PACs in West Africa - Achievements and Challenges

1. PACs in West Africa:
Achievements and
Challenges
Rasheed Draman, Ph.D
African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs
(ACEPA)

2. Plan
Purpose of PAC
 Mandate and Legal Powers of PACs
Membership and Leadership of PAC
Activities: Public Hearings
Following up on Recommendations
Evaluation of PAC Performance: Analytical
Framework
Final Thoughts

3. Purpose and Scope
It examines the range of structures, responsibilities and working
practices of these committees in a region that combines variations of
Westminster and Presidential systems.
The presentation relies largely on primary data collected through
questionnaires a couple of years ago to the Parliaments of Ghana, the
Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
It also relies on my own knowledge and experience, working with PACs
in the region.

4. Purpose and Scope
A set of five (5) attributes important to the success of PACs assessed:
1. Mandate and Legal Powers
2. Relationship with the Auditor General
3. Structure and Organization
4. Activities
5. Resources

5. Preliminary Comments
The different levels of democratic development and the
different political systems across the West African sub-region
make for wide differences in committee effectiveness across the
various Parliaments.
Despite the differences, the last few years have seen all PACs
in the sub-region united around the common goal of ensuring
transparency and accountability. PACs in WA have been the
most active of parliamentary committees leading to the creation
of WAAPAC, for instance.

6. Purpose of PAC
As a reminder:
1. To influence the quality of administrative processes
2. To hold the government accountable for its spending of taxpayers’
money and for its stewardship over public assets
3. To enhance accountability and improve public performance
reporting

7. Mandate and Legal Powers of
PACs
One of the key attributes of effectiveness of PACs clarity of
mandate and their legal powers
A broad scope in mandate is central to the needed institutional
capacity to oversee a country's public accounts
 Also provides committee the right of access to various areas
public and private institutions

8. Mandate and Legal Powers of
PACs
In West Africa, all PACs surveyed indicated that their mandate
provides them with unrestricted access to government agencies
as well as non-governmental agencies that are funded by
government resources
Even though the data indicates a wide range of access thanks
to the broad mandate of PACs in West Africa, it remains to be
seen if this mandate translates to effectiveness

9. Membership and Leadership of
PAC

10. Activities: Public Hearings
All PACs in WA have embraced the modern best practice of holding
their hearings in public
In the past, most PAC hearings were held in camera not because
there is a law that prevents them from doing but mainly because the
Committees either did not have the required preparation and
capabilities or because they did not have resources to conduct public
hearings
The cost of holding public hearings should normally be borne by
Parliament through the allocations to the PAC but most Parliaments in
West Africa have until very recently, been financially constrained

11. Following up on Recommendations
Once PACs make their recommendations, the biggest test is whether
or not the government responds to those recommendations.
Implementation of PAC recommendations is one measure
of the committee’s usefulness and effectiveness and a key
indicator for assessing the performance of PACs
The biggest challenge facing most PACs in the region is the
apparent lack of Executive interest in the work of the PAC and in the
fight against corruption in general

12. Following up on Recommendations
Follow up is an important part of the accountability loop for PACs, and
it is an essential element of the government’s accountability to the
legislature
Unless the PAC reviews the status of implementation of report
recommendations and other commitments made by witnesses, the
public service may not appreciate the importance and most
importantly consequences of the PAC’s hearings

13. Following up on Recommendations
PACs churn out many reports with recommendations, which, when
implemented, will help improve information as well as strengthen
control systems that have a huge potential for oversight in general

14. Follow Up Recommendation:
Canada Example
One leading practice among some of Canada’s Public Accounts Committees
is to request status updates or action plans of departments and agencies that
have been subject to a value-for-money, performance or systems audit by the
legislative auditor. These action plans usually provide details regarding action
that has been taken to date to address the audit recommendations that have
been agreed to by the auditees. This can include specific actions taken,
timelines for their completion and the department or individuals who are
responsible for the implementation. In some jurisdictions, the information
required by the PAC is conveyed to departments in a standard template; in
others, it is up to each auditee to decide what information it will provide.
One leading practice among some of Canada’s Public Accounts Committees
is to request status updates or action plans of departments and agencies that
have been subject to a value-for-money, performance or systems audit by the
legislative auditor. These action plans usually provide details regarding action
that has been taken to date to address the audit recommendations that have
been agreed to by the auditees. This can include specific actions taken,
timelines for their completion and the department or individuals who are
responsible for the implementation. In some jurisdictions, the information
required by the PAC is conveyed to departments in a standard template; in
others, it is up to each auditee to decide what information it will provide.

15. Follow Up Recommendation:
Canada Example
A report of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons
addresses the rationale for requesting action plans/status updates from
auditees:
“If a department is indeed serious about implementing the
recommendations, then senior management should ensure that an
action plan is developed; without one, senior management would not
have the information needed to monitor implementation. A well--‐
developed action plan focuses management’s attention on what needs
to be accomplished, by whom and when, thereby making it more likely
that the necessary actions will be taken”.
A report of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons
addresses the rationale for requesting action plans/status updates from
auditees:
“If a department is indeed serious about implementing the
recommendations, then senior management should ensure that an
action plan is developed; without one, senior management would not
have the information needed to monitor implementation. A well--‐
developed action plan focuses management’s attention on what needs
to be accomplished, by whom and when, thereby making it more likely
that the necessary actions will be taken”.

16. UK PAC Legacy Report - 2015
“We have assiduously followed the taxpayer’s pound wherever it
was spent – in national public services, in local government services
and in private sector contracts. In doing so I believe we have helped
secure better and more consistent services for the public.”
“Since 2010 we have held 276 evidence sessions and published 244
unanimous reports to hold government to account for its
performance. 88% of our recommendations were accepted by
departments. In many cases we have successfully secured
substantial changes.”

17. UK PAC Legacy Report - 2015
“I am immensely proud of the achievements of this Committee, in the
cross-party nature of our work and our relentless focus on the
important job of scrutinising value for money of policy
implementation. I wish the next Public Accounts Committee
wholeheartedly every success in their endeavours.“

18. UK PAC Legacy Report - 2015
“Since 2010, we have scrutinised the value for money secured from
public spending against a backdrop of unprecedented austerity.
Tighter spending plans have required not just a trimming of public
services, but a full scale re-think about how services could best be
delivered. Our focus has been to look at the way in which
programmes and projects have been implemented to ensure they
deliver value for money, regardless of our individual views on the
underpinning policy.”

19. Evaluation of PAC Performance:
Analytical Framework
I use a results based analytical framework to assess the
performance of PACs in the sub-region for two main reasons:
The last 10 years have seen the growth of a consensus and
commitment to performance in development
The need to look at the How (Activities); the What (Outputs
– change in behaviour practice); the Why (Results –
change in state)

20. Evaluation of PAC Performance
What would be considered an effective PAC? Suppose the
committee helps improve public services, but in the process it
embarrasses the government: would this be considered a success?
Because success in parliament is often seen in partisan terms,
assessing the impact and effectiveness of PACs requires careful
consideration

21. Evaluation of PAC Performance
Because of the high incidence of corruption as well as the low levels
of interest on the part of the Executive to implement PAC
recommendations in West Africa, most PACs measure their
performance by immediate gratification - how much money have
they been able to recover from errant officials or how much has been
saved thanks to the Committee's interventions
Or how many reports of the AG they have been able to review, the
number of backlogs of AG's reports as well as the level of citizens'
and media coverage that Committee receives in its work.

22. Evaluation of PAC Performance
Another measure of success for most PACs in West Africa is the
level of public awareness of their work as well as the media coverage
the Committees receive. PACs receive a lot of public attention and
media coverage for the 'naming and shaming' that often takes place
during Committee hearings
This may be true to some extent - it creates a 'deterrent effect' on the
part of public officials who often get embarrassed when they are
dragged before a PAC in the full glare of the media. But beyond the
'naming and shaming', often there are no sanctions

23. Have PAC Been Successful?
Yes:
1.Created an extremely positive image for most Parliaments
2.Naming and shaming
3.Instilled some ‘fear’ in public servants
4.Deterrent effect
5.Significantly reduced the backlog of reports from the AG

24. Have PAC Been Successful?
No:
Lets us look at our analytical framework!

26. Final Thoughts
PACs, hitherto not very well known and existed 'mostly in name'
only, have been very active in broadening the discourse on
accountability in West Africa in the last 10 years
The big challenge that remains to be addressed is how PACs in the
region can move from the What to the Why of their work
There is thus a big missing link..... Hence the theme and our
preoccupation for this conference and future conferences

27. THANKYOU