Chapter 9: Cooperation and Collaboration
regard to ICT, suggesting that more parliaments want support to improve the state of their technology. As expected, the largest percentage of parliaments contributing to capacity development comes from the high and upper middle income groups. Unexpectedly, though, there are also significant percentages of parliaments in the low and lower middle income groups providing or considering providing assistance (see Figure 9.3). This is an interesting result as it suggests ongoing and possibly increasing south-south inter-parliamentary cooperation or even south-north exchanges, a finding that is worth exploring in future analyses. With regard to ICT, parliaments in the upper and lower middle income groups show a somewhat similar pattern when combining those that provide assistance with those planning or considering (48% and 45% respectively). However, in the upper middle income group the legislatures that currently provide support are twice the percentage of those in the lower middle income group. Overall, the results shown in Figure 9.3 indicate a willingness to provide ICT support across income groups, particularly from countries with lower income levels. Results also underscore the fact that only 35% of parliaments from the high income group currently provide support to other parliaments, and 17% are considering following their example. Regrettably, this means that the ICT expertise of 48% of legislatures from the high income group is not yet being made available to other parliaments. Figure 9.3: Areas of provision of support, by income groups All respondents (general)
28%
20%
51%
All respondents (ICT)
28%
19%
52%
High income (general)
154
70%
9%
21%
Upper middle income (ICT)
10%
65%
10%
25% 0%
60%
20%
20%
Low income (ICT)
55%
30%
15%
Low income (general)
45%
42%
12%
Lower middle income (ICT)
52%
15%
33%
Lower middle income (general)
48%
17%
35%
Upper middle income (general)
41%
11%
48%
High income (ICT)
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Percent of respondents Yes
Planning or considering
(Source: Survey 2009, Section 1, Questions 20 and 23)
No, and not planning or considering
100%