Preparing for Public Accounts Committee
The prospect of a forthcoming appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) can be an immensely stressful situation for a Public Sector official to encounter, and even the most experienced senior officials may only face the Committee three or four times a year. The career reputation of the official and their department can be significantly affected by the outcome of the PAC hearing.
This one-day course on Preparing for Public Accounts Committee will help to take away much of the stress by providing a clear and thorough explanation of the way the PAC works, its expectations of witnesses, the key issues that are likely to be focused on and how to prepare for a hearing.
This training course is delivered on a one to one basis to thoroughly prepare officials due to face the PAC, to ensure that the trainer can effectively deal with any particular concerns that delegates may have. There will also be the opportunity to practise answering questions specific to a report which is to be the subject of a PAC hearing.
This programme is delivered by David Finlay, a well-known former director of the National Audit Office, who worked closely with the PAC on their examinations of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), one of the most high profile topics considered by the PAC.
Preparing for Public Accounts Committee is an in-house course within our
Accountability & Governance series. At the Civil Service College, we tailor our courses to each attendee’s role and organisations, ensuring that each delegate gets the most out of the training. Our courses and trainers are continuously updated and evaluated to ensure that we are always delivering the best service possible.
Civil Service College Bookstore
Public Officials who have little or no experience of the Public Accounts Committee, those who may have previously attended PAC but wish to improve their performance in front of the Committee at future hearings and those who are briefing their permanent secretaries prior to a PAC hearing.
Attendees will gain greater confidence and less fear in dealing with the PAC through a deeper understanding of how the Committee questions witnesses, as well as the opportunity to practise answering questions in a relaxed setting ahead of a hearing.
10:00 - 14:00
1-2-1 or Group booking. Contact us for a quotation.
In-House
This course is available In-House and can be tailored to meet your individual training requirements.
EnquireDavid is an acknowledged expert in the procurement of major projects, contract management and good governance in the delivery of public services.
Read BioDavid has worked at senior levels in the private, public and voluntary sectors. He is an acknowledged expert in the procurement of major projects, contract management and good governance in the delivery of public services. He has also taken a particular interest in how business relationships can be improved to achieve more successful outcomes.
David qualified as an accountant with PWC and then developed a career in corporate finance gaining expertise in business reviews and helping companies to raise finance. He was then asked by the National Audit Office to use his commercial experience to help the NAO establish a team to examine government infrastructure projects procured under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). As the Director of the NAO PFI team David led over 50 reports to Parliament working closely with the Public Accounts Committee.
David now divides his time between Board roles and other support and training across the public, private and voluntary sectors. David was Chair of the National Youth Agency (2013-15) and a member of the regional NHS Board for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (2017-20). In 2021 David was appointed to the Board of the National Infrastructure Commission. He is also the author of a new book Coronadiary showing how the pandemic underlined the need for effective planning, good use of data and managing risk in both government and business.
David is in regular demand as a trainer. He has trained many groups of government officials from both the UK and overseas and also private sector businesses on the procurement of major projects, contract management, managing business relationships, commercial and financial awareness, effective risk management and preparing for Parliament Committee hearings.
Thank you for requesting our Training Catalogue. To action your download, please complete and submit the form below.
For more information on how we protect and store your submitted data, please see visit our privacy policy.
Civil Service College can deliver In-House training within your organisation that is exactly tailored to meet your individual training requirements.
request a call back
For more information on how we protect and store your submitted data, please see visit our privacy policy.
For more information on how we protect and store your submitted data, please see visit our privacy policy.
Registered in England: 07835721. Registered Office: Civil Service College, 25 Queen Anne's Gate, St James's Park, London, SW1H 9BU, United Kingdom