The Era of the Politics of Performance, the Role of Elected Representatives in Politics

Context

As general elections are being held in India, citizens need to demand more from their elected representatives.

Elected Representatives in Politics

• Representative Mandate: India’s vibrant democracy thrives on the idea that elected representatives embody the people’s mandate.
• Role of Elected Representatives: With 795 Members of Parliament, around 4,123 Members of Legislative Assemblies, and 31.8 lakh elected representatives in local governments, they collectively shape policies, oversee their execution at both central and state levels.
  • They voice constituents’ concerns in parliamentary, assembly, and council sessions, and address crucial matters through committee participation.

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Competencies of Elected Representatives

• Educational Qualifications: Educational qualifications provide critical skills for effective governance. 
• Behavioral Skills in Politics: Behavioral skills are at the heart of political competency, enabling politicians to engage effectively with various stakeholders. 
  • Representatives must excel in communication, verbal and writing, and public engagement. 
• Leadership and Negotiation Skills: Effective leadership and negotiation skills are vital in uniting diverse teams behind a shared vision and managing different stakeholders.
  • For example, the success of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was influenced by the involvement of women panchayati raj leaders, who promoted behavioral change at the grassroots.
• Functional Competencies: Beyond being people-oriented, representatives must deeply understand the rules and processes underpinning legislation and policy implementation.
  • This includes understanding their interventions in Parliament and State Assemblies, such as asking questions.
  • Initiating discussions, raising important policy matters, monitoring and evaluating policy implementation, providing suggestions, and ensuring efficient allocation of Union and State Budgets.
• Addressing Citizen’s Concerns: Elected Representatives must also be competent in translating citizen grievances and communicating those policy gaps to decision-makers. This will ensure that the voices of citizens are plugged into policy-making processes
  • Examples: In 2022, a Member of Parliament raised a matter in Zero Hour about unregulated advertising and promotion of tobacco use on OTT platforms, which prompted the Ministry of Health to mandate anti-tobacco warnings on such content.
  • A Private Member’s Bill introduced in 2014 advocating for transgender rights led to the formation of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
• Domain Expertise: Domain-based competencies are crucial for elected officials, and tailored to meet the specific needs of their constituencies and manage their unique portfolios effectively.
  • For example, a deep understanding of health-care policy would encompass public health management, health-care laws, insurance systems, and global health trends.
  • Insights into infrastructure and urban planning are also fundamental, where understanding effective urban planning, transportation systems, public works, and sustainable infrastructure development are critical
• Embracing Technological Advancements: Awareness of the latest technological advancements and their implications on public services and economic growth are essential, ensuring that policy decisions are forward-thinking and inclusive of technological progress.

Way Forward

• Avoiding the Competency Trap: As we advocate a competency-based approach, we must be careful about the competency trap, where an excessive focus on specific skills might suppress the innovation and creativity needed to solve complex problems.
• Fostering Innovation in Problem-Solving: Instead, we should foster an environment that promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills alongside technical expertise.
• Facilitating Collaborative Approaches: Encouraging cooperation among representatives from varied backgrounds and fields will facilitate a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing intricate issues. 
  • Envision a team comprising individuals skilled in rural development, economics, engineering, public health, and social justice collaborating to devise and execute improved policies.
• Karmayogi Competency Model: To effectively institutionalize the vision, it is crucial to align the competencies with their specific roles, incorporating the Karmayogi Competency Model from Mission Karmayogi. 
  • This process involves identifying existing skill gaps and evolving training needs through consultation with elected officials, citizens, and domain experts.
• Comprehensive Capacity-Building Strategy: The resulting needs analysis should inform a comprehensive capacity-building plan that includes orientation and induction programmes, online resources, workshops, peer learning opportunities, and mentorship programmes. 
  • Regular impact assessments, conducted annually, are essential.
• Collaborating with Government  Institutions: To facilitate this continuous learning, we can leverage existing resources from central and State training institutions such as Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies, National and State Institutes of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
  • Engaging the Integrated Government Online Training platform and civil society organisations such as PRS Legislative Research, Participatory Research in Asia, Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini.  
• Access to Research Support: It is also essential to ensure that every elected representative from the local level onwards has access to necessary information and research support through dedicated research wings.
• Shifting Public Expectations in Politics: The success of competency-based politics also relies on a shift in public perception.  
  • Citizens need to demand more from their elected representatives, holding them accountable not just for their promises but also for their ability to deliver on those promises.

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Conclusion

As we move towards a Viksit Bharat, let us make competency a central pillar of political discourse, where effective leadership is not an exception but an expectation.