PNA CONCEPT 2008
Outreach Unit worked on two parallel programmes on the theme of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Provincial Councils and Devolution of Power, during the period March –May 2008. This programme was supported by Development Alternatives Inc through USAID,
A preliminary round of One Day Regional Meetings was held at each of the Provincial Council auditoriums with the attendance of the Chairman, Chief Ministers, Provincial Ministers, Chief Secretaries and when possible of the Governor, with the purpose of outlining the concept of this programme, garnering support and participation of Provincial Council officials, and clarifying logistics for the proposed residential workshops.
Participant suggestions were gathered on the areas to be addressed at the planned workshops. This was followed by a series of in depth Three Day Regional Workshops on Strengthening the Provincial Council Process.
Resource persons included Rohan Edrisinha, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Colombo
University and Head of the Legal and Constitutional Unit; S.G Punchihewa, Attorney-at-Law, National Trainer and Author; Ashoka Gunewardena, Chairman, Finance Commission, among others.
The residential workshops aimed to collect and document suggestions and experiences, success stories and challenges faced by participant Provincial Council personnel which would contribute to a final set of recommendations towards Provincial Council Reform.
The final report based on a set of recommendations reached at these workshops were published and presented to all concerned at the National Conference on Provincial Councils held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference hall (BMICH) on the 28th May 2008.
