Legislative Strengthening Program (LSP) Training Plan and Timetable

The program's training plan is designed to improve the performance of the COR as an institution by recognizing the need to build the professional skills of staff members. The main criteria for LSP training is to improve the performance of the COR by recognizing the need to build the professional skills of staff members and to assess the training in terms of skills gaps in order to develop and provide training that is specifically related to tasks and functions which support the work of the parliament. The training plan focuses on training a broad spectrum of COR employees in basic and advanced administrative skills, recognizing that those at the management level require basic and advanced management skills. Cycles and workshops will be continued, and efforts will be made to design and implement an "Advanced Management Cycle." Seeking to ensure sustainability, trainers will be identified and trained from within the COR staff, and LSP will also train mentors. The Training Quality Control Plan is continually implemented and subject to refinement as necessary. The Members Parliamentary Development Program (MPDP) alternates high intensity phases and lower intensity phases. During the high intensity phases, the number of seminars and workshops is increased, and external experts are mobilized to conduct specialized courses. In lower intensity periods, training is offered by LSP internal resources. One of the continual challenges faced by LSP is the calendar of Parliamentary activities, which is subject to unexpected changes, requiring LSP to constantly adapt its scheduling of training activities. The main target for LSP cross-cutting training is 156 employees with administrative functions and 81 staff members with management roles. Training is seen as a change agent; therefore, in order to achieve a significant change, LSP aims to train not less than 60% of these employees, according to their needs. With respect to other types of employees and specialized functions, objectives are determined as a proportion of each target group, for each individual course. LSP has established professional relationships within Iraqi Higher Education Institutions leading to a collaborative approach to training delivery to targeted employees within the COR. The training plan presents the various courses offered by LSP, divided by objectives and sub-objectives, an overview of their content, and their delivery method. The training objectives for each program area include cross-cutting training, training for Committee staff, Legistar training, training for Media Protocol Directorates, training for Provincial offices, training for Budget and Overview, and involving Higher Education Institutions in the LSP Training Plan. The training plan also includes annexes that provide additional information on training achievements, training courses catalog (staff training), training courses for MPs, and training cycles for staff. The Training Impact Assessment focus groups will be conducted on a regular basis to assist in identifying training effectiveness as well as areas for improvement. The training plan is continually implemented and subject to refinement as necessary. The overall objectives of the program are to strengthen the COR's legislative and oversight functions, and the training plan is designed to support these objectives.