More information
Description
Our project aims to strengthen evidence-based monitoring of the legislative process and advocacy for improving the quality, transparency and accountability of the legislative process. The project addresses the problems related to systematic deficiencies of the legislative process. A high intensity of law-making, frequent legislative changes and adoption of laws through urgent procedures, low quality impact assessment, and a lack of transparency undermines the quality of legislation, public trust and civic engagement. Our target groups are working people, self-employed, socially sensitive groups, consumers and property owners. Due to their social and economic significance and sensitivity, for these groups the quality and transparency of law-making is key in terms of the defense of their constitutional liberties and rights.
We will conduct nine law-making monitoring initiatives and publish nine reports, develop a scoreboard on the quality of the legislative process, which will be a convenient and attractive tool for assessing the compliance of legislative initiatives with legislative principles and rules, submit proposals for improving the quality of the legislative process, conduct advocacy and media communication campaigns. We will inform NGOs representing the target groups and promote their better-informed engagement in the law-making. The project will last 34 months.
Summary of project results
Our project aimed to strengthen evidence-based monitoring of the legislative process and advocacy for improving the quality, transparency and accountability of the legislative process. The project addressed the problems related to systematic deficiencies of the legislative process. A high intensity of law-making, frequent legislative changes and adoption of laws through urgent procedures, low quality impact assessment, and a lack of transparency undermine the quality of legislation, public trust and civic engagement.
We implemented nine legislative monitoring initiatives in the area of socio-economic regulation and prepared nine reports and six expert assessments of draft legislation, and produced a Legislative Quality Scoreboard, which provides a user-friendly and attractive tool for assessing the compliance of legislative initiatives with legislative principles and rules, put forward proposals to improve the legislative process. We organised five roundtables with the participation of representatives of public authorities, policy makers and decision makers, legal and academic community, civil society. We successfully implemented advocacy and communication campaigns.
We have initiated a debate on legislative quality reform with the highest levels of the Seimas and Government. Our proposals are reflected in the Government''s programme and work plans. The Government has adopted guidelines on anticipated impact assessment, inclusive consultation and provisions for ex-post impact assessment. On the basis of our referrals and investigations, the State Audit Office has initiated a legislative quality audit, the findings of which will be available in 2024.
The project has established an evidence-based public discourse, strengthened media communication, raised civil society''s awareness of the state of legislative processes relevant to them, and fostered participation in the legislative process - at the initiation, drafting, deliberation and monitoring stages.