Background

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.

Learning Objectives

The objectives of the course are to:

• Educate participants on the basic processes and procedures of legislation.
• Expose participants to important documents used and produced by legislators.
• Educate participants on the language, vocabulary, and concepts of the legislature.
• Enable participants identify the skills required in the legislature.
• Enable participants to identify the techniques and skills required in the legislature.

Course Outline

• The Legislature as a Third Arm of Government.
• The Functions of the Legislature.
• The Legislative Processes and Procedures.
• The Representative Function of the Legislature
• Law Making by the Legislature.
• Oversight Function of the Legislature.
• Basic Legislative Documents.
• Legislative Language and Vocabulary.
• Drafting of Legislative Documents:  Bills, and Motions.
• The Use of Committees in the Legislature.
• Legislative Staff.
• Constituency and Public Relations for Legislators,
• Capacity Building for the Legislature.
• Comparative Legislative Practices.
• Emerging Trends in Legislative Processes and Procedures.
• Target Audience: Newly elected Legislators and newly appointed Senior Legislative Aides.

Target Audience:

Legislative officers in the State and National Assemblies.

Background

The Legislative draftsman must aim to be a craftsman in the use of the language. Therefore, words are raw materials with which the craftsman works. This course equips the participants with languages and vocabulary as a tool for a professional legislative draftsman.

Learning Objectives

• To be more effective in drafting of legislation to support the legislative process
• Understand why legislation is structured in the way it is
• Swiftly read and understand the effect of legislation
• Advice interested departments with a high degree of confidence on the scope and effect of legislation

Course Outline

• The basic elements of drafting and the functions of legislation
• Principles of legislative Expression and Legislative Syntax
• The structure and format of legislative Drafts
• The legislative Plan and Common Difficulties Encountered in Drafting
• Statutory Interpretations
• Amending Legislation and Subsidiary Legislation
• Law Revision and Law Reform
• Preparing stages of Drafting
• Role and Responsibilities of Legislative Counsel

Target Audience

The course is designed for Legislative officers and draftsmen in the State and National Assembly.

Background

Committees are the engine rooms of legislatures. Their effectiveness determines the quality of the Legislature.  It is, therefore, needful for legislative committees to be effective as a precondition for having effective legislatures. This course will build the capacity of committee staff of legislatures for effective performance.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the programme, the participants will be able to:

• Understand the duties and responsibilities of Legislative Committees.
• Identify how to manage committees effectively.
• Understand how to make legislative committees perform effectively.

Course outline

• The Duties and Responsibilities of Legislative Committee.
• Managing Legislative Committees.
• Policy Analysis.
• Budget Analysis.
• Legislative Oversight.
• Effective Committee Report Writing.
• TQM in Committee Work.
• Applying ICT in Committee Work.
• Legislative Staff Ethics.
• Effective Team Management Techniques for Legislative Committees.
• Inter-Personal Relationship in Committee Works.
• Time Management in Legislative Committee Work.
• Effective Problem Solving and Decision Making Techniques.
• Personal Effectiveness and Self Development in Legislative Committee Work.

Target Audience:

Legislative Committee staffs, Legislative Aides and Secretaries.

Background

Legislators face mounting challenges in their relationship with constituents and the general public.  How successful they handle this relationship impacts greatly on the image and acceptability of the legislators. There is the need for legislatures to acquire and use the required skills, so as to enhance their visibility, effectiveness, and acceptability. This course has been designed to equip legislators, especially those in developing countries, with the skills for effective constituency and public relations.

Learning Objectives

The objectives of the course are, to:

• Educate participants on the nature and importance of relating with their constituencies and the general public.
• Enable participants to identify the skills for effective constituency and public relations.
• Stimulate participants to use the skills developed in maintaining fruitful relationship with their constituencies and the general public.

Course Contents

• The Concept of Public Relations.
• Legislators’ Constituencies and the General Public.
• Public Relations Strategies.
• Hansard as a Constituency Relations Tool.
• Constituency Relations, Strategies: Provision of Services, and Embarking on Development Projects.
• Constituency Relations Strategies: Touring, Constituency Meeting with Stakeholders and Hosting of Press Conferences.
• Low Key and Non-Partisan Approach in Legislator-Constituency Relations.
• Techniques for Seeking and Maintaining Broad-Based Stakeholder Support.
• Effective Management of Political Change in Constituencies.
• Constituency Relations Strategies: Partnering with Professional and Community-based Organizations.
• Relating with the General Public:  Press Briefings, Writing of Articles, Features in the Print and Electronic Media.
• Effective Inter-Personal Relationship.
• Conflict Resolution.

Target Audience:

Public relations officers in the State and National Assemblies, Legislative Committee staffs and Legislative Aides.