Debriefing on the self-assessment for the archives, library and research departments secretary general of the Wolesi Jirga, H.E. Khudai Nazar Nasrat. Photo © UNDP Afghanistan / 2015

The secretariats of the Upper and Lower Houses of the Parliament, together with UNDP, have recognized that significant institutional reform is necessary for the Parliament to achieve its constitutionally mandated autonomy, and that capacity building is necessary to carry out these reforms.

To facilitate this, UNDP has assisted both secretariats to undertake a comprehensive self-assessment across all the departments in order to identify areas of improvement and capacity building in each department, as well as to inform a set of recommendations.

This self assessment had just been completed. Areas identified by the secretariats as needing improvement include the rapid turnover of staff, the lack of a specialized parliamentary support cadre, the need to strengthen the parliamentary institute and the need to revise certain rules and procedures. 

These key recommendations will be prioritized into a set of concrete reform action plans that set out baselines and targets for achievement over the next three to five years. These action plans are expected to help all stakeholders identify priorities, improve coordination, avoid duplication and optimize the use of resources.