Stenographic Reports Division of the Polish Sejm

1. Stenographic Reports Division of the Polish Sejm Author: Anna Namysł 48th Intersteno Congress, Paris 2011

2. Agenda • Polish Parliament (Sejm and Senat) • Political and social changes after the fall of the communism • Role of the stenographic records in Polish Sejm • Organizational chart • Mission statement • Tasks • Team • Process of producing verbatim reports • Reporters • Working time and time limits • Perspectives and the future challanges

3. Polish Parliament Poland has a bicameral Parliament. It is comprised of a Lower House (Sejm) and Upper House (Senate). Sejm is composed of 460 deputieschosen for a 4-year term of office. Senateconsists of 100 senatorswho are also elected for 4 years. To support MPs two separate organisations: Chancellery of the Sejm and Chancellery of the Senate came into existence.

4. Political and social changes after the fall of the communism • In 1989first free elections were held in Poland and since thenthe importance of parliament has grown and citizens have had their true representatives. • The language of the contemporary Polish politics has become more informal, spontaneous, full of colloquialisms in comparison to offical, ideological or even artificial totalitarian language. • Poland is now strong parliamentary democracy but people do not take full advantage of opportunity to participate in the democratic process. • Hence, it is of vital importance to show citizens how plenary debates shape political culture of a democratic state ruled by law. Official reports of Sejm sittings are good source of such information.

5. Role of the stenographic records in Polish Sejm The Standing Orders of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ARTICLE 176 1. Minutes and a shorthand report, which shall constitute the sole official record of the proceedings in the debate, shall be drawn up from a sitting of the Sejm. 2. Ashorthand report shall contain a complete, stylistically edited record of proceedings in the debate and the appendices— the texts of interpellations and answers to them, specifications of bills and draft resolutions introduced in the debate, specification of results of votes by roll call. A shorthand report shall also contain texts which have not been heard in the Sejm, if the Marshal of the Sejm, on request of a Deputy, has given his consent to their publication in such form. Any text which has not been heard shall be marked in such a way as to make it easy to distinguish it from texts heard. 3. A Deputy, and any participant in the sitting, who takes part in the debate, may authenticate his speech, making editorial corrections, not later than within 5 hours following the time of delivery of the speech. Corrections lodged after that time limit shall be entered in the next shorthand report.

6. Organizational chart Chancellery of the Sejm Chief of the Chancellery of the Sejm Sejm Sittings Secretariat Stenographic Reports Division

7. Mission statement We provide accurate and neutral information to keep citizens properly updated with the parliamentary debate in Sejm. Tasks • dealing with deputies in terms of written questions and interpellations and answers to them • drawing up official reports of the proceedings of Sejmcorrecting drafts of bills and resolutions in accordance with grammar and stylistic consistency rules • publishing of the official reports and ordering printing of reports, interpellations, questions and answers to them • occasionally, drawing up verbatim reports of the meetings, conferences, Sejm Investigation Commissions etc.

8. Full-time employees manager of the Division 9 senior reporters 8 junior reporters 3 production editors 2 administrative assistants Team • Freelancers 17 typists 8stenographers 8 administrative assistants

9. Process of producing verbatim reports • digital audio and video recording • typing • editing • typesetting and makeup • revision by senior reporter • publishing on the Internet • publishing paper version

10. Reporters Requirements: • Polish native speakers • higher education • deep and wide general and political knowledge • excellent grammatical and editing skills • ability to focus on details as well as the big picture • ability to work at a quick pace • eager to learn and develop skills • obliged to follow one year on-the-job training programme to receive contractof indefinite duration

11. Working time and time limits The Sejm works in accordance with the principle of permanence ‒ there is no division of the term of office into sessions and periods between sessions. There are on average 24 plenary sittings every year which are held every two weeks. The Sejm sittings last usually 3 days, from Wednesday to Friday. Working time during the sittings can vary between 8 and 14 hours. The work of the reporters goes on long after the sitting day is over. The official reports of the plenary proceedings should be available on average 4 hours after the Sejm sitting day ends as: • PDF files • HTML form. Printed version of the report is accesible next working day by noon.

12. Perspectives and the future challanges • be as effective and good at work as possible to provide product of highest quality for public, media and MPs • improve our skills and keep up with political and social issues • costs and time reduction through technological development

13. Thank you! Any questions please send to: anna.namysl@sejm.gov.pl