Reform Description

Single Public Consultation Platform in the People's Majlis (“Public Consultation Portal”)

The People's Majlis will establish a single public consultation platform enabling citizens, civil society organizations (CSOs), and other stakeholders to systematically review draft legislation, resolutions, appointment decisions, and other parliamentary matters, submit comments and proposals, and track committee consideration of their input. The platform will consolidate currently fragmented consultation practices into a single, rules‑based process with clear timelines, public information on matter status, and a transparent record of submissions and responses.
The reform will combine a digital platform (accessible on desktop and mobile, with full accessibility features including text-to-speech for visually impaired users) with offline channels, including email, ensuring participation for those without reliable internet access or digital skills. Committees will publish draft bills and consultation materials upon opening for public input, set minimum consultation periods, and provide accessible formats in Dhivehi. Users can comment on specific sections, chapters, article headings, or individual articles, and utilize a highlight-and-comment function to annotate text directly. When a matter is significantly amended after publication, it will be republished as a new version, with prior versions and submissions remaining visible but closed for new input. At consultation close, committees will publish a report outlining main points raised and explaining their consideration.
The portal will also enable CSOs to register with the Civil Society Parliamentary Network (CSPN), maintain profiles, and submit comments under their organization’s name, formalizing civil society engagement with Parliament. Public polls linked to consultation matters will allow users to cast a single vote and view aggregate results, providing Parliament with an indication of public sentiment alongside written submissions.

All submissions will be publicly visible, promoting transparency and allowing users to view the range of opinions. Submissions selected for formal committee consideration will be clearly indicated. Individual citizens may submit anonymously, with identities recorded confidentially by the Secretariat. Government institutions may request non-publication of submissions while ensuring committee receipt. Published submissions will be shareable directly to social media.

Over time, the platform will serve as a data source on parliamentary engagement, enabling targeted outreach to under‑represented groups and linking consultation processes to broader reforms, including public awareness initiatives and future budget transparency measures.



Problem(s) Addressed by Reform

The reform responds to several recurring problems identified by MPs, Secretariat staff, civil society and development partners during the open parliament workshops:
•        Fragmented and ad hoc consultation: There is currently no single, predictable mechanism through which citizens and CSOs can see which draft laws and other parliamentary matters are open for input, how to submit comments, or how their views will be considered. Currently, announcements are made on social media platforms, but response rates are low and the process of reviewing scanned PDF documents and submitting comments via email is burdensome.
•        Short, unclear consultation windows: Consultation periods are often short, with limited advance notice and no guaranteed minimum timeframe, making it difficult for stakeholders to organise and respond in a timely way.
•        Lack of transparency and feedback: Citizens and organisations rarely receive feedback on whether their submissions were read, how committees used them, or why particular proposals were accepted or rejected. There is also no public visibility of what other stakeholders have submitted.
•        Accessibility and inclusion gaps: People without reliable internet access, digital skills, or strong connections to Parliament have limited practical opportunities to engage with legislative processes, which can reinforce perceptions that Parliament is distant or closed. In particular, people with visual disabilities have previously reported difficulty accessing parliamentary materials and submitting comments independently, as scanned PDFs lack audio versions.
•        Limited data on participation: Parliament lacks systematic data on who participates in legislative consultations, which topics attract engagement, and where gaps exist (for example by geography, gender, age or disability).

Taken together, these problems weaken both the quality and legitimacy of law‑making, and limit Parliament's ability to respond to the priorities and expertise of citizens and civil society.


The action is significant because it moves from ad hoc, discretionary consultations to a formalised, rules‑based participation infrastructure anchored in parliamentary practice and, where necessary, Standing Orders. It replaces scattered, informal channels with one coherent entry point for legislative and broader parliamentary engagement, making it much easier for citizens and CSOs to know when and how to participate.

By introducing minimum consultation periods, clear notification procedures, and public feedback notes, the reform directly addresses complaints about short timelines, lack of transparency and weak feedback loops. Building in both digital and offline channels, with specific accessibility features including text-to-speech and WCAG- AA level compliance, ensures that the reform benefits people without reliable internet access and people with disabilities, which is essential in an island and atoll context where connectivity can be uneven, and where previous consultations have been inaccessible to people with visual impairments.

By making all submissions publicly visible on the portal, the reform creates horizontal accountability and enables citizens and CSOs to see the diversity of views expressed and to understand the full context of each debate.

The reform is also a significant institutional step because it requires committees and the Secretariat to adjust internal workflows, develop standard operating procedures for handling submissions, and commit to publishing consultation outcomes, thereby embedding participation into the everyday routines of law‑making rather than treating it as an optional add‑on. As the platform matures, the data it generates will allow the Majlis to identify under‑represented groups, tailor outreach, and progressively strengthen the inclusiveness and quality of legislative participation.


Relevance to OGP Values

•        Civic participation: The platform creates a structured, predictable and accessible mechanism for citizens and CSOs to influence draft legislation and other parliamentary matters before decisions are made, turning participation from an occasional practice into a standard step in the parliamentary process.

•        Transparency: Publishing draft bills, resolutions, appointment decisions and other consultation materials, consultation timelines, and public summaries of submissions and committee responses will make Parliamentary decision‑making more visible and give the public clearer insight into how laws and decisions are shaped. Making all submissions publicly visible creates additional transparency and accountability.


•        Public accountability: By documenting who was consulted, what they said, and how Parliament responded, the platform will make it easier for the public, media and oversight actors to hold Parliament to account for the way it considers evidence and public input on laws and decisions.

•        Digital governance (secondary): The reform uses digital tools in a rights‑respecting way to improve access and participation, with intentional safeguards for inclusion, accessibility (WCAG-compliant design) and offline access


Intended Results

By March 2028, the Majlis aims to achieve:
•        A fully operational Single Public Consultation Platform covering all draft primary legislation and other matters opened for public consultation (including resolutions, appointment decisions requiring parliamentary approval, and parliamentary polls), with clear public information on consultation windows and matter status. The platform will support granular article-level commenting, highlight-and-comment functionality, draft-saving for submissions in progress, version control for amended documents, and export of all submissions in Excel, Word and PDF formats organised by article order.

•        Standing Orders or equivalent internal rules amended to codify minimum consultation periods, basic transparency requirements, and responsibilities for managing consultation processes.

•        A documented standard operating procedure (SOP) for committees and Secretariat staff on publishing consultation materials, managing submissions, and producing public feedback notes.

•        A fully functional Civil Society Parliamentary Network (CSPN) registration system within the portal, with registered CSOs able to submit comments under their organizational names.

•        Portal features including search and filter functionality, FAQ section, user guidelines, a comment-count badge on each published matter showing submission activity, and a ""Contact Us"" mechanism for technical support and complaints. Users will be able to save comment drafts before submitting, and all published matters will display an edit history indicator where content has been updated after initial publication.

•        Full accessibility features implemented, including text-to-speech feature for consultation materials, and WCAG level AA standard compliance is maintained.

•        Parliamentary term/session filtering capability to ensure historical consultation data remains accessible while clearly distinguishing current from lapsed matters (in compliance with Constitution Article 79(a).

•        A sustained volume and diversity of participation, measured by the number of consultations conducted through the platform, total submissions received, and participation by CSOs, professional bodies, and citizens from different atolls.

•        Regularly published public consultation summaries for each matter, clearly explaining how stakeholder input was considered and which proposals were reflected in committee recommendations. All submissions publicly visible to portal users, with clear indication of which submissions committees formally considered.

•        A baseline and at least one follow‑up set of participation data analyses (e.g. annual reports) used to refine outreach strategies and improve inclusion.


Milestones

Indicative milestones:
1. Design and Governance (Q2–Q3 2026)
•        Establish an internal steering group (relevant committees, Secretariat, IT, legal) and agree a detailed design brief for the platform based on the February 2026 concept note.
•        Decide on technology approach (e‑Faas integration vs standalone portal) and procurement method, and commission development work.
•        Draft proposed Standing Orders (including setting minimum consultation period and other required )amendments,  and SOPs for public consultations.
•        Conduct user research and accessibility testing with people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups.

2. Development and Piloting (Q4 2026–Q2 2027)
•        Build and test the platform, including user‑friendly consultation pages, granular article-level submission forms with highlight-and-comment functionality, CSPN registration module, polls module, and simple public dashboards showing all submissions and committee consideration status.
•        Develop and text to speech features, and other accessibility functions.
•        Build search/filter, FAQ, user guidelines and Contact Us modules. Build draft-saving functionality for submissions, document version control, comment export module (Excel, Word, PDF), and social media sharing integration.
•        Design and test offline/manual submission channels (e.g. email, paper forms, telephone support via the Secretariat).
•        Pilot the platform with a small number of consultations in selected committees; refine based on user feedback.

3. Formal Adoption and Rollout (Q3–Q4 2027)
•        Adopt Standing Orders amendments and SOPs; formally designate the platform as the default channel for public consultation on draft legislation and other parliamentary matters.
•        Train MPs, committee staff and communications personnel on using the platform and responding to submissions.
•        Train Secretariat staff on managing CSPN registrations, accessibility features, and technical support requests.
•        Launch a public awareness campaign to introduce the platform and explain how citizens and CSOs can use it including targeted outreach to people with disabilities and civil society organizations.

4. Consolidation and Learning (Q1–Q1 2028)
•        Conduct at least one full legislative cycle using the platform for consultations on draft bills and other matters.
•        Publish an annual participation report, including data, accessibility feature utilization, and lessons learned.
•        Adjust SOPs, outreach strategies and technical features based on experience and stakeholder feedback.


Is Civil Society Involved?

Yes.
Civil society has already been centrally involved in diagnosing the problems and co‑designing the reform through Workshop 1 and Workshop 2, which included CSOs, professional bodies, youth representatives and development partners alongside MPs and Secretariat staff. CSOs helped articulate the need for a centralised consultation mechanism, minimum consultation timeframes, and accessible formats (including Dhivehi and English, and offline options). CSOs also provided specific feedback on the importance of audio features for accessibility and the need for a formal civil society registration and engagement mechanism.

During implementation, the Majlis will:

•        Involve CSOs and professional bodies in user‑testing the platform and co‑creating guidance for citizens on how to participate effectively.
•        Use existing networks such as the Civil Society Parliamentary Network (CSPN) to disseminate information about consultations and encourage submissions.
•        Invite CSOs, academia and professional associations to participate in periodic review meetings to assess how the platform is working and propose improvements.
•        Conduct targeted outreach to disability rights organizations to ensure accessibility features meet user needs.