A SECOND Induction training program for Members of Parliament on Parliamentary Committee System is in progress at the Heritage Park Hotel from the 24th to 26th July 2019.
This second induction program looks closely at the role of committees in Parliament and the important Oversight role that committees’ play in scrutinising government policies and implementation.
There are 10 Standing Committees in Parliament and these include some of the committees such as the Public Accounts Committee, the Education and Human Resources Training Committee, the Health and Medical Services Committee and the Bills and Legislation Committee.
A small group of Members of Parliament make up these committees and they play a crucial role in ensuring the oversight role Parliament is effective and robust.
Thus, the program aimed at inducting new Committee Chairs and Members on their roles and functions and how they, as Members of Parliament, will conduct the business of these Standing Select Committees.
On May this year, Parliament conducted its first induction program for MPs on the overall Parliamentary system.
This second induction focuses on the Parliamentary Committees system only, where MPs will look closely at the nitty gritties of the committee system.
Parliamentary oversight is one of Parliament’s most important function and Parliamentary committees enables the Legislature to monitor the activities of the Executive Government and examine bills and specific matters of government policy, administration and performance.
Because the depth and breadth of work in our Parliament cannot be conducted in plenary sessions, the detailed work of our Parliament is carried out by specialized committees which composed of small groups of MPs setup within the Parliamentary system with clear defined mandates that carry out in-depth analysis and review public policy.
The induction program is aligned with Parliaments strategic objectives to strengthen Parliamentary Committees and enhance the capacity of Parliament in our democracy.
The induction is being implemented by the National Parliament in partnership with the UNDP under the “Strengthening Legislatures in Pacific Island Countries” (SLIP) project funded by Japan, and the “Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiative” (PPEI) Phase II Project which is funded by New Zealand.
The SLIP project seeks to provide support to Parliaments in six Pacific countries to become more effective and efficient through strengthening the work of their committees related to legislation and oversight, and building the capacities of legislators and professionalism of staff.
The PPEI project’s overall outcome is to meet citizens’ expectations for voice, development and the rule of law and accountability, and through support to the partner parliaments to strengthen systems of democratic governance.
The Induction program is held at the Heritage Park Hotel and will end at the closer of business today.
