The Civil Service Attachment Scheme
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What Civil Servants Say
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"An excellent opportunity to get a first-hand view of the daily life of an MP and experience the extraodinary number of challenges that MPs face in going about their daily business."
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The Industry and Parliament Trust (IPT) organises the Civil Service parliamentary/MEP Attachment Scheme. The training scheme provides a unique development opportunity to build on parliamentary knowledge and experience the life of a parliamentarian through the attachment programme. Participation is subject to internal approval, with multiple sessions running throughout the year.
With the Cabinet Office and cross-party support the IPT has organised seminars in the Houses of Parliament and has been successful in ‘matching’ parliamentarians with over 440 civil servants from a wide range of departments. It is a hugely popular development opportunity providing a unique experience to learn about Parliament and life inside Westminster. In 2002 the opportunity was extended to the European Parliament and since then, over 130 civil servants have been successfully 'matched' with MEPs.
How the Scheme Works
For the Civil Service, details about the Scheme should be advertised internally by each department or agency. Each department or agency should then apply their own selection procedure and forward successful applications to the IPT; applications will be accepted on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
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Sir Gus O'Donnell, Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service
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"The Civil Service Attachment Scheme has been successfully bringing together civil servants, MPs and MEPs from all parties to learn from each other. I would encourage colleagues to take advantage of this training programme, which develops a better understanding between civil servants and parliamentarians."
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Management of the seminars and the ‘matching’ of the civil servant with a parliamentarian will be undertaken by the IPT. The majority of participating parliamentarians are IPT Fellows – they have completed an attachment of their own with an IPT supporting company, and they are familiar with IPT’s politically neutral ethos.
The IPT recommend that the nominated civil servant shadow the MP for a day in the House of Commons and a couple of days (normally including a Friday) in the MP’s constituency, but this may vary depending on his/her commitments.
The civil servant will also attend a half-day seminar on the processes of Parliament. Seminars on the European Parliament and an attachment with an MEP are also offered.
Funding
The cost of the Parliamentarian Attachment Scheme is £999 and for the MEP Attachment Scheme £1499.
The department or agency of each participating civil servant pays a fee for the programme and covers all the civil servant’s costs, including travel and subsistence.
Optional Sessions
The IPT also offers three optional sessions either to complement the Attachment Scheme or for civil servants to attend as individual sessions.These are held in the Houses of Parliament.
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Legislation, Private Members Bills and Debates
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2 hours
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£200
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Parliamentary Questions- From Table Office to Department
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1 hr 15 mins
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£150
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2012 Dates and Applications
IPT are now accepting applications for the 2012 MP/MEP Attachement Scheme. Details of the scheme are available below.