„Strategic and annual planning in parliaments - challenges and results in the Parliament of Montenegro" was the topic of the presentation that was presented by the ​​Assistant to the Secretary General of the Parliament and a member of the Association Nataša Komnenić, where she pointed out to the importance of planning process in a modern parliament through the example of experience of Montenegrin Parliament.

Strategic planning is of key importance for the success of every organization, including the Parliament, which, despite all the specificities that make it difficult to plan, can have the benefits of planning – stated Komnenić. However, strategic planning is not only a plan, but the process of making, implementation and monitoring is equally important and complex. The answers to vital questions, such as how to prepare and implement the plan, who is involved and at what stage, can define its successful implementation.  

Komnenić briefly presented the plans that have been adopted in the Parliament of Montenegro - Action Plan for Strengthening the Legislative and Oversight Role, Legislative Work Plan, Strategy for Human ResourcesDevelopment, as well as other documents which largely derived from the strategic planning approach. Two planned documents have been presented, which are still in draft process: the strategy for development of information and communication technologies and the legislative openness plan.   

Concluding the presentation, Komnenić expressed her belief that benefits of a systematic approach and planned documents that are adopted would be recognized in the Parliament, and that it would be successfully used in dealing with future challenges.

Following the presentation, there was a discussion, where secretaries general of several parliaments expressed interest in the manner of preparation and adoption of these documents, as well as their monitoring and evaluation. Formulating strategic goals for the service, as well as for the parliament as a whole, including all planned documents, as well as challenges in their acceptance and implementation, have also been a matter of interest for the participants in the debate.

The meeting of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments, as an advisory body to the Inter-Parliamentary Union is held at the same time as the 131st IPU Assembly session, the membership of which has been extended two days ago to 166 parliaments with the readmission of Guinea and Madagascar. The session brought together over 720 MPs from 145 countries, including 113 presidents and vice presidents of parliaments. The agenda of the session has a wide range of topics of global importance: ending violence against women, the situation in the Middle East, water management, the fight against drugs, sustainable development, climate change and the crisis caused by the Ebola virus.