SADCOPAC CLERK ATTACHMENT
REPORT
By: Ms Bame Letsatle
Public Accounts Committee Clerk - Botswana
SADCOPAC CLERK ATTACHMENT
Acknowledgement
On behalf of all PAC Clerks in the region, I would like to express my sincere
gratitude and appreciation to the World Bank and GIZ all persons who
assisted me to fulfil the objectives of this programme. I would like to thank
particularly the Parliament of Uganda for hosting me in their Parliament, for
providing such information and clarifications, and it is my hope that we
shall continue to receive similar measures of assistance and cooperation
from them to ensure that the SADCOPAC initiatives are implemented.
In addition I would like to thank the Uganda PAC Secretariat for the
invaluable assistance rendered throughout the duration of the programme
as well as in the compilation of this report.
1) Introduction
 Duration of the Attachment
The SADCOPAC Clerk Attachment started from 16th October 2013 to 1st
November 2013. The aim of the attachment programme was to gain
first-hand experience from other PAC Clerks and possibly see the
practical procedures and processes and how they deal with the
challenges they face on their daily duties.
 Observations
I spent most of the time observing the Uganda PAC examination.
Parliamentary scrutiny of resources use by Government is carried out by
the Public Accounts Committee via the oversight or accountability
functions. By the rules of Procedure of Parliament, the Leadership of the
Uganda PAC is vested in the Official Opposition. The committee is
currently chaired by Hon Kassiano Wadri Ezati, MP.
The Uganda PAC is established by the Constitution which provides
powers and functions of Committee and it is specifically provided for
under Rule No.148 of the Rules of Procedure. The Committee is
comprised of twenty eight (28) Members of which sixteen (16) are from
the ruling party.
PAC EXAMINATION
PAC EXAMINATION cont..
 Uganda PAC is mandated to examine the audited accounts showing
the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the public
expenditure of government.
 During the PAC examinations the following are always present to assist
the Committee:
 Auditor General – The work of PAC originates from the Office of the AG.
The AG answers clarification questions.
PAC EXAMINATION cont..
The Researchers do possible questions concerning the queries. The Team
discusses with the Chairperson and the Members of the Committee key
issues prior to the meeting.
Legal Counsel – Puts out queries.
Four Officers from Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
PAC secretariat - The drafting of the PAC report is done by the PAC
secretariat.
PAC EXAMINATION cont..
The PAC secretariat then gives the draft report to the Chairperson, and
if he Okays it becomes the Chairperson’s draft report. The draft report
is debated during the PAC meeting, where any changes can be
proposed, and accepted or rejected.
The findings, observations and recommendations are captured by the
Legal Counsel and the PAC secretariat during the meeting and the
rest of the recommendations are done by the Members.
PAC compiles a report containing recommendations, which is then
submitted to the House for consideration and adoption. Once the
recommendations are adopted by the House, they are referred to the
Executive for implementation. Within six months, the Executive is
obligated to report the action taken on the recommendations of
PAC/Parliament in the form of a report, called Treasury Memorandum.
The Treasury Memorandum is by law supposed to be audited by the
Auditor General, who in turn, reports to Parliament on his findings.
PAC EXAMINATION cont..
The Lead Counsel is a Senior Member of the Committee with wide
experience in the operation of Government and always liaises with the
Auditor General so as to be brought on board.
I had an opportunity to observe the PAC examinations. Though there was a
huge backlog of Auditor General’s reports that have not yet been
examined by the Committee, the examinations were concluded well on
the scheduled time.
2) ISSUES
 OBJECTIVES OF SADCOPAC
This paper is dedicated to identifying what might be referred to
as “best practices” of PAC Clerks, based on comparative
experience.
The issue of what exactly constitutes “best practices” is not
always evident. Much depends on institutional settings, needs
and contexts that can vary considerably between countries.
ISSUES cont…..
 The objectives of the PAC Clerk attachment programme were as
follows:
 Writing a good report in a short time.
 Relationship of PAC towards the media, civil society organizations and the
public at large, particularly in relation to parliamentary hearings.
 Unclear job descriptions.
 Members don’t read their documents.
 Role of a PAC clerk.
 Distribution of committee work schedule.
 Staffing norms.
 Confidentiality, Ethics and Non Partisanship
 Role of Treasury Board
 Parliamentary Procedure
 Parliamentary Committees
 Office of Protocol
ISSUES cont…..
 After the attachment one should share the experiences they gained
from the host Parliament. Sharing of the information could be done
through the wiki, email and during PAC Clerk training
workshops/conferences.
 PAC Clerk attachment is of critical importance in matters of oversight
and good governance and it is important that the project is effectively
managed for all concerned parties to benefit. After attachment one
will be able to:
 Obtain fresh ideas from fellow Clerks that can be used to meet both
short term and long term manpower needs so as to promote the
positive image of individual Parliaments.
a) Role of a PAC clerk.
Appropriate staffing is essential if parliamentary committees are to
function effectively.
Committees often need different categories of staff if they are to
achieve their optimum best. Parliamentary Committees often need
staff to assist with procedural issues, administrative matters, assist with
drafting bills, and provide expert opinion and analysis on major policy
issues. They need clerks, researchers, legislative reporters, legal
draftsmen, and other support staff.
Committees are managed by committee clerks who give procedural
advice to the committee; take minutes of the committee meetings;
receive and store documents on behalf of committees; and carry out
administrative duties. They also assist in recordkeeping, arranging
witnesses, advising members on procedures, In essence the committee
clerk is responsible for coordinating affairs and ensuring that the
committee chairperson and members have the needed support to be
effective.
b) Parliamentary Committees
The mandate and the functions of committees are often clearly stated in
the national Constitution and in the rules of orders that govern the
functioning of the parliament.
Generally, committees have the power to take evidence or call for
documents; send for persons, papers, and records. Committees also have
the power to regulate their own procedure within the mandate of the
parliament as a whole.
CONCLUSION
 Committees are managed by committee clerks who give procedural
advice to the Committee. It is the responsibility of the Committee Clerk
to coordinate all the activities of the Committee and ensure that the
Members are given the necessary assistance they require, hence it is
critical to continually train them to enhance their knowledge.