Areas of activity | Parliaments, politicians and people

GPA works with parliaments, governments and civil society organisations to strengthen democratic institutions and address issues of public engagement with the political process.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Majlis A'Shura, Oman

GPA is working with the Majlis A'Shura (the lower House of the Omani parliament) and the British Embassy in Muscat to develop the effectiveness of the institution. GPA provided an initial needs assessment for the Shura Council, which identified the political, cultural and institutional factors hindering performance. During 2007 GPA will address these issues through a combination of training, support and evaluation for staff and members. The project is aimed at improving both scrutiny and representation, and to this end the project is also working with the parliamentary authorities to identify areas for further support and help them manage the long-term development of the Shura Council.

British Council - Media and Politics

GPA is organising a programme of events with the British Council which will examine the difficult relationship between the media and politicians in the Balkans and in the UK. The events will examine the three-way breakdown of trust between politicians, journalists and the public by bringing together senior figures from politics and journalism. The discussions will cover issues including; the effect that political reporting has on public perceptions of democracy; the extent to which journalists rather than politicians effectively hold governments to account; the balance between freedom of speech and incitement to hatred; and the extent to which both politicians and journalists are losing their audience. The final report will draw together the keynote speeches and the contributions from other participants at each of the events.

Carnegie Trust

The Carnegie Trust commissioned GPA to examine levels of political engagement and participation in the UK and Ireland. The report from GPA assessed the changing pattern of political behaviour and looked at the social and economic factors that have led to an increasing disengagement from the electoral process. The analysis considered the policy responses from government, academia and the think tank community and suggested ways in which the Carnegie Trust might seek to shape those policies in the future through its democracy and civil society programme. The final report was published under the title "Personal Politics: Democracy, Participation and Collective Action."

Read "Personal Politics: Democracy, Participation and Collective Action" [pdf]

Vietnamese Office of the National Assembly/British Council

The Office of the National Assembly (ONA) in Vietnam is in the process of establishing a system of 'constituency offices' for individual MPs. GPA , in conjunction with the British Council, provided strategic advice on constituency casework and issues around political representation. This included an analysis of casework content, advice on the administration of constituency offices and identifying best practice. The project was part of a wider UNDP project designed to strengthen the capacity of elected bodies within Vietnam.

British Council/UK-SEE Forum

The UK-South East Europe Forum was a two-year British Council project to build alliances between the next generation of leaders within South East Europe and with their counterparts in the UK. GPA advised the Forum on its 'Politicians at Work' project which examined the differing roles and expectations of politicians in South East Europe and in the UK. It focused on the exchange of practical ideas and innovations between politicians themselves, especially in engaging the public in the political process. The project also developed a teaching aid for students of politics, including a booklet and DVD, for which GPA provided content and material.

Top