Strengthening Democratic Governance and Accountability Project (SDGAP) in Sri Lanka Quarterly Report (April 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019)

The project focused on strengthening the capacity of the Parliament Secretariat through skills training targeted at Sectoral Oversight Committee staff, the parliament Research Unit, and the Interpreters' Unit. Initiatives such as this aimed to establish knowledge mechanisms that would remain beyond the project's lifetime. The project also made progress in completing the archival project, which would enable the archiving and indexing of close to three and a half million parliamentary documents, eventually making them accessible to the public. Additionally, the project implemented the Parliament Media Center in partnership with the Parliament of Sri Lanka, with a focus on ensuring administrative processes were in place for the activity to be implemented during the final quarter of operations. SDGAP also ramped up activities focused on outreach and awareness raising, such as the regional changemakers campaign, which leveraged its partnership with the National Committee on Women for local ownership from a government counterpart. Furthermore, the project provided increased support to grantees to ensure their activities were completed on time, working with them to reassess and amend their activities and agreements in light of the security restrictions imposed by the Easter attacks. As the project edges closer to its end date, SDGAP continues to target partners who demonstrate a commitment to the work initiated by the project, reviewing activities that may take a longer time frame. The project has a renewed focus on working with such partners and grantees to provide technical assistance and capacity strengthening, aiming to create a more resilient environment that can withstand political shocks and ever-changing political regimes through reinforced institutional frameworks, greater transparency, and public participation. The project's efforts have contributed to strengthened accountability and more sustained democratic governance in the longer term. SDGAP's activities have been implemented in partnership with the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the National Committee on Women, and other government counterparts, demonstrating a commitment to local ownership and collaboration. SDGAP's quarterly report highlights the project's achievements and progress in implementing its activities, despite the challenges posed by the Easter Sunday bombings. The project's focus on capacity strengthening, outreach and awareness raising, and technical assistance has contributed to its success in promoting democratic governance and accountability in Sri Lanka. The project's archival project has made significant progress, with the goal of archiving and indexing close to three and a half million parliamentary documents. This initiative aims to make these documents accessible to the public, promoting transparency and accountability in governance. The project's implementation of the Parliament Media Center has also contributed to its efforts in promoting democratic governance and accountability. SDGAP's partnership with the National Committee on Women has been instrumental in promoting women's participation in democratic governance. The project's regional changemakers campaign has leveraged this partnership to promote local ownership and collaboration with government counterparts. The project's focus on technical assistance and capacity strengthening has also contributed to its success in promoting democratic governance and accountability. The project's quarterly report highlights its achievements and progress in implementing its activities, demonstrating its commitment to promoting democratic governance and accountability in Sri Lanka.