Workshop on "Pre-Legislative Scrutiny Capacity for National Assembly Delegations and People’s Councils in Central Vietnam”

The workshop, jointly organised by the Board of Delegate Affairs, the Office of the National Assembly and Hanns Seidel Foundation, targeted participants consisting of officials from National Assembly Delegations and People's Councils from 11 provinces in Central Vietnam. The event also welcomed Deputies of the 15th National Assembly, Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Petitions, Mrs. Tran Thi Nhi Ha, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Delegate Affairs, Mr. Nguyen Dai Thang, Standing Member of the Committee on Defence and Security, Mr. Trinh Xuan An, who attended the workshop and presented on the pre-legislative process.

HSF

In his welcome speech at the workshop, Mr Michael Siegner, Resident Representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation Vietnam emphasised the importance of this stage in the legislative process. This practice enables a comprehensive evaluation and feedback on a draft Bill and would enhance not only the effectiveness of evaluating submitted draft Bills but also the eventual quality of laws and the overall regulatory framework. He also stressed the indispensable roles of officials from National Assembly Delegations and People’s Councils as support staff for National Assembly Deputies. By organizing consultations, compiling feedback, and synthesizing stakeholder inputs, their contributions are pivotal in ensuring that legislation is well-informed, comprehensive, and reflective of diverse stakeholder interests.

 Mr. Siegner also shared insights on the how Members of the German Bundestag are being supported by their staff and parliamentary research services and stressed this as a prerequisite for a fully functional parliament.

The event included interactive discussions and featured experience-sharing between participants and experts. All experts participating in the workshop have gained many years of experience not only of the legislative process, but also of the kind of support that Deputies of the National Assembly need. Through presentations and participatory sessions at the workshop, participants gained a deeper understanding of pre-legislative scrutiny, and the essential skills required to assist Deputies in this area, such as how to tackle challenges posed by an overload of legislative documents that need to be reviewed in a short timeframe.

In the final session of the workshop, participants were asked to apply the acquired skills and knowledge in exercises involving three different bills currently under discussion in the National Assembly's plenary session. They once again benefited from engaging discussions and valuable advice from the speakers and provincial representatives on how to utilize reference materials and draft comments on the proposed bills.

By facilitating such kind of discussions, HSF contributes to the institutional strengthening of the National Assembly and its Deputies in the context of legislative processes. 

Below are some snapshots from the workshop: