The overarching argument of this paper is that parliamentary digital transformation is a relatively underfunded area of work, but a vitally important one in achieving the very common overarching goals of open, accountable, inclusive and participative government. Improvements in how parliamentary digital capacity building can be done better are possible with better strategy, funding and cooperation, and when parliaments are enthusiastic and willing to take the opportunities offered to them to improve themselves.
Now more than ever, digital transformation has become essential for parliaments. Such transformation can have a significant impact in making parliaments more transparent and accountable and can enable them to leverage greater public interest and engagement in the legislative and electoral processes.
Good external digital engagement requires parliaments to review their own internal digital structures, assess where development and investment are needed, and how digital improvement will assist in achieving their goals. Differential priorities in the needs of the parliament or societal actors can form a guide, according to which specific areas for digital development might be prioritised. These steps require long-term investment, which should go in parallel with the digital transformation of the Executive. However, because a country’s digital transformation is primarily the preserve of the Executive, it can bypass the legislature and may be almost disproportionately influenced by the ruling party. Uneven digital transformation between public bodies and the legislature may weaken the profile and legitimacy of the legislature itself. Furthermore, governments that effectively restrict digital development within the legislature are essentially restricting democratic integrity.
Besides the long-term process of building and developing infrastructure, short-term pilot projects can be useful to test approaches and begin building the digital infrastructure of the future. Properly targeted funding, to achieve specified digital transformation goals, agreed in collaboration with the development agencies operating in target areas, can yield significant dividends in improving the digital democracy ecosystem. This approach can neutralise harmful, short-termist and wasteful approaches to digital deficiency, and remove the ability of the more unscrupulous parliaments to play development agencies off against each other to leverage greater rewards or resources.
Digital transformation of parliaments requires better strategy, funding and cooperation on the part of donors and implementers as parliaments are enthusiastic and willing to take the opportunities offered by digitalisation.
Header photo: Jessica Taylor / UK Parliament
What's it all about?
Report authors Julia Keutgen and Rebecca Rumbol discuss their report and its key arguments
In December 2024, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) hosted its second Democracy Action Partnership (DAP) in Indonesia. This briefing paper expands on the insights and recommendations exchanged during the discussions which were attended by more than 100 civil society practitioners, parliamentarians, government officials, researchers, and representatives of electoral institutions.
The focus was the threats posed to inclusive and accountable democracy by the growing cost of politics. A theme that cuts across a number of core areas of WFD’s work. It aligns with initiatives to strengthen elections and incremental changes that support improvements throughout the election cycle.
It also links with ongoing work to support enhanced participation of women in politics, one of several underrepresented groups affected by the high cost of politics.
This paper identifies six action areas to strengthen responses to the high cost of politics, based on discussions at the two-day DAP. This includes the critical importance of enhanced civic engagement and education, and how these can underpin, or take place alongside, reforms to the internal workings of political parties and enforcement of tailored regulatory regimes. Together, these initiatives can contribute to making politics more inclusive, accountable, and representative.
The National Assembly’s Environmental Committee, with support from Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and a consultant, conducted a legislative review to map The Gambia’s existing obligations on climate change, including relevant national plans, strategies, and legislation.
The objective of this gap assessment is to identify challenges and shortcomings within existing national and sectoral legislation, policies, plans, and programmes, in order to inform the development and implementation of a National Climate Change Act.
This consultancy study used a qualitative approach to assess the adequacy, relevance, and effectiveness of current frameworks in addressing both current and future climate change impacts. The study involved an extensive literature review, as well as two stakeholder engagement workshops during which information was gathered through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by stakeholders during one of the workshops supported by WFD and through further consultations.
A draft of the report was then presented at a third workshop—jointly organised by WFD and the National Assembly—where it was validated by a broader group of stakeholders.
About the series
This collection brings together 13 peer-reviewed papers examining parliamentary debt oversight across Africa. Authors include leading experts, practitioners, and academics who analyse current challenges and identify practical reform pathways.
The series is a joint knowledge building initiative of AFRODAD, the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, and WFD.
In what was dubbed the world’s largest single-day elections, Indonesia made history by conducting both presidential and legislative elections on the same day in February 2024. Over 204.8 million eligible voters were called to cast their votes at more than 823,000 polling stations.
A total of 3,676 women competed in the legislative elections, running for the 580 seats in the House of Representatives (DPR RI). In a pool of 9,917 overall legislative candidates, these women had to navigate a complex environment that, as confirmed by our investigation, remains vulnerable to violence against women in politics (VAWP).
As part of our ASEAN Women’s Political Leadership (WPL) programme, supported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), WFD partnered with the Women Research Institute (WRI) to better understand the experience of women legislative candidates in the monumental 2024 elections.