Insight into the Assembly

What:

This free seminar series provides a detailed insight into the Assembly's processes and procedures. Delivered by experienced Assembly Clerks who have worked in Committees, the Bill Office and Business Office, each session will concentrate on a particular theme: a specific Committee, or another area of Assembly work.

Sessions include:

Insight into...how Committees works

This session is aimed at organisations wishing to increase their knowledge and understanding of the role of Committees in the legislative process.  There will be specific sessions focusing on each of the Assembly’s Committees, delivered by the Committee Clerk.  These sessions are a valuable opportunity for groups to learn about the work of specific Committees and speak directly to the Committee Clerk about the issues they’re interested in. 

The session will cover:

The Committee Stage of a Bill

Communicating effectively with a Committee

Effective submissions to a Call for Evidence

The role of a Clerk in the Committee

How Committees Create a Forward Work Plan

Insight into...how a bill becomes law

This session is aimed at organisations wishing to increase their knowledge and understanding of how a bill becomes a law in the Assembly. The session will provide an overview of the Assembly's primary legislative process:

Pre-introductory consultation and scrutiny by the Speaker

Introduction and Second Stage

Committee Stage, Consideration Stage and

Further Consideration Stage to Final Stage and Royal Assent.

The focus is on highlighting the opportunities to engage with MLAs and Assembly committees that exist as a Bill makes its passage through the Assembly.

Insight into...how plenary works

This session is aimed at organisations wishing to increase their knowledge and understanding of how the plenary works. This two hour programme will provide an overview of the following:

Governance and the responsibilities of the Executive and the Assembly

The Assembly timetable

How Plenary works

How an issue comes up for debate (motions/ oral statements/urgent oral questions/ matters of the day/adjournments)

How the Assembly reaches a decision (peaking order and rights/ amendments / interventions / voting)

Challenging Ministers via questions (oral / topical / written)

Where:

The ‘Insight into’ series will take part in Parliament Buildings.

When:

Sessions will start at 10am and finish no later than 12pm. An optional tour of Parliament Buildings will be provided. To find out when the next event or training session will be held, please refer to our calendar.

How:

You can register for our training sessions via Eventbrite – links are provided in the training calendar.  For more information, please email Engagement@niassembly.gov.uk or call 028 90520321. Places are limited and will be given on a first come first serve basis. 

Not able to travel to Parliament Buildings? The Outreach Team will also touch on all of these topics when it brings the Assembly and its work to your local Community through the ‘Get Involved’ programme.

For further information visit www.niassembly.gov.uk/acc or follow us on twitter @AssemblyCC.