Parliaments are central to the parliamentary system of government, where the executive branch (the government) is constitutionally answerable to the parliament. Their role includes scrutinising and deliberating government decision-making and policy and passing legislation. To fulfil these roles, parliamentarians need access to research and other forms of evidence such as testimonials from experts and interested parties and lived experience of constituents. This is where parliamentary research services (PRS) come in. Commonly situated in a permanent parliamentary administration characterised by impartiality and independence, these services play a crucial role in enabling parliaments to access and harness research.

Despite their key role in enabling the use of research evidence, PRS have been overlooked in debates over evidence-based policymaking or evidence-informed policy and practice.

This report offers an overview of the global landscape of parliamentary research services. As well as providing a map of these services (or at least as many as the authors were able to identify), the authors also provide an overview of their functions, common challenges they face in accomplishing their work, and how some services have sought to overcome these.