Citizen Engagement for Responsive Lawmaking in Indonesia and Timor-Leste
The House Democracy Partnership (HDP) recently traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia and Dili, Timor-Leste to implement a technical assistance consultancy (TAC) with the staff of the Indonesia House of Representatives and National Parliament of Timor-Leste. This exchange covered topics and best practices for effective citizen and civil society organization (CSO) engagement by parliamentary staff for responsive lawmaking since they are the ones typically responsible for drafting legislation and informing policy development.
Across the two days of programming in Indonesia, 51 participants from the Indonesia House of Representatives engaged in nine sessions that focused on best practices for including citizens in the legislative process. This encompassed topics such as strategic communications, utilizing town halls or constituency visits, leveraging research and public opinion to inform legislation, conducting oversight, and including or consulting CSOs and other groups on issues and policy development. The delegation shared ways that parliamentary staff – many of whom are long-serving professional, not political – can engage with citizens and CSOs to influence lawmaking. And, as the new government will take effect in October (after the February 2024 elections), this program was timely and served as an opportunity for staff to be engaged on this topic area prior to then.
Across the two days of programming in Timor-Leste, HDP engaged 41 participants, including five Members of Parliament, in nine sessions that focused on best practices for including citizens in the legislative process. This encompassed topics such as strategic communications, utilizing town halls or constituency visits, leveraging research and public opinion to inform legislation, conducting oversight, and including or consulting CSOs and other groups on issues and policy development.
