The document outlines the key strategies and processes for effective public accounts committees, including developing an annual work plan, preparing thoroughly for meetings through briefing notes and witness lists, conducting organized meetings through private sessions and limited witness numbers, and following up on meetings through records, reports, and monitoring implementation of recommendations. Effective public accounts committees meet regularly, set clear priorities, and have support from prepared documents and a capable secretariat.

1. Supporting The Works of Public Accounts
Committees – Strategies for Success
Deji Olaore
World Bank Institute (WBI)

2. Parliamentary Committees Meetings
 Committees are a Parliamentary or Legislative body’s most
important institutional mechanism
 The most important and greatest legislative business are
conducted at the committee level
 The greater the strength of its committee system, the greater
the capacity of the Parliament to be an effective initiator of
public policy
 Committee is the engine room of a Legislative institution.

3. PAC Business Processes
Work Plan
After Meetings
Preparation for Meetings
Conduct of Meetings

4. Work Plan
 During this stage the Chair, Members and Secretariat work to
identify the priority of the Committee
 Once the priority areas for the next year have been identified,
an outline calendar is developed
 Secretariat allocates specific activities to months but not yet to
specific meetings
 Committee Calendar is shared among members and staff

5. Preparation for meetings
 For each agreed meeting/inquiry the Secretariat carries out
specific set of activities, which broadly involve liaising with
specialist advisors, such as the SAI/AG, to identify witnesses
and evidence
 Assigning these meetings to specific days
 For every meeting the Secretariat will prepare a Notice of
Meeting and a Briefing Note

6. Conducts of Meetings
 The purpose of the processes at this stage is to ensure that
individual meetings are well organized, allow for effective
questioning of witnesses.
 Ensures that the Committee holds useful deliberations.
 Begin each meeting with a private business session to agree
the line of questioning and proceedings
 Restrict the number of witnesses at the table to no more than
five
 End each hearing with a private business session to deliberate
on the evidence and decide recommendations and follow-up
actions required

7. After Meetings
 The key purpose of these processes is to capture the findings
and recommendations of the Committee and to monitor the
implementation of the recommendations.
 After each meeting a Record of Deliberation/Decision is
produced
 In order to assess the impact of the Committee’s work it is
essential to monitor the acceptance and implementation of
their recommendations.

8. Key Documents
 Calendar
 Meeting Notice
 Meeting Agenda
 Briefing Note
 Minute of Proceedings
 Inquiry Report
 Follow-up Reports

9. Meeting Note and Meeting Agenda
1. Meeting Notice
 Provides notice of meeting and date for submission of
business proposals or evidence
2. Meeting Agenda
 Lists all business to be conducted Resolutions must appear on
the Agenda
 For evidence sessions:
 It provides basic administrative details indicates Evidence in
Chief to be considered
 Identifies witnesses and gives timeline for each

10. Briefing Note and Minutes of Proceedings
3. Briefing Note
 For all Committee Members
 Summary of Evidence in Chief
 Identifies key issues
 Suggests possible lines of questioning
4. Minute of Proceedings
 Formal record of attendance and business conducted
 Resolutions must appear in full
 Votes recorded if held
 This is NOT a transcript

11. Inquiry and Follow-up Reports
5. Inquiry report
 Summary of issues raised during Committee sittings
 Record of any findings/Recommendations
6. Follow-up reports
 Response of Ministry/Agency to inquiry report
 Not just what Committee says should happen but what actually
does happen

12. Final Thoughts on Success Factors
 Clarity on the Committee’s roles and responsibilities
 An effective PAC meets frequently and regularly
 Effective PAC develops a work plan that sets
Committee’s priority areas
 Set priorities and select important matters to examine
 Clerk prepares meeting’s agenda and summary reports to
be considered
 Circulate the summary report to Members ahead of the
meeting
 Prepare committee reports/recommendations
 Follow up on Committee Reports
 Develop capacity within the PAC Secretariat

13. Thank You
oolaore@worldbank.org
World Bank Institute (WBI)