Understanding Legislative Processes & Procedures

Program Overview:

The legislative arm of government is the least developed of the three arms, namely the executive, judiciary, and the legislature.  This is particularly so in developing countries where political developments are disrupted repeatedly.  This has led to legislators not being knowledgeable enough on legislative processes and procedures as to make the legislature effective.  Educating the legislators on the fundamentals of legislative practices is a dire need.  This course has been designed to expose new legislators to the legislative processes and procedures.

For Whom:

Newly elected Legislators and newly appointed Senior Legislative Aides.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the program, participants will be to;

• Understand the basic processes and procedures of legislation.
• Know and discuss the important documents used and produced by legislators.
• Appreciate the language, vocabulary, and concepts of the legislature.
• Identify and acquire the skills required to carry out their legislative functions effectively.
• Identify the techniques needed for effective legislation.

Course Outlines

Day 1: The Legislature as a Third Arm of Government.

• The Functions of the Legislature.
• The Legislative Processes and Procedures.

Day 2: The Representative Function of the Legislature

• Law Making by the Legislature.
• Oversight Function of the Legislature.

Day 3: Basic Legislative Documents.

• Legislative Language and Vocabulary.
• Drafting of Legislative Documents:  Bills, and Motions 

Day 4: The Use of Committees in the Legislature.

• Legislative Staff.
• Constituency and Public Relations for Legislators,

Day 5: Capacity Building for the Legislature.

• Comparative Legislative Practices.
• Emerging Trends in Legislative Processes and Procedures.

Training Methodology

Lectures, discussions, exercises, case studies, audio-visual aids will be used to reinforce these teachings/learning methods.