Order Paper Questions: Your Responsibilities, Risks and Accountabilities

Overview

Delivery method

Virtual classroom

Duration

45 minutes

Audience

All SSC employees at all levels

Description

This course provides a practical overview of Order Paper Questions (OPQs) and the responsibilities, risks, and accountability associated with preparing departmental responses. Participants will learn why OPQs are high-profile parliamentary instruments, the consequences of missed deadlines or inaccurate information, and the roles played by subject matter experts, management, senior officials, and the Parliamentary Affairs unit throughout the process. The session explores accountability requirements, decision-making considerations, performance expectations, and best practices for producing complete, accurate, and publication-ready responses. This course helps participants understand their role in supporting parliamentary obligations and protecting the department's credibility and reputation.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain why Order Paper Questions (OPQs) are high-visibility parliamentary instruments and why accuracy, timeliness, and completeness are essential;
• Identify the key roles, responsibilities, and accountability requirements involved in the OPQ process and understand how they contribute to the development, review, and approval of responses;
• Describe the consequences of missed deadlines, incomplete responses, and inaccurate or inconsistent information;
• Apply decision-making principles and escalation practices when encountering risks, information gaps, conflicting data, or timeline pressures;
• Demonstrate an understanding of how OPQ responses contribute to departmental credibility, transparency, and public accountability.

Target Audience

All SSC employees, but especially those involved in the development of parliamentary responses, and ADM approvals.