Boost for Pacific research skills

A team of Victorian parliamentary committee staff has helped the Samoan Parliament develop the research skills of its staff.

A three day workshop held in the Samoan capital of Apia has given Samoan parliamentary staff practical assistance on the conduct of parliamentary committee investigations.

Victorian parliamentary committee staff delivered a research skills workshop in Apia for the Samoan Parliament

The training focused on collecting, analysing and reporting on evidence received for parliamentary committee inquiries.

The Samoan Parliament has been implementing a major professional development program for its parliamentarians and parliamentary staff over the past three years.

As part of that program, the Samoan Parliament has been looking at ways to boost the research skills of its staff to better support the work of its parliamentary committees.

Victorian experience valuable for Samoan parliamentary staff

Those committees play an important accountability role, allowing parliamentarians to scrutinise government expenditure and administration.

The Victorian team comprised three experienced committee staff: Michael Baker, Janine Bush and Patrick O’Brien. All have worked on a range of parliamentary committee investigations and were able to share their detailed knowledge with their Samoan counterparts.

The workshop was arranged as part of Victoria’s commitment to the Pacific Parliamentary Partnerships program, which fosters relations between Australian and Pacific parliaments and supports their professional development.

It follows on from a visit to the Victorian Parliament by a Samoan parliamentary delegation last year. During that visit, Samoan parliamentarians were keen to learn from their Victorian counterparts about the way parliamentary business is managed in a fellow Westminster style parliament.

Both Samoa and Victoria are members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The Pacific Parliamentary Partnerships program was established as a result of parliamentary links through that association.

Participants and presenters at the research skills workshop in Samoa

See more news from the Parliament of Victoria

Published: Friday, 01 May 2015 12:00