After conducting an assessment against all 25 indicators, the Senate of Pakistan identified for further consideration 14 actions for strengthening the institution.

This study case is prepared by the Senate of Pakistan, in cooperation with IPU. Published in October 2023.

In 2022, the Senate of Pakistan carried out an extensive assessment using the preliminary version of the Indicators for Democratic Parliaments. After assessing its capacity and practice against all 25 indicators, the Senate identified for further consideration 14 actions for strengthening the institution.

The assessment exercise was a success thanks to political support from the parliamentary leadership, careful planning and effective organization, and the commitment of everyone who took part. 

The assessment was conducted by the Parliamentary Development Unit (PDU) of the Senate Secretariat, with the support of honorable Chairman Senate of Pakistan, Senator Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and active input from Senators and the Secretary General Secretary General Typically the most senior permanent officer of parliament, who advises on procedure and records the decisions of the house. This person is also usually the administrative head of the parliamentary administration. In some institutions, the role of Secretary General and the responsibilities listed here may be performed by more than one individual or by several offices of jurisdiction. , and with the participation of staff from all 18 branches/directorates. The entire process, from the initial decision to test the Indicators through to the completion of the assessment, lasted approximately three months.
 

This assessment journey was not just a bureaucratic exercise; it was an opportunity for us to introspect, grow and align our legislative branch with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr Haris Rehman (Principal Secretary to the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan)
 

It’s like doing a SWOT analysis of your own parliament.

Mr Mir Shai Mazar Baloch (Director General PDU/Coordination, Senate of Pakistan)
 

How the assessment journey began

The preliminary Indicators for Democratic Parliaments, based on SDG Targets 16.6 and 16.7, were launched in June 2022. Parliaments around the world were invited to test the preliminary version by conducting an assessment against one or more indicators, and to provide feedback. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the project partners also organized focus groups to test specific indicators. These were attended by about 50 participants from 30 countries.

Mr Mir Shai Mazar Baloch (Director General PDU/Coordination, Senate of Pakistan) participated in one of these focus groups. This gave him a better understanding of the Indicators and led him to recognize their potential for parliamentary development. On this basis, he proposed that his parliament conduct an assessment against the preliminary Indicators. 

Securing political support

The consent of the political leadership is the fundamental first step in the process of self-assessment.  The PDU briefed the Senate leadership, including its Chairman, Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, on the relevance of the Indicators for the law-making, oversight and representative functions of the Senate. Considering the assessment exercise as a valuable step towards strengthening democratic institutions, the Senate leadership approved in August 2022 the proposal to carry out an assessment based on the Indicators. The goal was to establish a shared vision of the current situation, identify priorities for future action, and make recommendations for moving forward.

Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, Pakistan

Roles and responsibilities in the assessment process

The assessment was conducted by the PDU, with active input from Senators and the Secretary General Secretary General Typically the most senior permanent officer of parliament, who advises on procedure and records the decisions of the house. This person is also usually the administrative head of the parliamentary administration. In some institutions, the role of Secretary General and the responsibilities listed here may be performed by more than one individual or by several offices of jurisdiction. , and with the participation of staff from all 18 branches/directorates. 
 

Role of Senators

Having high-level leadership and a diverse group of MPs involved in an assessment exercise increases the likelihood of its outcomes being embraced parliament as a whole. Once the parliamentary leadership had approved the assessment, the Chairman of the Senate established a steering committee composed of three Senators (Mr Farooq Hamid Naek, Mr Syed Shibli Faraz and Ms Nuzhat Sadiq), with support from the Senate Secretariat. 

The Senators played a key role in the exercise, acting as primary assessors in the areas of law-making and oversight, policy advocacy, public awareness, and transparency. They actively participated in the monitoring and reporting mechanisms established to track progress towards SDG Targets 16.6 and 16.7, and contributed to the collection and analysis of relevant data.
 

Role of the Secretary General Secretary General Typically the most senior permanent officer of parliament, who advises on procedure and records the decisions of the house. This person is also usually the administrative head of the parliamentary administration. In some institutions, the role of Secretary General and the responsibilities listed here may be performed by more than one individual or by several offices of jurisdiction.  

Mr Mohammad Qasim Samad Khan ( Secretary General Secretary General Typically the most senior permanent officer of parliament, who advises on procedure and records the decisions of the house. This person is also usually the administrative head of the parliamentary administration. In some institutions, the role of Secretary General and the responsibilities listed here may be performed by more than one individual or by several offices of jurisdiction. , Senate of Pakistan) also played a pivotal role in the assessment process, by:

• endorsing the initial proposal to the parliamentary leadership
• overseeing the establishment of monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track the assessment process within the Secretariat
• advocating for internal reforms within the Secretariat in order to increase its transparency, efficiency and inclusivity, including:
  • reviewing administrative processes, communication practices, and engagement with stakeholders
  • creating a strategic plan for reform of the Secretariat’s functions
• overseeing the assessment exercise as a whole, fostering collaboration and driving positive change

Through this assessment, we actively participated in monitoring and reporting mechanisms contributing to analysis and collection of measurement data to track our progress, with the support of the Secretariat.

Mr Mohammad Qasim Samad Khan ( Secretary General Secretary General Typically the most senior permanent officer of parliament, who advises on procedure and records the decisions of the house. This person is also usually the administrative head of the parliamentary administration. In some institutions, the role of Secretary General and the responsibilities listed here may be performed by more than one individual or by several offices of jurisdiction. , Senate of Pakistan)
 

Role of the PDU

The PDU was entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the assessment process, with the involvement of staff from all 18 branches/directorates of the Senate Secretariat.

The gigantic task of carrying out the exercise of testing of the said indicators involves the effective coordination by the following core team of the PDU:

1. Mr. Mir Shai Mazar Baloch, Director General Coordination/PDU
2. Sayyidah Maryam Shaheen, Assistant Director PDU
3. Mr. Farooq Ahmad Shah, Assistant Director PDU
4. Mr. Akif Naeem, Assistant Director PDU
5. Ms. Nosheen, Assistant Research Officer

Organizing the assessment

There are various approaches that can be taken to conducting an assessment against the Indicators. As part of its planning process, parliament needs to identify the approach that works best in its context and takes into account the scope and objectives of the assessment. Careful planning is particularly important for an extensive assessment covering all 25 Indicators.

The first impression is that this document is a huge task, a gigantic task. But once you start understanding it, once you start doing it, then it becomes easier to do.

Mr Mir Shai Mazar Baloch (Director General PDU/Coordination, Senate of Pakistan)

In order to determine the most effective approach for the Senate of Pakistan, the PDU reviewed the 25 indicators in detail, determined the appropriate branch(es)/directorate(s) to conduct the assessment, then assigned the dimensions and assessment criteria to these branches/directorates accordingly.

The PDU devised a strategy comprising four sequential stages: 

1. Sharing the assessment document with Senators and branches/directorates, which would then complete the documents and feed back their responses
2. Holding meetings with Senators and heads of branches/directorates to gather the input for the testing process
3. Compiling inputs from all the assessment documents and incorporating them into the final document after reviewing them
4. Submitting the compiled document, complete with evidence, grades and recommendations for change, to the Chairman of the Senate for approval

Challenges 

This comprehensive assessment against the Indicators was a complex and demanding process, and a number of challenges arose that had to be addressed:

• Availability of Senators: Finding time in the steering committee members’ busy schedules to engage in this complex exercise proved challenging. The PDU addressed this issue by rescheduling a number of meetings in order to accommodate the Senators’ availability.
• Availability of branch/directorate staff: Staff in the various branches/directorates of the Senate Secretariat also had to fit the assessment exercise around their day-to-day responsibilities. The PDU held meetings with the relevant branches/directorates and reassured them that it would be on hand to provide technical assistance as needed.
• Time frame and competing priorities: The assessment was conducted within a limited time frame and had to compete with other political and administrative priorities within parliament. The PDU overcame this challenge through dedication and perseverance, ensuring the necessary time was devoted to this democratically important exercise.
• Document- and evidence-gathering: After gathering the assessment documents and supporting evidence from the relevant branches/directorates, the PDU had to double-check the evidence supplied for almost 500 assessment criteria. The team tackled this time-consuming and painstaking task through effective collaboration and time management.

Impressions and takeaways

Mr. Mohammad Qasim Samad Khan, Secretary General Secretary General Typically the most senior permanent officer of parliament, who advises on procedure and records the decisions of the house. This person is also usually the administrative head of the parliamentary administration. In some institutions, the role of Secretary General and the responsibilities listed here may be performed by more than one individual or by several offices of jurisdiction. of the Senate of Pakistan

Throughout the process we continuously realized the significance of this crucial assessment. We conducted a thorough review of our administrative capacities, accessibility standards and workplace environment, ensuring the openness, inclusivity and transparency of our parliamentary operations. This toolkit provided a foundation for our parliament to actively work towards becoming a more gender-sensitive institution.

Mr. Muhammad Zubair Thaheem (Joint Secretary, Senate of Pakistan) 

This assessment exercise can reshape your strategic planning. Instead of involving expensive consultants, through your parliamentary staff, you can do the assessment in a much better way, and you can make a better strategic document for your own parliament.

Mr Mir Shai Mazar Baloch (Director General PDU/Coordination, Senate of Pakistan) 

Through this message, I hereby call upon all other international parliaments to come forward and voluntarily carry out an assessment, or a rather a test of the Indicators. Trust me: it will prove to be a very vital step towards further strengthening of the rules and functions of your parliament, in order to ensure a much more transparent, accountable and accessible parliament.

Ms Rabeea Anwar (Joint Secretary, Committees, Senate of Pakistan)

Assessment outcomes and next steps

After assessing its current capacity and practice against the Indicators, the Senate of Pakistan identified areas where the institution itself or its decision-making processes were strong and effective. It also pinpointed areas where improvements were needed, including access to the parliamentary building, gender mainstreaming and gender balance in the Secretariat, particularly at senior levels, and measures to support a better work-life balance, especially for senators and staff with children.

This comprehensive assessment helped us to identify areas where our legislative branch excelled and areas that required improvement. What makes this assessment even more crucial is its alignment with our primary role as a legislative branch, which includes making, amending and repealing laws. This assessment process empowers us to thoroughly assess and endorse legislation that advances the principles of transparency, accountability and inclusivity within our institutional framework.

Mr Haris Rehman (Principal Secretary to the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan)

As a result of the assessment exercise, the Senate identified for further consideration 14 actions for strengthening the institution:

• Establishing a Parliamentary Budget Budget A plan typically prepared by the executive and placed before parliament each year (depending on national statute) showing what money the government expects to receive (revenue) and how the government proposes to spend it (expenditure). Office
• Establishing a Bureau Bureau See:  Presidium Presidium The collective governing body of parliament. Its composition varies among countries. The presidium might consist of individuals such as the Speaker Speaker The highest authority and principal presiding officer of the parliament, or of the house or chamber in bicameral parliaments. The Speaker is usually an MP elected at the beginning of each convocation by fellow MPs to preside over the parliamentary chamber or, in a unicameral system, to preside over the parliament. and Deputy Speaker Speaker The highest authority and principal presiding officer of the parliament, or of the house or chamber in bicameral parliaments. The Speaker is usually an MP elected at the beginning of each convocation by fellow MPs to preside over the parliamentary chamber or, in a unicameral system, to preside over the parliament. (s), but could also include a board with political responsibilities that brings together leaders from the different parliamentary (party) groups. In bicameral systems, each chamber usually has its own governing bodies. . as the collective governing body of parliament, with representation from both houses
• Strengthening the role of parliament in the appointment of ministers and Cabinet members 
• Strengthening of the role of the Senate with respect to the Money Bill Bill See:  Proposal for a law Proposal for a law A proposal for a new law or changes to an existing law, tabled by MPs or the executive, to be considered by parliament. . , with special reference to the role of Senators in proposing amendments to the Money Bill Bill See:  Proposal for a law Proposal for a law A proposal for a new law or changes to an existing law, tabled by MPs or the executive, to be considered by parliament. . and approving the budget
• Ensuring that Pakistan’s national legal framework is consistent with international human rights obligations 
• Introducing a constitutional or legal provision related to conflicts of interest, which would require lawmakers to declare sponsored travel and accommodation
• Regulating the practice of lobbying by individuals or groups, each with varying and specific interests, which attempt to influence decisions taken at the legislative level.
• Establishing legal provisions relating to equal physical and online access to the parliamentary building, its processes and proceedings for all citizens, regardless of disability or other special needs
• Developing an impact assessment manual, guide or similar document that establishes procedures and criteria for assessing the impacts a proposal for a law, a programme or a policy might have on different groups, and potentially entrusting a dedicated body with carrying out such assessments
• Devising policies and/or plans on gender mainstreaming and considering the gender lens while formulating parliamentary policies 
• Holding workshops/dialogue sessions for Senators and Secretariat staff on bringing gender-responsive budgeting into the mainstream
• Periodically assessing gender balance in the Secretariat in order to ensure the effectiveness of related policies, particularly at senior levels
• Amending the Senate’s rules of procedure to enable Senators and Secretariat staff to care for young children during the conduct of legislative business, and introducing online voting and video-conferencing facilities to help senators and staff with caring responsibilities exercise their duties
• Introducing childcare facilities for Senators and Secretariat staff

For more details see also the full case study created by the Senate of Pakistan.

Contact details in the Senate of Pakistan: Mr Mir Shai Mazar Baloch, Director General PDU/Coordination, [email protected]