Oversight in Parliament: The role of comittees

About this brief Effective parliamentary oversight is essential for democracy. The Constitution enshrines the National Assembly’s mandate to exercise oversight over the Executive arm of government. But committees are the engine rooms of Parliament, where the detailed work of scrutinising, reviewing and reporting happens. Arguably, committees matter far more for oversight than the National Assembly. As the Seventh Parliament gets up and running, this policy brief aims to contribute to enhancing the work of committees in democratic oversight. This brief is based on a longer PARI report: The State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying Oversight Challenges and Proposing Solutions . It provides a summary of the oversight role of National Assembly Committees – what they are mandated to do by law; and it explores examples of good oversight and makes recommendations for improving their oversight work.