Resumen de Assessment of the Levels of Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Held by Parliamentarians and the Determination of Training and Professional Development Needs: The Zambian Case

Elsie Simpamba

• Members of Parliament (MPs) in Zambia need to have certain knowledge, skills and abilities to perform their parliamentary role effectively. The question is: how should these skills and abilities be determined? When parliamentarians are elected they do not find a list of tasks for which they can be held accountable. This article discusses the determination of the training needs of parliamentarians by examining levels of education, professional background and prior knowledge of parliament and ways to measure the impact of the training. Evaluation of training including the usage of different parliamentary tools following training is considered. The article gives an insight into how the Zambian Parliament determines the training needs of its members from a practitioners perspective, focusing on the practical efforts made by parliament to equip its MPs to perform their role in the most effective manner.