Offices, ministries and agencies (OMAs) and National Council standing committees have been urged to engage constructively and avoid turning discussions into confrontations during stakeholder engagements.

The National Council is conducting a joint stakeholder engagement with OMAs as part of an initiative between the Legislature and the Executive to better align policies and strategies while addressing shortcomings affecting service delivery.

Speaking at the opening on Tuesday, National Council secretary Tousy Namiseb said the engagements should focus on finding practical solutions that improve services for Namibians.

The engagements run from Tuesday to Thursday under the theme 'Strengthening parliamentary oversights, executive accountability and strategic alignment for national development'.

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"The National Council has a unique structure as its members come from the regions and serve on various standing committees. During oversight visits, a number of shortcomings are identified. We are not here to fight or blame one another, but to find common ground on how OMAs can better carry out their functions," Namiseb said.

Namiseb said one of the Legislature's constitutional responsibilities is to hold the Executive accountable.

Implementation and coordination standing committee vice chairperson Bethuel Tjaveondja says policies and strategies are often not aligned, affecting effective service delivery.

He says the engagement will help identify challenges and form part of the induction of parliamentarians by giving them a better understanding of how OMAs operate.