Appearing Before a Parliamentary Committee

Description

This hands-on course equips senior public servants with practical skills for testifying before Parliamentary committees. Led by experienced professionals, it features mock-testimony sessions, real-life case studies, and interactive exercises, providing participants with the confidence and tools to excel in committee appearances.

Learning Objective

Senior public servants are often summoned to testify before a House of Commons or Senate committee. This is an essential part of the accountability role the executive branch of government must perform with Parliament. Our half-day customized training course is designed to give you and your colleagues a strong basis of preparation and confidence for testifying in front of a Parliamentary Committee.

Course Content

• How Parliamentary Committees work

• The roles of the committee chair, clerk, and both government and opposition MPs

• The accountability of ministers and public servants to Parliament

• The procedures and politics of committee appearances

• How to testify, what to say, and how best to say it

• Practical guidance and tips for a successful committee appearance

The IOG advantage

• You will be taught by former senior public servants who have actual committee testimony experience

• You will hear ‘how it really works’ from either a sitting government or opposition MP or a recently retired MP

• You will engage in an interactive mock-testimony session in a committee format with your colleagues

• You will watch an actual case study testimony, dissected for you to show the real-life dynamics of committee testimony

Who should take this course

• ADMs, DGs, and senior EX-level public servants who may be called upon to testify before a Parliamentary committee as part of their responsibilities

• Parliamentary affairs units and officials involved in preparing departmental colleagues for committee appearances

• Communications officials who must prepare or respond to committee appearances by departmental colleagues

• Political staffers who may be called to testify

Duration

4 hours, including brief intervals to maintain participant engagement and enhance learning absorption.

Special Offers

Take advantage of these exclusive discounts available when registering for IOG courses:

1. Group Course Discount: Register 3 or more colleagues together for the same course and receive 10% off your total registration fee.  
   Learning together builds team capacity—and helps you save on training costs.
2. Individual Bundle Discount: Register as an individual for 3 or more courses at the same time and save 10% on your total registration fee.
   Advance your professional development while maximizing value.

Facilitators

Mr. Daniel Jean served as the National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada (2016-2018). Prior to this role, he held positions as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013-2016) and Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage (2010-2013). From 2007 to 2010, he held various important deputy ministerial posts, first as Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board and then as Deputy Secretary (Operations) at the Privy Council Office.

Before his appointment as deputy minister, Daniel had a stimulating career in international relations and migration issues in Canada and abroad, with two assignments in Haiti, two separate assignments in the United States, in Buffalo then Washington, and one in Hong Kong. He received an Excellence Award from the Public Service and a Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers Award for his efforts following the coup that removed Haiti's first democratically elected government in 1991.

Daniel is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo with an M.B.A. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa, where he earned a B.A. in Social Sciences with a specialization in International Relations and a concentration in Economics. He is a Professional-in-Residence at the University of Ottawa's School of Public and International Affairs, an Emeritus Member of the Canada School of Public Service, an Associate Member of the Multidimensional Conflict

Observatory at the Raoul-Dandurand Chair at UQAM, and a member of the Strategic Analysis Network's Strategic Advisory Council. Daniel is an active volunteer with Centraide Outaouais, where he previously chaired the board of directors.

Catrina Tapley was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) effective August 19, 2019, and held that role until her recent retirement. Previous roles included Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Operations), Privy Council Office (2017-2019), Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Economic and Regional Development Policy, Privy Council Office (2016-17), and Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2014-2016). She also has held positions with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.