The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of national parliaments with a membership of 183 Member Parliaments and 15 Associate Members. The IPU promotes democratic governance, institutions and values, working with parliaments and parliamentarians to articulate and respond to the needs and aspirations of the people. It works to promote peace, democracy, human rights, gender equality, youth empowerment, climate action and sustainable development through political dialogue, cooperation and parliamentary action. The IPU has supported over half of its members to strengthen parliament’s capacity to perform their functions. The IPU collaborates with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) both nationally and globally for over 40 years.
UNDP has been supporting more than 60 parliaments globally to strengthen parliament as an institution of good governance, inclusive development and public accountability.
In the Pacific, the UNDP Pacific Office (PO) has been supporting Pacific Parliaments to fulfil the core functions of parliaments of law-making, oversight and representation. The PO has supported Pacific Parliaments to reform the parliamentary professional service, provided trainings and activities to strengthen parliamentary library and research services, provided policy support with a focus on SDG advocacy, supported the production of Budget Briefs for members to assist with informed debates on the national budgets, increased opportunities for citizens and CSO engagement in the work of parliament, built capacities for members and staff on substantive and procedural issues as well as skills such as public speaking, dealing with the media, debating, and codes of conduct, supported the development for institutional frameworks to ensure that parliaments have sufficient power and independence to contribute to democratic development.
Background
The Parliament of Vanuatu plays a central constitutional role in upholding democratic governance, enacting legislation, and ensuring executive accountability. Central to the fulfillment of this mandate is its parliamentary committee system. Committees serve as the engine room of the legislature, allowing for detailed scrutiny of bills, rigorous oversight of public expenditures, and direct engagement with the citizens of Vanuatu.
In recent years, the operating environment for parliaments globally and across the Pacific region has grown increasingly complex. To ensure that the Parliament of Vanuatu remains agile, transparent, and responsive to national priorities, it is critical to evaluate whether the current committee architecture is fit for purpose.
This review will comprehensively evaluate the functional efficiency, resource capacity, and procedural frameworks of the parliamentary committee system. By identifying structural bottlenecks and benchmarking operations against modern democratic standards, the review will provide actionable recommendations to strengthen parliamentary oversight, enhance legislative quality, and deepen public trust in Vanuatu’s democratic institutions.
The review will also build on the 2018 assessment of the parliament of Vanuatu that IPU carried out with the aim of building on that process and assessing what has been achieved since.
Scope of work
This Terms of Reference (ToR) outlines the scope, objectives, and execution framework for a comprehensive review of the parliamentary committee system in the Parliament of Vanuatu.
Purpose and Objectives
- Assess the operational and legislative effectiveness of standing, select, and special committees.
- Identify resource, procedural, or structural constraints limiting oversight and public scrutiny.
- Make recommendations to align committee operations with regional and international parliamentary best practices.
Scope of Review
- Comprehensive desk review to examine the legal basis, terms of reference, and investigative powers of current committees as well as the current political situation in Vanuatu.
- Analyze tracking mechanisms for committee reports, inquiries, and government responses.
- Review secretariat staffing, budget allocations, research support, and infrastructural limitations at the Parliament House in Port Vila.
- Evaluate transparency, stakeholder participation, and media access during committee proceedings.
- Undertake an exercise with MPs and staff using the Indicator on Committees as found in the Indicators for Democratic Parliaments
Key Deliverables
Institutional Arrangements
The Consultant will report directly to the Manager, IPU Technical cooperation programme
All reports and documents relating to the assignment will be submitted to the Manager, IPU Technical cooperation programme
The Consultant will be responsible for all technical related equipment including Laptops, Printing, Internet, and Software subscriptions relevant to this assignment.
Duration of the Work
Duty Station & Travel
Educational Qualifications (Minimum):
Advanced degree in political science, law, governance, or related fields.
Experience:
Proven experience in parliamentary research or democratic governance studies, preferably in the Pacific region or similar contexts.
Familiarity with the parliaments required
Strong analytical, research, and report-writing skills.
Ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and synthesize complex information clearly.
Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including politicians, parliamentarians and other government officials.
Competencies:
Good representational and liaison skills.
Excellent interpersonal, intercultural, communication and networking with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional relationships.
Ability to meet deadlines.
Excellent English writing and communication skills.
Deliverables
| Deliverable | Due date |
- Inception report outlining methodology and work plan
| Within 7 days of contract signature |
| 2. Draft report | 20 days following submission of inception report |
3. Final research report incorporating feedback, including an executive summary highlighting key findings and recommendations | 7 days following receipt of feedback |
Recruitment principles
Our guiding principle in selecting candidates is to secure the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity. We do not discriminate on any grounds and are committed to promoting diversity in our workforce.
Particular attention is paid to candidates from developing countries and to achieving gender balance. We strive to provide an environment where the contribution of each individual is valued.
We ask all our personnel to apply the Common Principles for Support to Parliaments in their work.
We ask all our personnel to agree to our Code of conduct for personnel and our Fraud and corruption prevention policy available at https://www.ipu.org/about-us/working-with-ipu, and our policy to prevent and address harassment including sexual harassment at IPU Assemblies and other events, available at: https://www.ipu.org/about-ipu/structure-and-governance/statutes-and-policies-ipu.
