Enhanced Parliamentary Oversight

Frederick Stapenhurst is Associate Professor and Parliamentary Programs Coordinator at McGill University, Canada. He is a former board member at Parliamentary Centre, member of Transparency International and North American co-chair of the Research Committee of Legislative Specialists. Prior to joining McGill University, he worked at the World Bank concentrating on anti-corruption and parliamentary development and writing extensively on these issues.Anthony Staddon is an Independent Political and Parliamentary Consultant and Instructor at McGill University School of Continuing Studies, located in London, United Kingdom.Isabelle Watkinson is a strategic management and international business student and research assistant at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, located in Oakville, Canada.Lesley Burns is Vice-President of Oversight at the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation, located in Ottawa, Canada.

• 1. Context & Overview  2. Theory & Research Design  3. Public Accounts Committees in Australian Small Jurisdictions  4. Public Accounts Committees in Small Jurisdictions in the British Isles & Mediterranean Region  5. Public Accounts Committees in Canada’s Small Provinces and Territories  6. Public Accounts Committees in Nordic Small Legislatures  7. Public Accounts Committees in the Caribbean Region  8. Public Accounts Committees in Small Pacific Island States  9. Public Account Committees in South African Development Community Small States  10. Conclusion – Towards a Best Practice Guide for Public Accounts Committees in Smaller Jurisdictions  Annex: Offshore Financial Centres in Small States

"The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association has an active Small Branches network for jurisdictions with a population of under one million. This excellent book will be of particular interest to them but has lessons for a wider audience. It builds upon previous research on the role and importance of financial oversight to good governance, drawing upon a diverse range of examples from within and outside the Commonwealth. I was particularly interested to read the chapter about best practice which concludes that there is neither a "silver bullet" nor a "one size fits all" guide, arguing instead for a "best fit" approach and for future research to be country-focused. There is a fascinating annex about Offshore Financial Centres (OFCs) and I would welcome further research into parliamentary oversight of OFCs."Stephen Twigg, Secretary-General, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)"Overseeing and scrutinizing government action is a key function of parliaments and legislatures. It requires the proper institutions, sufficient resources and the right skills of MPs and their staff. Comparing the practice of financial oversight in small parliaments around the globe provides for an enlightening study: first, it has received little academic attention so far. But more important, the diversity and variation can help identify good practices to be applied elsewhere."Sven T. Siefken, Professor of Political Science, Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences, Germany