East Timor's parliamentarians and civil society organizations (CSOs) are learning how to develop legislative policy and draft and evaluate legislation in a series of workshops hosted by the University of San Francisco. USF's Legislative Drafting Initiative is designed to increase the capacity of Parliament as a law-making institution and develop links between Parliament and CSOs as key participants in the lawmaking process.

As a new country, East Timor is modifying a legal system inherited from the 24-year Indonesian occupation and interim UN administration to address the complex social problems of its colonial past. Informed and participatory development of legislative policy and draft legislation is vital. The USF workshops teach participants a detailed legislation-drafting methodology and techniques that identify social problems, the individuals and institutions that generate them, and the causes of problematic behavior to help find solutions and make recommendations for new legislation that can be implemented transparently and effectively.

The USF workshops for parliamentarians have generated a great deal of interest. For example, 75 members of Parliament out of 88 attended a USF workshop focusing on budget law analysis. Afterwards, parliamentarians agreed to an extended series of hands-on workshops to be held in July. CSOs have also responded positively. At a recent workshop focusing on the issues facing Parliament's seven main committees, 40 participants representing 21 East Timorese organizations took part. Two more CSO workshops in May and August will use recommendations from earlier workshops as their starting points and focus more specifically on legislative drafting techniques.

Addressing important but problematic areas, USF workshop participants have drafted recommendations on land rights, the role of the national defense force in national defense and security, strengthening small industry, protecting fisheries, housing policy, and urban residential development. Previous workshops have tackled many major issues, including the national budget process, serious crimes and amnesty, illegal logging, urban planning, the national education curriculum, local government, and regional health services.

USAID supports USF's Legislative Drafting Initiative through its partnership with The Asia Foundation. USF's work helps parliamentarians develop and evaluate legislation and encourages more informed and effective engagement between the legislature and civil society.