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Ipor engages Parliamentstaff on research methods

Clerk of Parliament Fiona Kalemba has stressed the importance of research in facilitating Parliament’s role in overseeing the Executive branch of government.

She said this on Monday in Mponela, Dowa District during the research training of parliamentary staff organised by the Institute of Public Opinion and Research (Ipor) in partnership with the Democracy International (DI) through the Parliamentary Support Programme.

Kalemba: Research skills essential in Parliament

The four-day training is aimed at enabling Parliament staff to scrutinise government actions and policies to ensure that they align with legislative intent and serve public interest.

Kalemba said the importance of research in parliamentary work cannot be overemphasised since parliamentary staff support legislators by providing the necessary data and analysis to make informed decisions.

“This training will equip our staff with the skills to gather, analyse and interpret data accurately, ensuring that policy decisions are based on solid evidence,” she said.

Kalemba further said the training will not only enhance the research skills of parliamentary staff but also contribute to the broader national development agenda.

“Ipor is a consistently valuable partner to the nation because public opinion is crucial to how Parliament conducts its business as the House of representatives,” she said.

Ipor director of research and operations Boniface Dulani said the modules covered in the training include introduction to research, sampling, research ethics, conducting interviews, qualitative and quantitative data analysis as well as research dissemination.

He said the modules will be covered in practical learning through interactive training sessions, case studies and hands-on exercises.

“Participants have been engaged in mock research activities, allowing them to apply the skills they learn in real-world scenarios,” said Dulani.

With support from the United States Agency for International Development, the workshop is the second in a series that built on an earlier workshop conducted in May 2024 targeting civil society organisations and the media that work with Parliament.

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