The Performance Effectiveness Approach and Strengthening Parliamentary Evaluation of Public Policies

Abstract

As governments strive to provide a decent standard of living for their citizens and achieve their well-being at all levels, they innovate in their methods of managing and overseeing public funds. While parliaments, as institutions of popular representation and citizen participation in the management of public affairs, oversee the functions of legislation and oversight of government actions, they now possess the authority to evaluate public policies and assess their effectiveness and the efficacy of their programs.

To further improve governance, ensure the proper use of available resources, and rationalize their expenditure, our country has taken the initiative to adopt a performance-efficiency approach in public administrations and institutions. It has obligated these institutions to adopt new developments in their management methods and approaches, and has required them to submit performance-efficiency projects as documents accompanying the draft finance law for the year, followed by annual reports on the effectiveness of their public service performance. This enables Parliament to constructively discuss proposed laws, express observations on them, and implement the principle of linking responsibility to accountability. Evaluating public policies is a core competence of the legislative institution, and a performance-efficiency approach is a methodology that will enable the latter to make ongoing evaluation a regular activity for its members and enable them to monitor and influence the public management process. This is a step toward promoting good governance and, through it, strengthening and enhancing parliament's oversight roles to focus on the impact and impact of public policies on the daily lives of citizens in all areas.