II. Practical Paradoxes and Problems

There are two types of practical problems, the first is related to the difficulty in dealing with information sources, particularly the official sources, namely ministries and concerned bodies. This information problem may be the result of fear and concern on the part of the source in question in providing the required information, and the refusal to give information that may put some blame on officials or convict them. Sometimes also it is the result of the absence of the parliamentary director or official whose major role is to provide information on the activities of the executive apparatus to the legislative apparatus in the political authority.

Second, it could be the result of difficulties encountered in performing deep collective action, where strengthening the tool of listening requires common skills and convictions between the varied parties so that results can be achieved. Among these are listening to others' views, the ability to change personal convictions and political stands based on positive interaction with information that was not available or ideas that were not known or accepted. The listening tool should not be reduced to just a means to convey political positions regarding the issue in question. The committees' mission should not just be limited to showing who supports the policy concerned and to what degree. The committees' work should result in deducing the possible alternatives to this policy and clarifying them and then present them to parliament for further review and feedback; and possibly for reversing pre set positions.

In addition, this tool should not become only a means for gathering information that was non-existent or vague. This is the job of the standing permanent committees and the continued responsibility of the government towards parliament.

No doubt all of this requires much concentrated collective action and common values among the parties (Between the members themselves on the one hand, and between them and whoever is listening to them, on the other). It also requires focusing on the subject of discussion and not simply presenting specific political or party positions.

1 - Practical Suggestions to Improve the Listening Committees Performance

The real value underlying the listening committee's work, from a parliamentary point of view, is to go over all the different existing and possible angles of the subject under discussion rather than submit the (quantitatively) highest number of subjects to parliament.

Here lies the vital and sensitive mission of the management of the committees' actions. This management has two functions to perform, first, it has to search for the various official and non official sources of information which contribute to enlighten parliament regarding the scope and the veracity of the subject under study and to attract experts to participate in the committees' work; and second to control the listening procedure undertaken by the committee and focus it on the subject of discussion; without going into what is not likely to achieve real results.

Parliamentary customary practice emphasized the use of two cooperating tools to control the work of listening committees for more fruitful results. (ix) First, the holding of a coordination meeting between MP members of the committee with the help of the technical secretariat of parliament in order to lay down a strategy or a plan of action and draw up an agenda that will be followed by the committee to achieve what it was requested to do. In addition, this meeting will decide who is likely to participate in its action, the time framework and the place where the committee will hold its meetings and carry out its work.

The second tool centers around the division of the work of the committee into sub-areas in line with the various aspects of the subject under discussion. This allows treating the issue in more depth, and prevents drifting into side subjects not linked to the committees' agenda.

All these are preliminary steps for holding the general meeting of the committee (as a whole) and preparing its final report based on the reports of the branch committees. This report is then referred to parliament to be discussed by all MPs.