Support to InterLegis Programme – Virtual Community of Legislative Power

Project BRA/98/010 -- Start Year: 1998; Approved Budget: US$ 3,468,208; End Year: 2001; Implementing Agent: NEX– National Executions; Executing Agent: PRODASEN.

Project background and rationale: In 1998, the Brazilian government, in co-operation with UNDP and the Federal Senate's Informatics and Data Processing Center (PRODASEN), has launched a programme aimed to support the Legislative Power in its capacity of lawmaking, to improve communication among MPs and between the different Houses of Legislation of the whole country and to increase the degree of participation of the citizens to the lawmaking process. In this context, the National Congress has initiated the modernization of the legislative system by launching the InterLegis Programme, which aims to establish a Virtual Community of the Legislative Power (VCLP) through the creation of an internet-based communication network (www.InterLegis.gov.br). This will enable the integration of legislative power at all levels (federal, state and municipal) and stimulate public interaction with legislative authorities.

Project development goal: The project aims to contribute to the effort of democratization of the Brazilian State through the modernization of the Legislative Power at Federal, State and Municipal levels, in order to improve its credibility, (representatividade) and legitimacy through increased competency in the exercise of its functions and the participation of the society to the legislative process.

Project immediate objectives and expected outputs: The full implementation of the InterLegis network consists in three stages. While PRODASEN has initiated autonomously the first stage, which consists in the establishment of an initial structure of Information Technology necessary to create the VCLP limited to communication among MPs, UNDP, through this project, will provide assistance to the second and third stages. The second stage consists in the extension of the InterLegis programme to the State and Municipal Houses of Representatives. The third stage concludes the project through the institutionalization of the InterLegis programme by autonomous management and funding of the programme by the VCLP and, eventually, to its extension to the Legislative Power of other countries, in particular of the Mercosur.

Contact details:Projeto BRA/98/010 - Interlegis PRODASEN - Senado Federal Via N2, Anexo C do Senado Federal Brasilia - DF