Mission Statement

The mission statement of the department is to provide readily processed and factual information on different subjects to Members of Parliament and the National Assembly management.

Vision

The vision of the department is to develop and sustain a nationally and internationally recognised as well as integrated parliamentary research service that will provide the strategic and highest quality research support to the National Assembly and Members of Parliament in an efficient, effective and non-partisan manner.

Core Values

Researchers in the Research Department work exclusively for Parliament conducting research and providing analysis and policy to Members of Parliament. The Researchers are guided in their work by the following institutional core values:

i. Responsiveness- Commitment to quality service delivery in an adaptable, timely and reliable manner.

ii. Integrity- Commitment to honesty and adherence to ethical and moral principles of uprightness, honour and good character in the conduct of business.

iii. Impartiality- Commitment to objectivity and non-discrimination in the execution of duties.

iv. Confidentiality- Commitment to not revealing or disclosing privileged information to unauthorised persons.

v. Accountability and Transparency- Commitment to being responsible and open to the public in upholding tenets of good governance.

vi. Professionalism- Commitment to competent and diligent execution of duties.

vii. Equity- Commitment to fairness or justice in the discharge of duties.

Brief  History

Research plays an important role in the life of the National Assembly because it helps Members of Parliament to provide oversight by scrutinising government policy and its implementation, represent their constituencies by debating pressing issues of the day and passing laws. In discharging these functions, parliamentarians need to be well informed by accurate, timely and relevant information. In view of this,at the Eighth meeting of the Standing Orders Committee held on July 1970, a resolution was adopted that Members of Parliament should be provided with research services. The Department was to be established after the recognition of the following:

i. that in a parliamentary democracy, Members of Parliament needed to be well informed by the provision of readily processed and factual information to enable them carry out their duties; especially that Members were too busy to do their own research given their multifarious functions; and

ii. that information was power because it was necessary in decision making and that research services were therefore, weapons that Parliamentarians could use against the challenges which threaten parliamentary democracy.

However, it was not until 15^th May, 1971, that the Research Department was established with the appointment of the Research Officer.

At inception, the Honourable Mr Speaker prescribed the following as duties of the department:

i. provision to Members of Parliament of precise information connected to their duties, which normally would require a written reply;

ii. provision to Members of Parliament of oral or written information on the multifarious matters or subjects that come before the House; and

iii. provision of research work on international affairs and preparation of background papers on any legislation due to be introduced in Parliament.

Location of the Research Department

The Research Department is situated in the adjacent building located to the south-west of the main building and its offices are on the first floor of the southern wing of the Library Building.

Functions

Generally, the function of the Research Department is to provide information to Members of Parliament which include:

i. oral or written information on various matters or topics that come before the House;

ii precise information on matters connected with their duties as Members of Parliament, and which information requires in-depth research and a written reply;

iii. research on international affairs including preparation of background papers on topics that are discussed at various international conferences, such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU); and

iv. preparation of background papers on any legislation due to be introduced in Parliament.

Research Services

i. Responding to Information Requests

Any person can make a request for information, including members of the public, journalists, researchers and Members of Parliament. However, the main clients are Members of Parliament especially the back-benchers;

ii. Writing Background Papers

This is a comprehensive authoritative paper used as reference material by Presiding officers and Senior Parliamentary staff during conferences, workshops, training, and Parliamentary engagements;

iii. Writing of Speeches

Writing speeches is also a major function of the Research Department.  Speeches are written for various occasions, including conferences and seminars, receptions, farewells, and any other occasion where such speeches may be required as directed by the Office of the Honourable Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly.

iv. Writing Talking Notes

The Department prepares talking notes for Presiding Officers (Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speakers) for use during exchange of views with visiting delegations. The exchange of views occurs when two or more delegations from Parliaments/institutions meet.

v. Preparation of Parliamentary Sessional Reviews

Each Parliament is divided into different sessions.  The “Sessional Review” contains the summary of the work of the House in a particular parliamentary session.  The documents cover information on the Official Opening of Parliament, Questions dealt with in the House, Bills, Motions, Rulings by the Chair, Announcements, Ministerial Statements and any other matter of great importance covered by the House.  The document serves as reference material for Members and other users.

vi. Conducting anticipatory research on any matter of interest to Members of Parliament

As the name suggests, anticipatory research involves researching into issues that are likely to be discussed by the House.  Issues which make up current affairs in the press may be potential topics for anticipatory research.

vii. Conducting Field Research

Field research may be conducted by the department from time to time.  The term “field work” implies that aspect of research undertaken outside the office. In carrying out field work, Researchers leave their offices for other primary sources of information such as the United Nations Information Centre, the University libraries, the British Council, the American Information centre and Government Ministries as well as in various communities to collect data of various kinds.

Field research encompasses primary research, involving the collection of primary data. For example, in 2013, a survey was conducted to evaluate the impact of training that is given to Members of Parliament; the Impact of Parliament Radio and the Impact of Constituency Offices.

viii. Writing Publications on Parliament

The department prepares various publications such as parliamentary procedure abstracts for use by the public and Members of Parliament; including brochures, pamphlets and books on the Zambian Parliament. Some of the publications are accessible on the Parliament Website. The publications serve as an important source of information on Parliament and therefore, a powerful tool for disseminating information.

xiv.  Servicing voluntary parliamentary groups

The National Assembly of Zambia hosts a number of voluntary groups for Members of Parliament. These are cross-party groupings of Members of Parliament focusing on a particular topic such as conservation, nutrition, disability rights, children issues, and climate change matters and many more which enables Members to discuss, campaign on and promote particular issues. The groups also host events and produce reports.

The Research Department serves as secretariat to some of the voluntary groups in Parliament. The Research Officers who are assigned to run the day-to-day activities of the voluntary groups are known as desk officers. The desk officers liaise very closely with executive committees comprising Members of Parliament of the voluntary groups and are required to submit reports on the implementation of activities. Despite the groups being voluntary, implementation of activities is supported and approved by the Speaker’s Office because they involve Members of Parliament.

x. Providing research services to Parliamentary Committees and Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO)

The Research Department collaborates with the Committee Department and the PBO to support the work of various parliamentary Committees.

xi. Miscellaneous research

The department may also be asked to conduct any other research work as may be required by the Office of the Honourable Speaker, the Deputy Speakers or that of the Clerk of the National Assembly or Senior Management Staff.

Structure of the Department

The Director- Research, who is the Head of Department is assisted by two (02) Deputy Directors, who provide technical guidance and supervision to research staff comprising Four (04) Senior Research Officers, twelve (12) Research Officers and four (04) Research Assistants. The areas of specialisation of staff in the department include Demography, History, Project Management, Economics, Conflict Resolution, Human Rights, Development Studies, Geography, Law, Environmental Studies, Information Science, Production Management, Public Policy, Public Administration, and Psychology, among others.