Under the programme Promoting Information and Voice for Transparency on Elections' DFID is funding the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) to provide a number of seminars to newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in Sierra Leone. On 19 and 20 November, a cross-party delegation of UK MPs delivered the first seminar on ‘Becoming an Effective MP’. A further two seminars, on the role of MPs in Opposition and the role of MPs in Government, will be delivered in January/February 2008.
In addition, under the first phase of a new Parliamentary Strengthening Programme', delivered through the National Democratic Institute (NDI), DFID is supporting a co-ordinated induction programme for new MPs in the Sierra Leone Parliament. This includes an assessment of the existing capacity/needs of MPs, development of a Members' Directory and training on the representative responsibilities of MPs.
Support to specific Parliamentary Committees is also planned. This will include assistance to the Public Accounts Committee to effectively scrutinise public accounts on the basis of the Auditor General's reports. If Parliament requests, DFID may fund a further phase of this ‘parliamentary strengthening programme'.