Background of ISP
From May to August 2018, I have worked as an intern at the Institute for Strategy and Policy in Myanmar, which is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental think thank. The aim of the organization is to promote democratic leadership and strengthen civic participation. ISP is operating four main programs which are conducting policy-oriented research, communication and out reach program, capacity building program and leadership- level dialogue with different key stakeholders such as civil society organizations (CS0s), government officials and international diplomats.
Main Job responsibilities
I mainly worked with Dr. Su Mon Tha Zin Aung who is the director of capacity building program. One of my job responsibilities is to develop a curriculum and training material for public policy research. The reason behind is that ISP is implementing capacity building programs to those youth leaders who are planning to become members of parliament (MPs) in Myanmar as the next election will be in 2020. Therefore, it is really essential to provide trainings to these potential MPs as they generally lack the basic public policy knowledge and research skills. One of my job deliverables is to design a syllabus together with training material for 5 days training course as well as with PowerPoint slides.
Together with ISP colleagues who are Adam from US (left), Dr. SuMon Tha Zin Aung (second left) and Ma Khin Khin Kyaw (right) at office.
Three Major Experiences To Highlight
I would like to highlight three main experiences during my internship period.
1) Meeting with MPs
At ISP, there is also another graduate intern from George Washington University. Similary,
he also had to deliver a curriculum for parliamentary process in Myanmar. With the support of ISP, we both had a great opportunity to meet U Nay Phone Latt who is the member of Parliament (MPs) from Yangon Regional Parliament. The purpose of the meeting is to understand what are key opportunities and challenges facing as an MPs. There are some key points that we have learned from him. First of all, the primary job of a MP is to review or amend the bills, ask the questions to Ministers, submit the proposals, and review yearly budget plan submitted by the Ministries. He is not only a member of social affairs committee which focus on Education, health and Yangon city development but also a member of information steering group such as from Facebook. He also has to deal with complaints from the constituents.
Challenges
MPs are struggling to get administrative supports. Unlike other countries, MPs in Myanmar do not have their offices in order to conduct research and prepare paper works except only two staffs are allocated for each parliamentary committee to record the meeting minutes and organize the meetings. So, MPs need some assistants in order to help to do research, prepare paper works and engage with government departments and public as they receive lots of complaints through different channels. It would be very helpful if they can get supports from youth volunteers who know how to use media tools and are good at conducting research.
Opportunities
There should be initiatives for youth internship program for 6 months serving to MPs. It will gain mutual benefits between MPs and intern. Intern will be able to conduct policy research, manage complaint letters such as categorizing and sorting, prepare the official letter to government departments and manage social media tools. Last but not least, he also suggests in terms of training that it is critical to emphasize the role of parliament, and how the government system such as three branches (Executive, legislative and Judiciary bodies) are working together in order to promote check and balance mechanisms.
2) Needs Assessment Workshop in Mon State, Myanmar
I travelled to another city which is Mawlamyine township in Mon State as I was involved in organizing a workshop, which aims to discuss opportunities and challenges in Mon State Parliament. Different stakeholders such as MPs, and CSOs shared their experiences and discuss emerging issues facing in Mon State. Around 40 people attended to this workshop. There are four topics highlighted in the discussion, which are resources, politics, coordination, and technical support for capacity building.
With ISP colleagues at workshop
Resources
For budget resources, it is very important to make a yearly plan for MPs and include necessary facilities when the budget plan is written. It is also essential to get supports from CSOs, NGOs and INGOs. For human resources, MPs should establish communication channels with public and CSOs in order to increase better coordination. The parliament should also coordinate with other academic institutions, technical expertise and external consultants as well as CSOs organizations in order to get more technical supports. Capacity development programs should be provided to MPs to improve their knowledge and capacities.
Politics
It is very crucial that MPs have political wills to solve the public policies issues. Without political commitment, it will be difficult to deal with problems raised by public. Most of the MPs in the parliament are lacking very basic knowledge such as public policies, political knowledge, historical background, basic laws, government system and structure. They also need to understand how to exercise public power effectively since they are elected from their constituents. There are some limitations in terms of laws themselves. For example, some laws are outdated already and not reflect to the current conditions of the society. They are also not consistent and harmonious each other.
Coordination
There should have regular meeting between government departments, MPs, CSOs and technical experts so that all of them will be more connected and coordinated each other. This will be more helpful when a new policy or law is introduced to the public. Proper public consultations with adequate time frame are very vital.
Technical Support and Capacity Building
The parliament should get support from technical experts from both public and private sector when the policy or law is being implemented. MPs should be given up to different trainings such new technology, legislation process, budget and management skills and exposure to other parliaments or even abroad. It is also important to select those MPs who are really interested into issues when the relevant committees are formed.
3) Yaw Min Gyi Zayat Talk Show
Finally, it is an incredible opportunity for me to join Yaw Min Gyi Zayat talk show which is a monthly, public outreach TV program organized by ISP team. The inspiration is to discuss national affairs and promote citizen participation in the country. The program began with the critical question “What will Myanmar look like in 2050?” with participation of different stakeholders such as renowned scholars, practitioners, and leaders. There were around 800 participants attended this talk show and it was regarded as one of the most popular talk shows among audience on the social media and TV channels. I was very proud of this successful achievement and honored to share happiness together with ISP.
With ISP colleagues at Yaw Min Gyi Talk Show