Description
Parliamentary assistants provide support to officials and politicians of regional, national and international parliaments and undertake logistical tasks. They revise official documents and follow procedures set by the respective parliaments. They support on the communication with stakeholders and provide the logistical support required in handling official processes.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to parliamentary assistant:
MP’s PA
political assistant
MLA’s assistant
MSP’s parliamentary assistant
MSP’s assistant
parliamentary intern
MP’s parliamentary assistant
MP’s personal assistant
MEP’s assistant
politician’s assistant
MP’s assistant
MLA’s parliamentary assistant
AM’s assistant
executive officer
constituency assistant
AM’s parliamentary assistant
Minimum qualifications
Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as parliamentary assistant. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Parliamentary assistant is a Skill level 4 occupation.
Parliamentary assistant career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to parliamentary assistant.
tax policy analyst
economic adviser
strategic planning manager
legislative drafter
regulatory affairs manager
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of parliamentary assistant. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of parliamentary assistant with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
Essential knowledge and skills
Essential knowledge
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of parliamentary assistant.
Communication: Exchanging and conveying information, ideas, concepts, thoughts, and feelings through the use of a shared system of words, signs, and semiotic rules via a medium.
Organisational policies: The policies to achieve set of goals and targets regarding the development and maintenance of an organisation.
Politics: The method, process and study of influencing people, gaining control over a community or society, and the distribution of power within a community and between societies.
Government policy: The political activities, plans, and intentions of a government for a legislative session for concrete causes.
Business analysis: The research field which addresses the identification of business needs and problems and the determination of the solutions that would mitigate or prevent the smooth functioning of a business. Business analysis comprises IT solutions, market challenges, policy development and strategic matters.
Strategic planning: The elements defining the foundation and core of an organisation such as its mission, vision, values, and objectives.
Office software: The characteristics and functioning of software programs for office tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, email and database.
Company policies: The set of rules that govern the activity of a company.
Communication principles: The set of commonly shared principles in regards with communication such as active listening, establish rapport, adjusting the register, and respecting the intervention of others.
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of parliamentary assistant.
Respect publication formats: Submit text material for printing purposes. Always respect the required and expected publication formats.
Develop organisational policies: Develop and supervise the implementation of policies aimed at documenting and detailing the procedures for the operations of the organisation in the lights of its strategic planning.
Collaborate in the drafting of policies: Provide specific knowledge and relevant considerations (e.g. financial, legal, strategic) on matters which should be considered when drafting policies.
Communicate with stakeholders: Facilitate communication between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.
Liaise with government officials: Consult and cooperate with government officials who handle matter that is relevant to you or your business.
Advise on communication strategies: Provide companies and organisations with consulting services concerning their internal and external communication plans and their representation, including their presence online. Recommend improvements in communication and make sure that important information reaches all employees and that their questions are answered.
Monitor company policy: Monitor the company’s policy and propose improvements to the company.
Attend parliament plenaries: Assist and provide support in the parliament plenaries by revising documents, communicating with other parties, and ensuring an smooth running of the sessions.
Draft press releases: Collect information and write press releases adjusting the register to the target audience and ensuring that the message is well conveyed.
Perform office routine activities: Program, prepare, and perform activities required to be performed everyday in offices such as mailing, receiving supplies, updating managers and employees, and keeping operations running smoothly.
Negotiate with stakeholders: Negotiate compromises with stakeholders and strive to reach the most beneficial agreements for the company. May involve building relationships with suppliers and customers, as well as ensuring products are profitable.
Pose questions referring to documents: Revise and formulate questions in regards to documents in general. Investigate about the completeness, confidentiality measures, style of the document, and specific instructions to handle documents.
Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
Check official documents: Check an individuals’ official documentation, such as driver’s licenses and identification, to ensure compliance with legal regulations, and to identify and assess individuals.
Draft legislation: Undertake the drafting of pieces of legislation in order to make areas of law which need reform more harmonized and clear.
Review drafts: Proofread and give feedback to technical drawings or drafts.
Advise on government policy compliance: Advise organisations on how they may improve their compliance to the applicable government policies they are required to adhere to, and the necessary steps which need to be taken in order to ensure complete compliance.
Supervise advocacy work: Manage the aim to influence political, economic and social decisions. Make sure ethics and policies are followed.
Comment drafts: Observe and examine the drafts made by other legislative drafters in order to enhance quality control and to improve their drafting knowlege and skills.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of parliamentary assistant. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Civil law: The legal rules and their applications used in disputes between different parties.
Constitutional law: The regulations dealing with the fundamental principles or established precedents which govern a state or organisation.
Commercial law: The legal regulations that govern a specific commercial activity.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of parliamentary assistant. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Respond to inquiries in written form: Draft concise and to-the-point answers in order to reply, in a written form, to entering inquiries formulated in written formats as well.
Organise business documents: Put together documents coming from the photocopier, the mail, or the daily operations of businesses.
Process commissioned instructions: Process instructions, usually oral ones, provided by managers and directives on actions required to be made. Take note, inquire, and take action on the commissioned requests.
Inspect government policy compliance: Inspect public and private organisations to ensure proper implementation and compliance with government policies which apply to the organisation.
Write meeting reports: Write complete reports based on minutes taken during a meeting in order to communicate the important points which were discussed, and the decisions which were made, to the appropriate people.
Identify policy breach: Identify instances of non-compliance to set plans and policies in an organisation, and take the appropriate course of action by issuing penalties and outlining the changes which need to be made.
Disseminate messages to people: Receive, process, and pass messages to people coming from phone calls, faxes, postal, and emails.
Apply information security policies: Implement policies, methods and regulations for data and information security in order to respect confidentiality, integrity and availability principles.
Fill out forms: Fill out forms of a different nature with accurate information, legible calligraphy, and within a timely manner.
Fix meetings: Fix and schedule professional appointments or meetings for clients or superiors.
Maintain correspondence records: Sort correspondence and attach previous records or files of correspondence with incoming mails.
Ensure compliance with policies: Ensure compliance with legislation and company procedures in respect of health and safety in the workplace and public areas. Ensure awareness and compliance with all company policies in relation to health and safety and equal opportunities in the workplace.
Organise facilities for office personnel: Manage the booking schedule for conferences and meetings of internal or external nature. Shop around and book reservations for travelling or hosting for office personnel.
Analyse text before translation: Understand the messages conveyed and the nuances of the text in the original text to be translated.
Advise on foreign affairs policies: Advise governments or other public organisations on the development and implementation of foreign affairs policies.
Attend meetings: Deal with committees, conventions and meetings in order to follow up strategies, conclude bilateral or multilateral agreements, and facilitate enforcement of such agreements.
ISCO group and title
2422 – Policy administration professionals
References
- Parliamentary assistant – ESCO