Senate Estimates Success
For new and emerging Senior Executives, the difference between a confident, well-prepared official and one caught in the headlights rarely comes down to capability. It comes down to craft. Primary Purpose Advisory's Senate Estimates success programs are designed to build that craft — from your first appearance at the table to owning the full accountability cycle.
Primary Purpose Advisory is offering two services to help senior public servants prepare for this essential accountability process: At the Table, a hands-on experiential simulation of Senate Estimates, with live and 360 feedback built in; and In Cycle, one-to-one mentoring over a whole Senate Estimates cycle.
However, before you even get to those services, Primary Purpose is offering the Senate Estimates Playbook — a free guide to excelling in preparation, at the table, and afterwards. Scroll to the bottom of the page to get your copy now.
At the Table
Senate Estimates is one of the most consequential — and most misunderstood — performance environments in the Australian Public Service. At the Table is a half-day, small-group readiness program designed to give new and emerging Senior Executives the preparation, practice and feedback they need to walk into a hearing confident and wholly present.
Participants complete a short pre-session survey covering their organisational context, likely lines of questioning, and relevant media commentary. This allows the simulation to be tailored to their actual operating environment — not a generic scenario, but the real pressures of their portfolio.
The session opens with a concise orientation covering the constitutional foundations of Senate Estimates, core procedural literacy, and the principles behind effective performance at the table. Participants then move into a high-fidelity mock hearing, taking turns as the official under examination while colleagues observe and contribute to a structured peer review. Immediate live feedback follows each turn, and the session concludes with a written performance assessment for each participant.
At the Table runs for half a day and is designed for cohorts of three to five Senior Executives drawn from the same agency or department. It is available via video conference, with in-person delivery available by arrangement.
Online: $3,500 + GST. In-person delivery is available within the Sydney metropolitan area at the same rate. Interstate delivery to Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane is available by arrangement; travel costs apply.
In Cycle
Senate Estimates is not a single event — it is a continuous accountability cycle, and the officials who perform best understand that the work of preparation never really stops.
In Cycle is an ongoing mentoring and development program spanning a full Estimates cycle, from Budget Estimates in May through to Additional Estimates in February. Designed for Senior Executives who want to move beyond one-off preparation and build genuine craft over time, the program provides structured performance support at every stage of the cycle.
Each participant receives personalised coaching ahead of each hearing round, drawing on their briefing materials, recent committee activity, and any emerging issues in their portfolio. Following each appearance, a detailed performance review is conducted against the Hansard record, identifying what worked, what didn't, and what to carry forward. Between rounds, regular check-ins maintain momentum and ensure that lessons learned are embedded rather than forgotten by the time the next hearing arrives.
In Cycle is available as an individual program or for small SES cohorts within the same agency. Pricing is available on application.
Download the Senate Estimates Playbook
Before you even decide whether to select At the Table or In Cycle, set yourself up for Senate Estimates success with the essential guide to preparation, performance at the table, and debriefing: the Senate Estimates Playbook.
