Locations
Parliament Support Project (Phase - II)
Summary
Since its inception in 2015, the Parliament Support Project (PSP) has been providing technical support to enhance the capabilities of the Federal Parliament (FP), all seven Provincial Assemblies (PAs), Members of Parliament (MPs), parliamentary committees, and their secretariats. In its current phase (2023–2027), PSP is strengthening key parliamentary functions, including evidence-based lawmaking through comprehensive bill reviews and post-legislative scrutiny, evidence-based oversight, and enhanced parliamentary outreach and openness. The project focuses on advancing parliamentary research and promoting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and human rights. It also supports parliament in strengthening the capacities of women MPs and MPs from marginalized groups to enable them to perform their roles more effectively. Additionally, PSP actively engages with women, youth, sexual and gender minorities (LGBTIQ+), and persons with disabilities to ensure their concerns are reflected in parliamentary discourse. Moreover, the project facilitates the engagement of civil society organizations (CSOs) with parliaments to promote evidence-based lawmaking and oversight.
Background
Since the restoration of the legislature in 2008, UNDP Nepal has supported the strengthening of parliamentary democracy by building the capacity of Members of Parliament (MPs) and parliamentary staff in core functions, including lawmaking, oversight, and representation. Over the past 17 years, notable progress has been made at both federal and provincial levels, with parliaments increasingly engaging with the public and adopting evidence-based practices in lawmaking and oversight.
However, gaps remain. The transition to federalism has not yet fully translated into the necessary legislative and administrative reforms. Several key laws crucial to implementing federalism are still pending, legal reviews are limited, and the research capacity of the parliament requires further strengthening. While public engagement with parliament is growing, it has not yet been institutionalized. Despite commitments to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), concrete strategies and tools for reviewing bills, laws, and programs through GESI and human rights perspectives are still lacking. In this context, the current phase of the Parliament Support Project (2023–2027) aims to further enhance the capacity of Nepal’s parliaments to function in a more inclusive and participatory manner.
Major Achievements
- Supported capacity enhancement initiatives for 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) and 385 secretariat staff of the Federal Parliament (FP) and Provincial Assemblies (PAs) to strengthen their parliamentary roles.
- Assisted parliamentary committees of the FP and PAs with expert reviews and public consultations for 28 bills and legislations, as well as Post-Legislative Scrutiny (PLS) of 6 Acts, providing over 300 inputs and engaging more than 150 MPs.
- Supported 31 oversight activities by the parliamentary committees of the FP and PAs, resulting in over 200 recommendations. Expert support helped the Public Accounts Committee of Karnali Province settle over 40% of arrears through the review of the Auditor General’s annual reports.
- Facilitated more than 105 parliamentary outreach interventions, enabling over 1 million people to share their concerns with more than 250 MPs through public consultations, hearings, and radio programs. A weekly radio program further promoted parliamentary accountability, reaching over 2 million people through 77 radio stations nationwide.
- Collaborated with over 25 civil society organizations (CSOs) and research institutions to support parliaments in evidence-based lawmaking, oversight, public hearings, and mentoring programs. Engaged with over 700 youths—including 200 persons with disabilities (PWDs) and 60 LGBTIQ+ representatives—through parliamentary outreach, mock parliaments, and inclusive law reviews.
- Continued support for inter-legislature coordination led to the formation of an inter-legislature forum of Speakers and Deputy Speakers. Contributed to institutionalizing key parliamentary practices such as PLS, the parliamentary calendar system, lobby reporting, increased parliamentary openness, and regular engagement with think tanks. Also supported the exploration of innovative practices, including the increased use of ICT in parliaments, research on a Parliamentary Budget Office, and a study of parliamentary rulings.
Project Outputs
- Output 1: Federal Parliament & Provincial Assemblies have enhanced capacity to scrutinize draft laws and to monitor implementation of legislation
- Output 2: Federal Parliament & Provincial Assemblies have enhanced capacity to conduct oversight of government spending, polices, and programmes
- Output 3: Federal Parliament and Provincial Assemblies have the practices and/or resources in place to promote GESI/LNOB and human rights principles
- Output 4: Federal Parliament & PAs have established routine constituent engagement as part of their decision-making processes.
Gender & Social Inclusion Component
- Supported 105 MPs (76% women) in strengthening gender and human rights impact analysis of laws, policies and programs through GESI orientations.
- A total of 381 MPs, including 254 women, enhanced leadership, lawmaking and communication skills through mentoring and training.
- Over 50% of beneficiaries (MP) were women and/or belonged to marginalized communities and more than half the project budget was allocated to GESI-related interventions.
Related Materials
Project details:
| Project Status | Active |
| Project Period | January 2018- December 2022 (Phase I) January 2023- December 2027 (Phase II) |
| Project ID | 00049635 |
| Focus Area | Democratic Governance |
| Source of Funding | Government of Norway and UNDP |
| Implementing Agency | UNDP |
| Collaborating Partners | Federal Parliament and seven Provincial Assemblies |
| Budget | US$ 5.0 m |
| Contact | CO Focal Point Ms. Kalpana Sarkar Portfolio Manager UNDP Nepal UN House, Pulchowk, Nepal Tel: 977-4290000 Email: kalpana.sarkar@undp.org | Project Focal Point Mr. Dila Datt Pant National Project Manager Parliament Support Project, UNDP Kiran Bhawan Marg, House # 135/42 Sanepa, Lalitpur, Nepal Tel: 977-01-5413055/6 Email: dila.pant@undp.org |