The Northern Ireland Women's Coalition will act as an "effective and critical" opposition to the four main parties sharing power in the Executive, the party's main spokeswoman, Ms Monica McWilliams, has pledged.
"We will ensure that the people holding positions of power and responsibility will do a good job and we will hold them accountable as any good opposition should do," said Ms McWilliams, one of the NIWC's two Assembly members.
She said the NIWC hoped to work closely with other pro-agreement opposition parties, such as the Alliance Party, the Progressive Unionist Party and the Ulster Democratic Party.
"In a power-sharing government, the role of the opposition is even more important than normally. As part of that opposition, we will ensure that we are a very critical voice," Ms McWilliams added.
The NIWC will have representatives on all select committees and on the committees for equality, European affairs and the Office of the First Minister.
"We will also be pressing for the creation of committees for the family and children's welfare," said Ms McWilliams.
Commenting on yesterday's wrangles inside the chamber, she said the initial acrimony would soon make way for more constructive working relationships.
"It has taken a tremendous amount of time to get here. True, the mood music we heard today was the one we have got used to at Stormont. But I think people are anxious to get into their new jobs and they will work well together once they have settled in," she said.
"I believe the new ministers are all anxious to prove they are the best ministers for their particular areas and that can only be good for Northern Ireland."
While the DUP were still using their usual obstructionist tactics, they would soon be adopting a more constructive approach, said Ms McWilliams.
"I don't think they will want to be left behind. We know that people have been working well together on respective committees over recent months, even if that is not a much-publicised fact. In future, this co-operation will become more formal and more publicised."
While it was not yet clear whether the DUP would take its seats on any new cross-Border bodies, it was a good sign that it was taking up its ministerial portfolios.
"All of this will take time, but all of it is possible," she said.
Ms McWilliams said she did not want to see the UUC meeting timetabled for February hyped as another deadline.
"I do not want to see the February meeting to be set up as an insurmountable obstacle. I believe the decommissioning issue will be appropriately dealt with by Gen de Chastelain. There should not be any forced expectations."
She said the most difficult task facing the Assembly would be reaching agreement on a programme of government. The process would, however, be made easier as every minister could fall back on a new team of civil servants.
"Let's see how we will deal with the real issues, such as hospitals affected by public expenditure cutbacks or shortcomings in our education system such as the 11-plus transfer tests."