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EU Parliamentary Oversight
EU Parliamentary Oversight Dashboard 2024
In 2017, OUTA established a Parliamentary Engagement Office that develops oversight reports and aims to hold the Executive accountable while encouraging public participation. Since 2017, submissions of the failures of parliamentary oversight were made to the State Capture Commission, five annual reports have been written and released, together with the 2023 publication of the Parliamentary Oversight report by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI). For more information on OUTA’s Parliamentary Oversight research, read here.
In 2023 OUTA partnered with the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG) and OpenUp to propose the development of a Parliamentary Oversight Dashboard. This project is co-funded by the European Union under their Enhancing Accountability Programme. The dashboard project aims to create a user-friendly, open-source platform for monitoring and assessing parliamentary performance. The dashboard will offer real-time information on user engagement, data accessibility, and transparency within the parliamentary system. It will facilitate public and stakeholder engagement and will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of parliamentary actions, with a focus on inclusivity for marginalised groups.
Collaboration between all three partners involves understanding what information is needed for the dashboard, analysing the Parliamentary legacy reports and Indicators of Democratic Parliaments, collaborating with other civil society organisations (CSOs), and developing materials to be used by the public. Each partner has invaluable expertise that will contribute to the project. To know more about PMG visit here, to know more about OpenUp visit here.
Our Shared Responsibility: Effective parliamentary oversight is a collaborative effort, requiring the involvement of MPs, citizens, and other stakeholders to foster a governance culture characterised by accountability and transparency.
Parliamentary Oversight Activities
Civil Society Organisation Gatherings
19 March 2024: Setting The Scene: Stakeholders Convene On parliamentary Matters.
On 19 March 2024, at 25 Commercial Street, Cape Town CBD, a notable gathering titled "Setting the Scene: Stakeholders Convene on Parliamentary Matters" took place. This event, co-hosted by OpenUp, OUTA, and PMG, in collaboration with Africa Centre, Bridges, and Green Connection, aimed to delve into critical discussions surrounding the Budget and introduced the EU co-funded dashboard project dedicated to enhancing Parliamentary Oversight. The convening brought together a diverse array of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, potential future Members of Parliament, other Parliamentary officials, and the public. More than 40 representatives from various sectors joined, enriching the discussions and fostering a deeper understanding and engagement with parliamentary processes and accountability mechanisms.
Read the report here.
8 May 2024: Webinar: Using the Budget as a Mechanism for Parliamentary Oversight
On 8 May 2024, a critical webinar titled "Using the Budget as a Mechanism for Parliamentary Oversight" was conducted via Zoom. This session, was organised by OUTA in partnership with The Green Connection. The event was facilitated by Ms Ogone Motlogeloa and featured key presentations by Dr Rachel Fischer from OUTA and Ms Liz McDaid from The Green Connection and Bridges. This webinar aimed to discuss and promote the utilisation of the budget as a tool for enhancing transparency and accountability within parliamentary operations.
Read the report on the webinar here and watch the webinar here.
Parliamentary Oversight Briefs
Brief 1: What is Parliamentary Oversight?
It's a mechanism enabling Members of Parliament (MPs) to monitor and evaluate government operations, ensuring they align with public interest, adhere to budgetary constraints, and comply with laws and regulations. Essentially, it's a form of quality control for government actions. Oversight is mainly conducted through parliamentary committees, which have established practices.
For more information, read the brief overview of parliamentary oversight here.
International Day of Parliament
The International Day of Parliamentarism was established by a United Nations resolution in 2018 and is observed on 30 June every year. Parliaments are the cornerstone of any democracy, and without a functioning and accountable parliament, governments fail. Worse than this, governments fail the very people they ought to serve in the first place: their citizens.
30 June 2022: South Africa needs Parliament to listen more to the people.
Improving public engagement will help our Parliament rebuild trust with South Africans. Read more here.
30 June 2023: Parliament’s failure to implement state capture recommendations undermines democracy.
The International Day of Parliamentarism on 30 June should be a celebration of accountability and transparency in governance but instead it reminds us of our Parliament’s failures. Read more here.
30 June 2024: Parliament’s legacy at the dawn of the 7th Administration
On Wednesday, 29 May 2024, South Africa will witness the most crucial general elections since the dawn of our democracy in 1994. OUTA is in support of free and fair elections, and we looking forward to a new Parliament that will uphold the values of our Constitution and diligently exercise oversight of the Executive. In anticipation of the 7th Parliament, we will reflect on its legacy in observance of the International Day of Parliamentarism.