Recommendations for strengthening the communication capacity of VRU’s Committees

The effectiveness of parliament’s activities in organizing legislative function, implementing reforms, promoting the accountability of the parliament, and the democratic development of its institutions directly depends on the interaction and communication with the voters, on the ability of the VRU Committees and MPs to reach the public and receive the feedback.

The VRU Committees’ communication capacity is the ability of the parliament to function and implement public policy on the basis of transparency and openness and with the involvement of public institutions. Such communication is extremely relevant during the digitization era when challenges arise related to disinformation and propaganda.

During martial law and the European integration process, the parliament’s communication capacity is of special importance. It serves as a tool for setting up a bilateral dialogue with voters in order to analyze current drawbacks requiring a legislative solution, reform, or optimization according to the EU law. Besides, the VRU’s communication capacity allows the parliament to respond to challenges in due time, adopt effective legislative decisions, as well as to reach the citizens in a clear form on the principal legislative amendments resulting from the EU integration or the wartime needs.

One of the USAID Rada: Next Generation Program’s goals is to strengthen the communication capacity of the VRU’s Committees. During 2022/2023, the Program provides its communication support to the following Parliament’s Committees:

1. Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities Services;
2. Committee on State Building, Local Governance, Regional and Urban Development;
3. Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans' Rights;
4. Committee on Law Enforcement.

While developing recommendations for strengthening the communication capacity of the VRU’s Committees, the current situation of the Committees’ communication capacity was analyzed.

Based on the aforementioned analysis, the Program worked out key recommendations to improve the VRU Committees’ communication capacity in part:

• communication of Committees’ decisions;
• organization of public events in offline and online formats;
• Committees’ branding and branded products.