Monash research assisting British MPs
Chamber briefing for Members of the House of Commons. Photo: www.parliament.uk
Newly elected British MPs are better prepared to represent voters with the assistance of a training program recommended by a Monash University-led team of researchers.
Lead researcher and former Speaker of the Victorian Parliament, Associate Professor Ken Coghill from Monash University’s Department of Management, said the team’s recommendations had resulted in the House of Commons applying adult-learning techniques when introducing new MPs to their roles.
“Recent feedback from the House of Commons confirms that the recommendations had a huge impact on the British induction program,” Associate Professor Coghill said.
“Simulated sittings helped the MPs to learn the unique features of debates, question time and other proceedings that they must understand to effectively represent voters.
“It is very gratifying to see such a direct impact from research that has developed over more than 10 years.”
The researchers studied programs for new MPs in both parliamentary and executive presidential systems around the world to understand what skills and abilities parliamentarians needed to develop.
“We focused on the assessment of the levels of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) held by new or continuing parliamentarians and used that information to determine training and professional development needs,” Associate Professor Coghill said.
“By looking at the development of particular types of KSAs such as understanding budget documents, using information technology, and identifying and handling of ethical issues and processes, we have been able to recommend appropriate programs to assist MPs develop knowledge and skills for Parliament.”
While the research focused on formal programs for induction and further training, it also revealed that informal and incidental learning is important to the development of parliamentary skills.
Planned further research will concentrate on how MPs can best be assisted to develop ethical competence – the ability to apply personal values to ethical dilemmas that threaten either their own reputation, that of the parliament, or both.
Monash University’s Associate Professor Peter Holland and Dr Ross Donohue from the Department of Management, and Professor Colleen Lewis from the Faculty of Arts, are also involved in the project.
The research was funded by the Australian Research Council in partnership with AusAID and the Inter-Parliamentary Union and included collaboration with researchers at the University of Sydney and Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. The research team is a world leader in research into professional development for members of parliament.