This Parliamentary Development Course on Use of Research, Media and Civil Society Organisations to enhance effectiveness of Parliamentary Committees was organized by PILDAT with a special emphasis on building the capacities of women Parliamentary committee chairs and parliamentary staff. This short course was designed to equip women parliamentary committee chairs and staff with the skills needed to deal with the challenges of committee work by developing a more purposeful approach to engaging civil society, media and research and information services. The course also aims to help women MPs and parliamentary staff understand how to interact and participate more effectively in parliamentary committees. This capacity development course held on May 14, 2006 at the Hotel Marriott, Islamabad was attended by 7 women Members of Parliament and 12 parliamentary staff. The women MPs included 4 chairs of parliamentary committees, 2 from the Senate and 2 from the National Assembly and represented the Pakistan Muslim League and Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Of the 12 parliamentary staff 7 were from the National Assembly secretariat and 5 from the Senate secretariat. Participants of this short course were addressed by a renowned expert on parliamentary practices and procedures, former Secretary General of Indian Lok Sabha, and a prominent media personality, currently leading the news and current affairs at Aaj television network. The workshop was divided into two sessions. Session one presented an overview of using media as a tool to enhance effectiveness of parliamentary committees, session two dealt with the linkages between research and research institutions and civil society with parliamentary committees.