Enhanced Parliamentary and Party Capacity for Public Engagement Component
Start date: April 1, 2012 Duration: September 2020
Implementer: CEPPS/National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Overview

The Increased Political Competition and Accountability Program promotes greater citizen participation in political institutions and processes through a variety of distinct components. The overall program runs from April 2012 to September 2020 and has a total budget of $6,229,522. It is implemented by the consortium for elections and political processes strengthening (CEPPS) made up of three U.S. organizations: the National Democratic Institute (NDI); the International Republican Institute (IRI); and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

Objectives

• Increase the political parties’ ability to engage members, political supporters and the public at-large on public policy and accountability. The program works with emerging leaders in political parties by building their management and messaging skills and establishing strong constituency outreach efforts. Parties work to improve political skills, leadership, civic activism, inclusion, consensus building, communication skills and outreach - including the effective use of various online and social media tools, policy making, and issue based advocacy.
• Improve CSO capacity for policy engagement and legislative advocacy. The program works with positive catalysts for change including students, young people and women, by engaging them in active political education programs and processes that will build their knowledge of good practices in political party organization, policy development, opposition politics, media outreach, and campaign management. The program engages civil society groups, including think tanks, professional organizations and intellectuals, in the political process and encourages them to get involved in public debate on important issues.
• Enhance Parliament’s technical capacity and procedural operations to perform its legislative and oversight functions more effectively. The program works with the Parliament to improve its oversight of the executive branch through strengthened committee hearing procedures.
• The program will ensure that the Parliamentary Committee members and staff learn how to conduct effective and efficient oversight hearings and follow up on the recommendations and conclusions.

Expected Results/Impact

• Oversight hearings regularly practiced by the Parliamentary Committees.
• Increased ability of Political parties to engage members, potential supporters, and the public at-large on policy issues.
• Increased level of public debate on important issues.
• Best practices in political processes recognized by youth and civil society sector.

Contact Information

Contact at USAID: Sladjana Srbinoska, AOR ssrbinoska@usaid.gov
Chief of Party: Chris Henshaw, Country Director chenshaw@ndi.org
Information Officer: Edip Bilal ebilal@ndi.org
Web site: http://www.ndi.org/content/macedonia