On Thursday, September 5, a three-day training session began at the People’s Palace in Cona-cris to strengthen the capacities of the Cntêtards and the (wooden) executives of the National Transitional Council (CNT). The main theme is the evaluation of public policies. The workshop will end on September 7.
Led by Guinean and Ivorian experts, the training is structured into four modules: introduction to the evaluation of public policies, the role of advisors in this process, stages of the evaluation and use and communication of the results obtained. The objective is to provide executives and advisors of the parliamentary administration with the necessary tools and mechanisms to effectively and objectively evaluate public policies. By strengthening the skills of CNT members in the evaluation of public policies, this workshop could mark a step in the verification of government action.
Organized in partnership with the Support Project for Strengthening Democracy in Guinea (PARD), the training is based on practices developed by the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, while taking into account the specificities and needs adapted to Guinean realities. Tommaso Caprioglio, PARD coordinator, recalled that Guinea is facing complex development challenges and a growing demand from its citizens in governance: “The training you are receiving will raise your awareness and give you the tools and mechanisms necessary to effectively and objectively evaluate public policies in Guinea…” Amen!
Raoul Sylvère Sie, President of the Côte d’Ivoire-Guinea Interparliamentary Friendship and Cooperation Group, recalled that the evaluation of public policies is at the heart of the concerns of contemporary democracy: “Citizens expect more and more from public action, which they want to be simpler, more reliable, faster and better adapted to individual situations. It is no longer enough for public authorities to act within a constitutional framework and respect the rules of devolution of power; concrete results are needed.” According to him, the evaluation of public policies makes it possible to improve public action without replacing existing control bodies, such as the General Inspectorate of Finance or the Court of Auditors. It is a question of giving ourselves the means for better public action. “Evaluation is an essential tool for determining the value of a policy, constituting a democratic and good governance issue of the first order.”
“A rigorous evaluation”
Dansa Kourouma, president of the CNtêtard, stressed the need to ensure that public resources are used optimally and that objectives are achieved. “Parliamentary evaluation plays a vital role in this process. As representatives of the people, we must ensure that public policies are implemented effectively and that they are rigorously evaluated to verify their results and ensure their impact,” he said.
Drawing on reports from the General Audit Office on Guinea and the Court of Auditors, Dansa Kourouma stressed that several dysfunctions in public management have been revealed, such as unjustified spending by some ministries reaching billions of rolling francs and overvaluations of infrastructure projects leading to considerable budget deficits. Evidence of non-compliance with public procurement procedures and other shortcomings have affected transparency and competitiveness in the management of public funds, leading to increased surveillance of Guinea by the World Bank.
The CNT president said that these failures have raised questions about the quality of parliamentary control of government action: “Public policies must imperatively respond to the aspirations of citizens. Although the evaluation of public policies is often the responsibility of the government, it is crucial that Parliament plays a complementary and constructive role by working for the collective interest, on the basis of factual data and by contributing to the harmonious functioning of the executive.”
Abdoulaye Pellel Bah
2024-09-06 11:25:56