The Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Mrs Loveness Mayaka, has emphasised the importance of strategic planning in guiding the National Assembly of Zambia’s long-term direction.
Speaking when she officially opened the Strategic Planning Brainstorming Workshop for members of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee, Mrs Mayaka noted that the brainstorming workshop forms part of the start-up processes towards the development of the 2027-2031 Strategic Plan. She explained that the planning process had already gained momentum following a meeting of the Strategic Plan Implementation Committee (SPIC) held from 28 to 29 February 2026, which reviewed progress made under the Strategic Plan 2022–2026, identified implementation gaps and proposed strategic focus areas for the next planning cycle.
She stated that the outputs from the SPIC meeting would serve as the foundation for the discussions by the Strategic Plan Steering Committee as the National Assembly begins shaping a robust, realistic and forward-looking Strategic Plan for 2027–2031.
Mrs Mayaka further emphasised that strategic planning remains a critical governance tool that enables Parliament to align its priorities, operations and resources with its constitutional mandate of legislation, oversight of the Executive, representation of citizens and approval of the national budget.
She also highlighted the changing governance environment in which Parliament operates, noting that technological advancements, increasing citizen expectations and governance reforms require the institution to be adaptive and forward-looking in its planning.
Mrs Mayaka further drew attention to the implications of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 2025, including the expansion of parliamentary representation and the need for inclusive and modern parliamentary infrastructure, particularly with the introduction of proportional representation which is expected to increase the representation of women, youths and persons with disabilities.
She encouraged Heads of Department to ensure that staff in their respective departments are involved in the strategic planning process to promote institutional ownership of the next Strategic Plan.
Earlier, the Deputy Clerk – Corporate Affairs, Mrs Cecilia Sikatele-Mambwe, who delivered the welcome remarks encouraged participants to engage actively in the deliberations and contribute meaningfully to the discussions in order to ensure that the brainstorming process produces well-informed outcomes for the next Strategic Plan.
