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The SmartLegis project aims to improve the quality of the legislative process in Poland by creating an evaluation system based on objective criteria. The quality of enacted laws directly impacts the stability and predictability of regulations, which is crucial for both citizens and businesses making investment decisions. The project’s goal is to exert pressure on institutions responsible for legislation and to establish a natural mechanism for improving the legislative process.
A key component of the initiative will be the SmartLegis evaluation model, which will assess the quality of individual legislative stages by assigning them numerical values. This approach will enable the comparison of legislative processes and the promotion of best practices.
The workshops represent the first step in the implementation of the project and will be crucial for gathering extensive knowledge about legislative processes. Experts from various fields will be invited, including representatives from the Government Legislation Center, the Bureau of Parliamentary Analysis, law firms, political parties, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions.
Each participant will bring a unique perspective, enabling the development of a comprehensive approach to legislative evaluation. The workshops will have an interdisciplinary character, combining theory with practice. Their goal is to create the SmartLegis model, which will allow the assessment of the legislative process based on a set of standardized metrics. The expert knowledge gathered during the sessions will help establish best practices that can be adapted to the legislative evaluation process in Poland.
The Opening Report will be the first publicly available document of the SmartLegis project and will serve as the foundation for further work. It will include a review of statistical data on the legislative process in Poland in the 21st century, both at the governmental and parliamentary levels.
A key section of the report will analyze the main issues in the law-making process, such as excessively fast legislative timelines, lack of procedural transparency, and neglect of public consultations. The report will address questions regarding whether current regulations are sufficient to improve legislative quality and what reforms are necessary.
It will also outline potential directions for change, such as further digitization of the legislative process, simplification of procedures, and strengthening regulatory impact assessments (RIA). The report will serve as a reference document for public institutions, social partners, and the media.
Monitoring legislative processes will be a core component of the project and will last for 12 months. During this period, all significant legal acts will be evaluated using the SmartLegis model. The monitoring will include a detailed analysis of each stage of lawmaking, from the submission of a bill to its final adoption.
Monthly reports presenting the results of these analyses will be published and made available to the public. These reports will assess the quality of legislation based on factors such as transparency, involvement of social partners, compliance with procedures, and the duration of the process.
Additionally, the monitoring will allow for ongoing comparisons of the activities of various ministries and other public administration bodies, enabling the identification of best practices and areas requiring improvement.
The purpose of the monitoring is not only to evaluate the legislative process but also to create positive pressure on institutions responsible for lawmaking to promote higher standards and better practices.
To enhance the project’s impact on the legislative process, regular meetings and debates will be organized with members of Parliament, senators, and key political decision-makers. During these events, the results of analyses conducted as part of the SmartLegis project will be presented, creating a platform for discussions on improving the quality of legislation.
These meetings will provide an opportunity for dialogue between the project creators and policymakers, helping to raise awareness of legislative issues and promote best practices. Participation in such events will increase the project’s prestige and highlight its tangible influence on the development of legal policy in Poland.
As part of the SmartLegis project, an active media campaign is planned to raise public awareness about the quality of the legislative process in Poland. Through collaboration with various media outlets—including online platforms, print media, radio, and television—the project will be promoted in the public sphere.
Expert opinions, monitoring reports, and debates on Polish legislation will be consistently featured in the media, ensuring ongoing visibility and fostering informed discussions about the need for legislative improvements.
At the conclusion of the SmartLegis project, a formal ceremony will be held to present the “SmartLegis Pen” awards. These distinctions will be granted to public administration units that achieved the highest evaluations for their legislative processes during the monitoring phase.
A public ranking of administrative bodies, based on the SmartLegis model, will be made available to enhance the prestige of the recognized institutions and promote effective and transparent legislative practices.
The awards are designed not only to highlight best practices but also to motivate other entities to improve the quality of their legislative processes in the future.
The entire event will be widely promoted in the media, further raising public awareness about the importance of high-quality legislation, transparency, and accountability in the lawmaking process.
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