Final report : diagnostic of the Nicaraguan National Assembly

This diagnostic study is intended to inform USAID/Nicaragua of the major problems and constraints faced by the NNA as perceived by legislators, legislative staff, other branches of government, and interest groups that interact frequently with the NNA. The document is divided into four sections. Section One describes the most significant constitutional duties and responsibilities of the NNA, and includes general comments about the General Law of the NNA. Section Two is divided into the four areas that comprise legislative work. The legislative functions area covers bill drafting, budget oversight, and constituent relations; the legislative process area discusses the NNA"s internal rules, bill information file system, physical facilities, and legislative staff; the administrative area assesses the human resource and financial capability of support staff; and the management information system area describes the current condition of hardware, software, MIS staff, and utilization of the MIS in the NNA. Section Three briefly analyzes the relationship of the NNA with the executive, judicial, and electoral branches, respectively. It also discusses the NNA"s relationship with the military, media, and interest groups. Finally, Section Four reviews the involvement of international donor agencies in strengthening the NNA. (Author abstract, modified)