Local Legislators' Toolkit - The Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng ...

B. FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE LOCAL LEGISLATIONWhat is effective local legislation?Effective local legislation is a collective and participatory process. It refers to the interactionof the sanggunian or local legislative body with the executive branch and civil societyresulting in legislative actions that promote the development objectives of the LGU.Civil society includes the private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), people’sorganizations (POs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and constituents. <strong>The</strong> participationof these individuals and groups is essential to ensure the legitimacy and social acceptabilityof ordinances and resolutions enacted. Figure 1 shows the effective interface of theexecutive and legislative agenda with the LA and the various stages at which inputs fromCSOs, the private sector and constituents can be solicited.To be effective, local legislation requires three elements:1. institutional efficiency2. local legislation cycle or process3. developmentInstitutional Efficiency<strong>The</strong> sanggunian is a public institution. Like any other organization, it must have efficientstructures and systems. It must have people who can do their jobs well because they knowtheir roles and functions. An efficient legislative organization must have the following:• organizational structure• rules of procedure• legislative leadership• legislative committees• legislative support system, and• mechanism for legislative-executive coordination<strong>The</strong> presence of adequate and functioning structures and systems make the legislationprocess or cycle efficient and open to participation from stakeholders outside the legislativeorganization. For instance, ordinances cannot be enacted without rules of procedure; or the8