Since its publication in September 2008, the initial reaction to the IPU’s self-assessment toolkit has been swift and largely positive. The toolkit is intended to help parliaments analyse their performance, which in turn should lead them to identify any weaknesses and formulate recommendations for reform and development. Unlike other such exercises, the self-assessment is done by parliamentarians themselves, who, by virtue of the clear stake they have in the effective functioning of the institution, bring a unique perspective and take "ownership" of the process.
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The Senate of Rwanda and the Parliament of Sierra Leone, with IPU support, have already carried out self-assessments, in the context of a review or development of a strategic plan for parliament. The process was far from identical in these parliaments: whereas the self-assessment was done by a five-member ad hoc committee in Rwanda under the chairmanship of the Senate Vice-President, all members of parliament were invited to participate in Sierra Leone. In both cases, the questions in the toolkit generated lively discussion and led to the formulation of clearly-defined recommendations.
A number of parliaments have informed the IPU that they would use the toolkit to carry out a self-assessment, for example the Senate of Cambodia, as part of a review of how it has functioned in the first ten years of its existence. Others have requested that the IPU facilitate their self-assessment. The IPU aims to document at least five experiences of parliamentary self-assessment in 2009 from different regions of the world, in both developed and developing countries.
The self-assessment toolkit formed the basis of a successful workshop on "Ensuring transparency in parliamentary processes", held in the wings of the 119th IPU Assembly in October 2008. Participants’ reaction was particularly favourable to the self-assessment approach. Many expressed the wish to see the toolkit applied in their own parliament.
The IPU is also participating in an international working group on methods of evaluating parliamentary performance, including possible benchmarks and indicators. Other organizations working in this area include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank Institute (WBI), the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the Canadian Parliamentary Centre.
