MPs performance rating: Oforikrom MP fights back!
Dr Emmanuel Marfo (MP) writes:
I have cited a so-called research ranking the performance of MPs in Ghana. Naturally, as a principal research scientist, I was interested and quickly perused the document. Sadly, the conceptual basis of the work is soo weak that the outcome should be of no significant value. The researcher erred, ab initio, by failing to clearly define a point of departure of what an objective meaning of ‘ performance ‘ must mean.
First, what is the constitutional role of an elected MP? Of course, captured in the overall role of Parliament as an arm of government; legislation, budget- making, oversight, deliberation and representational.
How is this operationalised in respect of an individual MP? The MP must attend and participate in business in the House, mainly attend to chamber business and committee works.
Additionally, articulate constituency concerns in parliament and lobbying for interventions by relevant actors. Obviously, engaging with constituents to solicit for information and making direct observations.
So, if anyone wants to research into the performance of MPs, his data source must include parliamentary records (attendance, statements, questions etc) and assessment from caucus and committee leadership who can provide data on MPs intellectual contribution to committee’s work.
At least I am a committee chairman, and can testify that no one asked me about the contribution of any of my members!
The researcher will need data from the MP himself in respect of efforts; evidence of what letters written in respect of projects for constituency for example. The researcher will need data from constituency party executives or opinion leaders in respect of constituency engagement. If all these factual and anecdotal data are given weights and scores, then someone can talk about ranking.
In the said research, nothing of these is done.
Can you use the opinion of constituents alone to assess performance of elected public officer? Especially so when the constituents are not competent to judge or assess the official roles of the MP?
And even more so when an ordinary constituent perceives MPs roles as responsible for streetlights, construction of roads, boreholes, scools, clinics etc etc.
The researcher, using interview or survey as data collection technique should have been minded, that informant interview would have been a more superior, infact, the appropriate technique because you cannot obtain a performance-based data from people who dont know exactly the niche of MPs in the whole development architecture. So, if an MP lobby for a road to be given to a contractor and central government fails to honour payment, and project is abandoned, the MP must be the one to blame?
If government project is implemented in a constituency directly from the center and its uncompleted, does it equal to non perfornance of the MP?
With respect, unless the research is motivated by a different reason, people who attempt to do scientific research must go the full length of developing a formidable conceptual framework and employ appropriate data collection and analysis techque.
If I was to peer review this work for publication, certainly it will not pass.
But on a more serious note, the Parliamentary hansard of the 7th Parliament will bear me out that
I have always advocated for political parties to do their own performance appraisals of their MPs and not leave room for such non-scientific reseach works to be published to deceive the public. Such works give room for negative publicity and internal political propagandering and those who are weak in heart, may pant and faint.
I will suggest that this so-called ranking should be treated with the contempt that it deserves. The time for the Parliamentary party to take this serious is now. It cannot be proper for politicaI parties to sponsor candidates to parliament and fail to assess them.
If we dont do, parliamentary work will become noise-making, drumming and dancing and folk story-telling. We are getting to a point when an MP’s work in parliament will no longer be of any political value. I fear for future Parliamentarians. I rest my case ,selah!!
