This edited volume presents the comprehensive review of the work on developing assessment frameworks for democratic parliaments. The book identifies areas of internationally agreed consensus among the current sets of standards and principles, and areas of potential further consensus by examining national case studies and drawing a first set of lessons of experience. Additionally, it brings in regional perspectives on standards for democratic parliaments. Since parliaments are just beginning to test or apply the different frameworks many will need assistance from partners in the parliamentary strengthening and donor community to take such an exercise forward. Therefore, there is a need for broader understanding on principles behind different benchmarks, to discuss the relevance of each type of benchmark framework to specific regional and national context, and to determine how Parliaments would benefit from changes that would allow them to meet the benchmark.
