Machinery of Government (MOG)Effective cabinet and parliamentary processes [0]
RAMSI is helping the Solomon Islands Government improve the way it works, to ensure it better serves the people of Solomon Islands. RAMSI is providing support that will allow government to better serve and provide for the people of Solomon Islands, in all provinces, in all parts of the country, in both urban and rural communities.
Helping government function better will in turn help government respond better to the needs of Solomon Islanders. Services can be delivered where needed, public institutions can properly function, people can stay informed, and the economy can be stimulated to create the growth that is needed to provide for all Solomon Islanders.
The machinery of government program is an essential component of RAMSI. Recognising the importance of state building in fragile states, the MOG program seeks to address ongoing deficiencies in government functions.
| RAMSI’s Machinery of Government program contributed to the design of an innovative four-day induction program for Members of Parliament which was delivered in the Parliamentary Chamber in May 2006. Experts from the Pacific region including Parliamentary Speakers, ministers and academics contributed to discussion about what it means to be an MP, parliamentary procedures, constituency relations, parliamentary scrutiny, ethics and communications. |
Effective cabinet and parliamentary processes
- RAMSI is helping to strengthen Cabinet and Parliamentary processes to ensure leaders have access to good advice to inform their decision making, to better serve all Solomon Islanders.
- RAMSI is helping the Cabinet, the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Parliament to improve communication across government and with the community, and to improve coordination between different parts of government. It is also helping to strengthen decision-making processes, and the tools for effective and accountable decision making.
- RAMSI is making sure Cabinet and Parliament have better access to good advice and information, so they can improve the way they do their jobs. RAMSI is working with the United Nations Development Programme to help strengthen parliamentary processes.
- RAMSI is working closely with the public service to improve planning, strengthen management systems and develop a professional and committed public service workforce. These changes will help to improve the way the public service does its job and serves all Solomon Islanders.
- Recruitment policies and procedures have been improved, so they are faster and more effective and important posts are not left vacant. The Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) has been re-established to provide training for public servants across government.
- In future, the public service will be better trained, more accountable and more efficient, delivering better quality services to all Solomon Islanders.
Accountability mechanisms and institutions
- RAMSI has assisted the Solomon Islands Government target corruption and deliver comprehensive strategies for public administration reform and management.
- RAMSI is helping to strengthen the formal accountability institutions that serve as the people’s watchdogs on government, ensuring that government and the public service are run fairly and openly and that the resources managed by government on behalf of the people of the Solomon Islands are used for the proper purposes and in the interests of the people.
- The institutions that supervise the actions of the government and the public service (such as the Auditor General, the Leadership Code Commission, and the Ombudsman’s Office) need to be strong enough and have adequate resources to uncover corruption and mismanagement and to appropriately deal with offenders.
- The promotion of transparency and accountability in government has resulted in initial successes. Major audit reports were tabled in Parliament in 2005 for the first time in roughly two decades.
- RAMSI has supported the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission with management, planning and logistics, financial management and legislative change to ensure that elections are well managed, free and fair.
- In 2005-2006, RAMSI supported a major nationwide civic education campaign throughout all provinces, to increase awareness of government and electoral processes in Solomon Islands and to ensure all Solomon Islanders are aware of their rights, responsibilities and privileges when it comes to the time to elect municipal, provincial or national government representatives.
Improving provincial administration
- RAMSI is working with other donors to assist both the National Government and Provincial Governments work together more effectively to deliver services to communities throughout the Solomon Islands.
- A Provincial Governance Strengthening Program is being developed that will improve basic administrative systems and communication links between national and provincial level administration, build the capacity of provincial administrators and support government and donor efforts to strengthen the links between national and provincial planning and service delivery.
RAMSI support continues to build on past achievements, focusing on strengthening policy processes to reinforce the demand for good governance, by improving public service practices and financial management and accountability in government.