Improving the effectiveness of Pakistan's parliamentary committees

The Effective and Efficient Management of Parliamentary Committees Short Course Award was delivered in 2014 under the Australia Awards Pakistan program.

The program was designed to enhance the capacity of middle to senior level public servants managing the Parliamentary Committees of Pakistan’s National and Provincial Assemblies. The course was developed following high-level consultations between the Government of Pakistan and DFAT, during which a potential to learn from Australia’s parliamentary committee system was identified.

The course was delivered to 19 participants over a three week period in Australia, with delivery in Brisbane and Canberra. Through a customised action-based, adult learning approach, with a strong focus on the participation of aligned Australian counterparts at the State, Territory and Federal level, participants were equipped with the skills to:

  • conduct comprehensive policy and legislative research and examination
  • write/compile policy and legislative reports based on detailed examination
  • identify and implement strategies to improve institutional linkages with civil society and research institutions
  • implement effective dispute mediation at the parliamentary level
  • build mutually beneficial relationships with the media, and
  • maintain accurate and accessible records to inform future legislative research and decision making.

As well as the three weeks of program delivery, a Post-Course Visit was undertaken by the Course Facilitator and Course Coordinator. The visit comprised a two-day workshop, followed by institutional visits and one-on-one meetings with Awardees and their supervisors. The purpose of the visit was to assess and support with the implementation of Awardee Return to Work Plans.


Duration: August 2014–February 2015
Funding source: Coffey International Development/DFAT

Last updated:
3 November 2020