission

- Clerk develops output-focused budget - MMWC agrees budget - Monthly budget given to Clerk - Budget updates submitted to MMWC

Action 3: Work with MOF and MMWC to do performance budgeting

- Work with PSO to develop Cabinet Paper justifying independent parliamentary control of staffing - Work with Speaker to use new powers to formalise new Organisation Structure in Strategic Plan - Use new powers to undertake recruitments in Strategic Plan

Action 2: Work with Public Service Office and MMWC to achieve autonomous HR management

- Clerk to develop TOR for new MMWC - Speaker to establish MMWC (with Leaders of Govt & Opposition) - MMWC to meet before every session to review HR and budget issues

Action 1: Establish Working Committee (MMWC)

Strategy (Activities)

Consultant to undertake options paper (poss. Funded by ACT or UNDP)

Nil

Nil

Allowances for MPs

Financial Implications

PSC established and functioning as Parliamentary Secretariat HR and financial oversight body

Parliament produces outputs budgets

Merit-based timely recruitments undertaken by Parliament

Parliament given autonomy over HR decisions

Key Performance Indicator MMWC meeting regularly to undertake strategic oversight of Parliament

MMWC, Clerk, PC

Speaker, MMWC, Clerk, Accountant

Speaker, MMWC, Clerk, Deputy Clerk, PC

Clerk, PC

Division Responsible

Budget updates to MMWC x 1 session

MMWC approve budget

Clerk develop budget

PSO and Parl draft Cabinet Paper

Speaker to set up MMWC MMWC to meet Speaker write formally to PSO

Aug 2017 to 2018 Clerk to develop TOR

Legislation

Cabinet Paper

Roundtable

Study Tour

Options Paper

Budget updates to MMWC x 4 sessions

Parliament undertakes recruitments / endorsed by MMWC

MMWC endorses new Org Structure

2019 MMWC meetings x 4

LSC established / operational

Budget updates to MMWC x 4 sessions

Parliament undertakes recruitments / endorsed by MMWC

2020 MMWC meetings x 4

Performance Targets

LSC operational

Budget updates to MMWC x 4 sessions

2021 MMWC meetings x 4


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MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

Objective 5.3 – Strengthen research and information services for MPs

Objective 5.2 – Support ongoing staff development and retention

Public policy Objective

- Identify database of partners / experts (Ministries, CSOs, regional & international) to contact for advice - Strengthen strategic parliamentary partnerships – ACT Parliament, CPA Pacific, CPA Australia, Association for Pacific Islands Legislatures, UN

Action 3: Harness strategic partnerships with government offices, civil society and development partners to supplement research and advisory capacities

- Secure budget for procurement of laptops - Rolling programme of procurement of laptops for all MPs - Rolling programme of training courses for MPs and staff on use of computers

- Work with ACT Parliament to develop access to effective e-library; - Training to staff and MPs on using online research tools; - Establish Research Unit by working with MMWC/PSO to recruit 2 new research officers - Produce regular briefing notes on critical national development issues Action 2: Support MPs to more effectively utilise online research resources

Action 1: Provide and/or facilitate better information research support to Members

- Training programme for Parliament staff developed - Training programme for staff implemented

Action 1: Facilitate staff development

Strategy (Activities)

Database being used in support of MPs

MPs feedback on usefulness of laptops to their work

Cost of laptops - to be raised through budget bid / partner funding / corporate donations Nil (in-house development)

MPs feedback on usefulness of Library + Research Unit to their work

Key Performance Indicator Staff performance reviews demonstrate increase in skills

Cost of 1 new research unit staff

Nil (training provided in-house or through partners)

Financial Implications

Research Unit Clerk

Clerk & Research Unit

Research Unit

Deputy Clerk

Division Responsible

No action

No action

Research Unit staff agreed to

Aug 2017 to 2018 Training plan developed

Database developed and used

Procurement x 15 laptops Training

Briefing papers produced Budget bid for laptops

Training on online resources for staff

E-library established

Training implemented

2019 Training plan finalised

Database maintained and used

Procurement x 15 laptops Training

Briefing papers produced

Training on online resources for MPs

2020 Training implemented

Performance Targets

Database maintained and used

Procurement x 15 laptops Training

Briefing papers produced

2021 Training implemented


Results Management The plan will be overseen and evaluated by Members of the Maneaba Working Committee (MMWC) who will meet in the margins of each parliamentary session (3 times a year) to review and assess progress. The plan will be reviewed and updated accordingly in light of any emerging issues in the course of implementation. A short Annual Report on implementation of the Strategic Plan will be produced and provided to the Legislative Management Board at the start of each year.

MANEABA NI MAUNGATABU FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017 – 2022

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