Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung@ 40 in Ghana • Improving knowledge, skills and competency of MPs, leaders and staff in the institutional development equation necessitates the establishment of a training institute for the Parliament of Ghana. Though measures are far advanced for the realisation of this objective, more proactive interventions are required to foster and shore up the initiative. • Improved institutional, logistical and IT capacity is a major prerequisite for organizational efficiency and effectiveness. In confronting this challenge an appropriate information management system and innovative information technology mechanisms have to be adopted to drive the operations of Parliament. Overview of the cooperation between FES and Parliament of Ghana As the adage goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed. When the Parliament of Ghana needed a development partner, it readily found one in Friedrich Ebert Stiftung(FES). The history of the evolution of the Parliament of Ghana over the years will not be complete without acknowledging the cooperation of FES. Today Ghana is touted internationally as Africa's success story of parliamentary democracy and good governance, however, the effectiveness of Parliament in translating its constitutional mandate into concrete benefits for the nation presented it with such a gargantuan challenge that it would have found difficult to surmount as a stand­alone institution. Beyond the regular Government of Ghana funding of programmes and activities of Parliament lay a yawning budgetary gap that the collaboration and assistance of development partners have been timely in filling thereby facilitating the work and programmes of Parliament. However, development partners started their cooperation with Parliament a few years after the inauguration of the Fourth Republic. FES, however, was the first international 19