Establishing Research Services in a New Parliament: My Experience in Myanmar

1. Establishing Research Services in a New Parliament:My Experience in Myanmar Susan Swift APLIC Conference Regina, September 10, 2014

2. Shwedagon Pagoda - Yangon

3. UNDP/IPU Project • UNDP Parliamentary Support Program – to identify requirements of Myanmar Parliament to become a modern and effective institution • Partners with Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to support the gradual establishment of the Library, Research and Information Services for the Myanmar Union Assembly (Hluttaw)

4. January 2014 Mission • To strengthen the Hluttaw research service • Develop a research plan outlining the development activities for the next six months • Deliver workshops for staff to increase their knowledge and understanding of research services and to assess their skills and capacity • Workshops on more general parliamentary knowledge • Participate in conversational English classes -parliamentary terminology

5. Myanmar • The largest country in mainland South East Asia • About the size of UK & France combined • Borders with China, Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, India • Capital: Nay Pyi Taw, established 2005

6. The people • 60 million population, 50.5% are women

7. Religion • Bhuddist 89.3% • Christian 5.1% • Islam 3.8% • Hindu 0.5% • Nat worshipper 0.2% • Other 0.14%

8. Work force • 33.41 million workforce (2012 estimate) of a total population of 60 million • Of those who work: • 70% work in agriculture • 7% work in industry • 23% work in service industries • 37% are unemployed • Agriculture produces rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; fish and fish products; hardwood

10. Historical context • 1886 – 1948 annexed to the British Empire • 1948 – 1962 independence, parliamentary democracy • 1962 – 2011 military dictatorship, one party rule • 2010 – Parliament re-established; multi-arty general election • 2012 – by elections; Aung San Suu Kyi leader of National League of democracy

14. Pyithu Hluttaw (House of Representatives) • Government is Union Solidarity and Development Party which holds 218 seats • 16 small parties with 18 seats or less • Armed Forces have 25% of seats = 110 • National League of Democracy holds 38 seats

15. Amyotha Hluttaw (House of Nationalities) • Government is Union Solidarity and Development Party which holds 123 seats • Armed Forces have 25% of seats = 56 • 16 small parties with 7 seats or less

17. Pyidaungsu Hluttaw • A joint Hluttaw consists of members of both Houses • The role of Speaker is shared • Considers legislation when the two Houses don’t agree • Discusses important matters such as the Budget and Plans

18. How we began – assessment of needs and expectations • Desire for a fully functioning Research Services including • Assistance to committees – especially the Bills Committees (one in each House) • Assistance to individual Members • Publications • Each House to have its own Research Service

19. Challenges • Too few staff - 500 parliamentary staff/665 MPs • 20+ researchers • New recruits with limited or no work experience • Masters level qualifications not high standard • Self-confidence in skills moderate to low • Few computers

20. Challenges • ICT– no network; unreliable internet connection, few computers • Library collection was limited; few electronic resources • No operational managers

26. Assessing staff capacity • Planned series of training workshops to assess capacity and develop skills • General discussion about the purpose of parliamentary research for MPs and Committees • Self-assessment survey of staff on specific skills, knowledge

27. Research Training Workshops • “Learning by doing” approach to training –papers on topics of interest to Myanmar MPs • Group workshops on the following topics: • Receiving an inquiry and conducting a reference interview, scoping questions, speaking to MPs • Research Methodology – issue identification, read broadly then focus; identify relevant, current sources of information; assessing and evaluating those sources

28. Research Training Workshops • Structuring and organizing the report - what should the briefing contain to answer the question; how should it be organized • Writing the report – importance of non-partisanship; importance of brevity for MPs, headings and chunking information; quotes and attributions, footnotes • Quality Assurance and Control – what makes a quality paper; review checklist; peer review or independent review

32. The Research Plan • Focus – to develop a realistic and achievable plan for the development of research services within the Hluttaw over the next 6 months • To be implemented with the assistance of a research expert over this period • Proposal - a phased approach to the delivery of services while building the capacity of the research service

33. The Research Plan • Limit services to Bill summaries and general interest briefings • Satisfies a strong demand from MPs for specialist support to scrutinize legislation • Phase in committee support and MP inquiries once ICT and staff capacity issues addressed • Full range of services unlikely for some time

34. Risks to the Plan • inadequate staff skills • inadequate allocation of staff to full-time research • lack of research-focused line management • lack of ICT (e.g., computers, internet, telephones) • lack of information resources • lack of processes and procedures (e.g., inquiry, documentation) • pressure from MPs for large-scale expansion in services before capacity and resources

35. Key Actions Required • Statement of services - manage expectations • Employ and intensively support Research Managers • Develop work processes and protocols • Protocols for working between the 3 Hluttaw; to facilitate joint use of resources, content and expertise • Outreach to stakeholders to develop sources • “Learning by Doing” – produce briefings

36. Going Forward • Decisions of Senior Management • Opted for enhanced cooperation and collaboration among the 3 Hluttaw Research Services • Post all briefings on the internet so available to all • Promote phased approach with clear statement to manage expectations