Newly elected legislators often encounter a steep learning curve when it comes to understanding their legislature’s processes and their own responsibilities for serving as effective and responsive representatives. Worldwide, legislatures face the challenge of educating new members to adequately understand their responsibilities and equip them with the technical skills which they will need to succeed in their roles; in developing democracies, these challenges can be even more difficult given the resource constraints and lack of institutional and historical precedents. To address this dearth of support, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) utilizes the Global New Member Orientation Guide and offers New Member Orientations (NMOs) to partner parliaments through which HDP shares best practices on topics new legislators need to understand as they start their terms in office. IRI leverages experts from the U.S. and around the world to provide timely and responsive support to new legislators during HDP NMOs. In April 2024, IRI provided this support to the new Congress of the Republic of Guatemala.
Since 2012, IRI Guatemala has been dedicated to strengthening the expertise and skills of the current resources accessible to Congress. Through past CEPPS and NED programming, IRI has supported local economic initiatives within the legislative branch for various projects by working alongside the appointed deputies’ Working Commissions. Furthermore, IRI organizes socialization tables that serve as platforms for citizens, elected officials, and representatives from civil society, academia, and other sectors to discuss and provide input on these projects.
The recent power transition in Guatemala after the elections was a crucial moment to assess the support for the newly-elected deputies as they began their new term. The NMO provided technical assistance to the new deputies and staff of the 10th Congress on skills and knowledge that are crucial for citizen-centered representation and democratic governance. The program, which occurred during the first 100 days of the new Congress’s four-year term, was led by former Member of Congress and HDP Chairman, Hon. David Price, former Member of Congress Hon. Tim Petri, Director of Legislative Affairs at George Washington University, Dr. Casey Burgat, and Deputy Staff Director at the U.S. Committee on House Administration, Ms. Janet Schwalb, all of whom are experts on the U.S. Congress and how to properly serve as an effective representative or implement a representative’s mandate. Over 375 deputies and staff from a variety of executive and legislative offices across the Congress of Guatemala attended the orientation to learn about topics such as legislative drafting, committee structures, rules and procedures, budgeting, and conductive oversight.
The orientation highlighted several opportunities for continued support, HDP engagement, and capacity-building. Looking to the future, the next steps for Guatemala’s Congress include deepening this collaboration by providing ongoing, targeted capacity-building initiatives that strengthen the members and professional staff’s technical skills, foster institutional development, and support the legislative process to ensure greater effectiveness and responsiveness to the needs of all Guatemalan citizens.
The New Member Orientation in Guatemala was a crucial step towards enhancing the legislative capacity of the new Congress of the Republic of Guatemala. The program’s success and the broad appetite for continued engagement underscore the importance of sustained support and collaboration between the U.S. and Guatemala.
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