1. PROJECT OVERSIGHT AND SCRUTINY
Final ARIAL seminar: Sharing Good Practices
17th/18th June 2013, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Presentation by Dr. Hamid Ghany

2. Systems of Government and Scrutiny
Political control and resource allocation
Advocacy and lobbying and resource allocation
Relationships between MPs and Councillors
Relationships between State enterprises and local govt.
Institutions of scrutiny and levels of responsibility
Timeliness of submissions and scrutiny

3. Refining the Issues at hand
The many ways in which influence is exercised should be examined. See David Lowery “Lobbying Influence : Meaning, measurement and missing” in Interest Groups and Advocacy Vol. 2, No. 1 March 2013, pp
(a) influence that rests upon a sense of obligation (authority, respect);
(b) influence that depends on the wish of the influencee to gratify the influencer (friendship, benevolence);
(c) influence that works by improving the logic or the information of the influencee (rational persuasion).

4. Refining the Issues at hand
(d) influence that works by changing the influencee’s perception of the behaviour alternatives open to him/her or his evaluation of them, and which does so otherwise than by rational persuasion (for example, selling, suggestion, fraud and deception);
(e) influence that works by changing the behaviour alternatives objectively open to the influencee, thus either absolutely precluding him/her from adopting an alternative unacceptable to the influencer.
Lobbying influence: Meaning, measurement and missing (coercion) or inducing him/her to select as his/her preferred (or least objectionable) alternative the one chosen for him/her by the influencer (positive or negative inducement).

5. What happens after the allocation ?
How does a change of central government affect oversight and scrutiny of local government ?
How does a change of leadership in a council affect oversight and scrutiny of local government?
How is local government affected by delay in the consideration of financial reports by parliamentary committees ?
How is local government affected by the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight ?

6. What kinds of institutions of scrutiny ?
The Public Accounts Committees of national Parliaments.
Special Departmental Select Committees of Parliament.
The Ombudsman or Parliamentary Commissioner.
The Auditor General.
The Integrity Commission.
The Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Ministry of Local Government.
The Media.

7. Diagrammatic explanation
SCRUTINY
COUNCILS
GOVERNMENT

8. Areas of discussion and questions
How effective is parliamentary oversight ?
How effective is the Ombudsman or the Parliamentary Commissioner ?
How effective is the Auditor General ?
How effective is the Integrity Commission ?
How effective is the Director of Public Prosecutions ?
How effective is the Ministry of Local Government ?

9. Propositions for Enhanced Recognition
Constitutional recognition of local government
Reform of the principles of nomination and election.
Can political parties really be diminished in local government ?
Public referenda after public consultations ?