March Oversight Training: The Nuts & Bolts of Conducting Oversight

POGO's Congressional Training Program aims to educate Hill staffers and other people in the legislative branch about the oversight powers of Congress.

Designed for veterans and neophytes alike, the seminars feature a combination of lessons and hands-on exercises from some of the most accomplished current and former Congressional oversight experts and practitioners. Although seminars are targeted towards committee staff, much of the skills and information shared during the seminars are helpful to personal staff in their investigations.

For Congressional staff only—not open to the public.

Next seminar:

"The Nuts & Bolts of Conducting Oversight"

Friday, March 22, 2018
12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (note the extended time)
Refreshments and snacks provided
Location: Capitol Visitor Center
Room number provided upon RSVP

Presenters:

• Cathy Yu, Director of Labor Oversight, Committee on Education and Labor
• Amanda Neely, General Counsel to Senator Rob Portman and Deputy Chief Counsel for the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation

For more information, email Ms. Danni Downing or call (202) 347-1122.

There is no cost for participating in the seminars. They are for legislative branch staff only, are off the record, and refreshments are provided. Seminars will generally be held on the last Friday of the month in the Capitol Visitor Center or alternating each month between rooms in the Senate and House office buildings.

True to POGO's non-partisan mission, the training seminars always have both a Republican and Democratic presenter, and may also include presenters from the GAO, CRS, Inspectors General, media, and NGOs. Seminar topics have ranged from "How to Prepare for an Oversight Hearing" to "Making the Most of Your Resources Part 1: GAO" to "Advanced Seminar: Oversight of the Financial Sector."

Congressional oversight is a bipartisan responsibility and effort. Therefore, the Honorary Co-Hosts are Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and the Senate. This Congress's Honorary Co-Hosts are Senators Charles Grassley and Claire McCaskill, and Representatives Mike Coffman and Jackie Speier. POGO launched its Congressional Training Program (then called the Congressional Oversight Training Series) nearly a decade ago to provide Congressional staffers, at no cost, with exercises, case reviews, and lessons from some of the most accomplished current and former Congressional oversight experts and practitioners from both parties.

More than 1,000 staffers—both novice and seasoned, from Democratic and Republican offices, and from personal and committee offices—have attended these seminars. Below are just a few of the myriad compliments the program has received in the staffers' seminar evaluations.

"Excellent discussion and great guest speakers. Very knowledgeable with good handouts."

"I like the fact that this is a series—that you continually remind staff of the need to do oversight. As opposed to one seminar at the beginning of the session which we promptly forget about in the rush of everything else we've got to do."

"Real life situations and tips very helpful to new investigator."

"Each session gives new ideas as to how oversight can be done—based on the firsthand experiences relayed by the panelist. It helps answer the question: 'Where do we start?'"

Additional information:

• For more on committee or personal office trainings, visit our Trainings page
• Access all of the Congressional Oversight Training Resources
• POGO developed a Congressional oversight handbook to help improve the quality of oversight activities on the Hill. Practical, humorous, and readable, the handbook is a treasure-trove of valuable information for Congressional staffers, students, political scientists, and the public. Download the The Art of Congressional Oversight: A User's Guide to Doing It Right