FeaturedLegislative Services Offices: An exchange to enhance technical advice and strengthen legislative debate
To strengthen the technical capacities of legislative bodies and promote the exchange of best practices, Directorio Legislativo (DL), with the sponsorship of the U.S. Embassy in Argentina and the support of the Senate, held the event “Legislative Services Offices: Development of Technical Advisory Areas in Provincial Legislatures” at the National Congress.
The meeting featured the participation of Leigh Angres, Director of Legislative and Public Affairs at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of the United States, and Gabriel Esterelles, Director of the Oficina del Congreso (OPC) of Argentina, who led the main panel alongside DL Executive Director Noel Alonso Murray and National Senator Ezequiel Atauche, President of the Budget and Finance Committee. National and provincial legislators, as well as representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, were also present.
“In addition to publishing more than 1,000 cost estimates each year for legislation, we do a lot of behind-the-scenes work as legislators are crafting their bills, so they can understand the fiscal effects of different policy options. We are nonpartisan and impartial; that is important for our credibility within Congress and in the U.S. in general”, Leigh Angres stated regarding the CBO’s service, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. “We provide legislators with information to help them make their decisions. Our institution has been able to thrive even when legislators may disagree with our analysis”.
For his part, Gabriel Esterelles drew a parallel with Argentina, where the discussion to establish a Congressional Budget Office took a long time and was finally achieved in 2016. “Throughout the different projects, the success that the CBO has had since 1975 in supporting legislative activity was highlighted and served as inspiration”, he affirmed. In this regard, he emphasized the evolution of the OPC, which gained consensus through the production of quality reports, increasing Congress’s trust year by year.
“This tool helps us assess the fiscal impact of various legislations and is used permanently”, emphasized Ezequiel Atauche. “In this meeting, we talked about impartiality, transparency, confidential information, accessible information, and high-quality information provided in a timely manner. This is what the OPC offers to legislators.”
At the end, Noel Alonso Murray highlighted the importance of this series of exchanges to ensure that Congress and each chamber can fulfill their functions within democracy better every day, stating: “The conversation continues; it undoubtedly generates much interest and shows how useful and necessary the work of these specific offices is to feed the legislative process”.
As part of the program, three working workshops were held for technical staff from provincial legislatures, focusing on the development and consolidation of areas for budget analysis and legislative research. These sessions allowed for deepening the dialogue on the importance of having specialized offices that provide independent technical advice to improve the quality of debate and decision-making in parliaments.
Both the public event and the workshops helped consolidate a space for cooperation and exchange among national and international specialists, aiming to continue strengthening the technical capacities of legislative bodies and promoting tools that contribute to the formulation and evaluation of public policies.
