Political Party Capacity Development
Political Party Capacity Building
Political parties may be guided in their structure and functioning by external regulations, such as the Constitution or laws and regulations, by internal party rules, such as the Party Constitution, or by both. Practice, however, may differ from written Party Constitutions or internal rules. Given that political parties perform such important tasks in democracies today, their internal functioning becomes very important. Aspects of this include the policy-formulation and general decision-making process of the political party, the involvement of members and party groups, and the accountability of the party leadership.
In contemporary political spaces, the influence of local structures in political parties has, or at least is said to have, a significant influence on the eventual policies that drive the work of the party forward. Too often little attention is given to the development of strong political parties. More concern is often paid to the establishment of governmental bodies and civic organisations. Both institutions are important.
For the Democracy Development Program, our work is intended to influence the manner of discourse, the implementation of policy, and the oversight and accountability mechanisms available for citizens. Local Political party structures, beyond mobilising support for the party concerned, also can provide the space for lobbying (of their own party, if in power), and advocacy (if their role is opposition in that space).
Intended Outcomes:
The programme aims to enhance leadership abilities through developing the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviour of individuals who are members of political parties. The participants will therefore be enabled to ensure the optimal development of the organisational needs of their political parties and guide them on the way forward.
It is expected that participants from political parties will have a clear understanding of:
- The meaning of political parties, their roles, political systems and party systems.
- Organisational development and party structures.
- Coalitions and how they work
- The causes of intra- and inter-party conflicts and ways of managing these conflicts
- Development-centered lobbying and advocacy
Intended Participants:
Political party leadership, branch executive members, volunteers and ground forces.