Resource Guide: Structure and Governance

SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

April 28, 2008 CONFIDENTIAL I - 1

I. Structure and Governance

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2

2. Senate Administrative Rules ................................................................................................... 2

3. Structure and Governance ....................................................................................................... 2

3.1. The Senate ........................................................................................................................ 2

3.2. Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration ....................... 3

3.3. Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments ............................................................ 3

3.4. Senate Administration ...................................................................................................... 4

4. Roles and Responsibilities of the Senate Administration ....................................................... 5

4.1. Executive Secretariat ....................................................................................................... 5

4.2. Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel ............................................................................ 5

4.3. Usher of the Black Rod .................................................................................................... 6

4.4. Communications .............................................................................................................. 6

4.5. Legislative Services ......................................................................................................... 6

4.6. Parliamentary Precinct Services ...................................................................................... 7

4.7. Corporate Services ........................................................................................................... 8

Annex A - Organizational Chart of the Senate Administration




1. Introduction

This chapter presents an overview of the administrative and governance structure of the Senate

and its Administration. It describes the roles and responsibilities of the various directorates

within the Administration and provides a summary of key services.

For a more complete description of these services and contact numbers, please refer to Appendix

A List of Services.

2. Senate Administrative Rules

Use of Senate

resources

The Senate Administrative Rules, originally adopted on May 6, 2004, codify the

fundamental principles and rules governing the internal administration of the

Senate and the allocation and the use of resources. They complement and have

equal authority to the Rules of the Senate, which govern Senate parliamentary

procedure.

The Senate Administrative Rules are public and subject to the statute laws

(legislation) that apply to the Senate, notably: the Constitution Acts, the

Parliament of Canada Act; the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act;

and the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act. They are

supplemented by policies, guidelines, opinions, directives, forms and practices

adopted or implemented by the Senate and by the Standing Committee on

Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (Internal Economy Committee).

Senators are to manage their offices and employees and perform their

parliamentary functions subject to the Senate Administrative Rules. Likewise,

all other resources are to be used exclusively in the service of the Senate.

Persons who allocate and authorize the use of Senate resources are accountable

for those decisions.

All financial and human resources and their use are subject to the rules,

direction and the control of the full Senate and of the Internal Economy

Committee.

3. Structure and Governance

3.1. The Senate

Role The Senate is responsible for its own internal administration and, to that end,

establishes administrative rules and provides direction and control.




3.2. Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

Role The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration

(Internal Economy Committee) is mandated to consider on its own initiative all

financial and administrative matters concerning the internal management of the

Senate and to determine the propriety of any use of Senate resources.

Composition The Internal Economy Committee is comprised of fifteen senators, one of

whom is elected Chair. Membership on the Committee is drawn from the

political parties in proportion to the political composition of the Senate. By

practice, a Chair and Deputy Chair are not elected from the same political

parties.

The Internal Economy Committee continues to function during times of

prorogation and dissolution of Parliament.

Steering

Committee

By practice, the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, also known as the

Steering Committee, is normally comprised of the Chair, Deputy Chair and one

other senator from the Committee. The Subcommittee generally sets the

agenda for the Internal Economy Committee meetings and reviews documents

submitted to the Committee for consideration and decision. The Subcommittee

may also direct the Senate Administration to draft policies or undertake

projects.

Subcommittees In order to streamline operations, the Internal Economy Committee may

establish subcommittees to examine specific issues.

3.3. Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments

Role The Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments is the chief administrative

officer of the Senate and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The Clerk

is also the senior procedural advisor to the Speaker and other senators, serves as

clerk to the Internal Economy Committee, and chairs the Administrations Management Committee.

As Clerk of the Parliaments, the incumbent is the custodian of all original Acts

passed by Parliament and is responsible for: certifying the authenticity of these

Acts; and for keeping and providing access to the records of Parliament.

Management

functions

As head of the Senate Administration, the Clerks principal functions are to: provide advice on corporate governance; organize the Senates internal administrative and financial structures; direct the Senate Administration and

control and monitor its functions; and report to the Senate through the Internal

Economy Committee.




Chair-

Management

Committee

The Senate Administrations Management Committee is a consultative body of senior managers chaired by the Clerk of the Senate.

Executive

Secretariat

The Executive Secretariat serves the Clerk in his various roles and is made up of

three (3) divisions:

1) The Clerks Office; 2) The Internal Economy and Management Committees Support Office;

and

3) The Strategic Planning Office.

Rank The Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments holds a rank equivalent to

that of a deputy head in the federal public service.

For protocol purposes, the Clerk is, in the bureaucracy, second in precedence

only to the Clerk of the Queens Privy Council for Canada, who also serves as Secretary to the Cabinet.

3.4. Senate Administration

Senate

Administration

The Senate Administration is a non-partisan organization that serves the Senate

and individual senators.

It is composed of all persons who fall under the direction of the Clerk of the

Senate. Please refer to Annex A - Organizational Chart of the Senate

Administration at the end of this chapter for more information.

The Senate Administration develops and implements policies and guidelines,

establishes procedures and practices to ensure the sound management of Senate

resources, and provides support to senators and their offices.

Structure In addition to the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, Office of

the Usher of the Black Rod, the Communications Directorate and the Executive

Secretariat, the Administration is organized into three (3) business sectors:

Legislative Services, Parliamentary Precinct Services and Corporate Services.

The Legislative Services Sector is comprised of the Chamber Operations and

Procedure Office, the Committees Directorate and the Legislative Systems and

Broadcasting Office. The International and Interparliamentary Affairs

Directorate, which reports jointly to the Senate and the House of Commons,

also falls under the Legislative Services Sector.

The Corporate Services Sector is formed of the following directorates: Finance;

Human Resources; and Information Systems.




The Parliamentary Precinct Services Sector includes the Long-Term

Accommodation Secretariat, the Senate Protective Service, and Building

Services.

The Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, the Usher of the Black Rod and the

heads of each directorate are members of the Management Committee and

report directly to the Clerk of the Senate.

4. Roles and Responsibilities of the Senate Administration

4.1. Executive Secretariat

Role The Executive Secretariat has three (3) divisions:

The Clerks Office provides administrative services to the Clerk and ensures effective liaison with the offices of the Speaker of the Senate,

the Senate Leadership, senators and their staff, and representatives of

government and parliaments, both domestic and international.

This office works closely with all sectors of the Senate Administration to

ensure that the needs of the Senate are met. It also administers the

Senators Attendance Policy.

The Internal Economy and Management Committees Support Office gives administrative and logistical support to the Clerk when fulfilling

duties in support of the Internal Economy Committee, and to the

Committee and its subcommittees.

Similar support is also given to the Administrations Management Committee.

The Strategic Planning Office assists the Clerk and senior management in maintaining modern and effective management practices related to

planning, performance measurement and reporting, and assembles and

maintains a comprehensive body of internal administrative policies.

This is done to ensure that the Administrations business practices meet high standards of public management, governance, stewardship,

transparency and accountability.

4.2. Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel

Role The Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel provides the following services:

legal advice to senators on matters relating to their parliamentary




functions, in particular on the constitution of the Senate, on the

constitutional privileges, immunities and powers of the Senate and of

senators, and on questions of statutory interpretation;

legislative drafting services to senators for their bills and amendments;

notarial services; and

corporate counsel services, in particular to the Internal Economy Committee and the Senate Administration.

4.3. Usher of the Black Rod

Role

The Usher of the Black Rod coordinates and manages the logistical and protocol

details of official parliamentary events including the Speech from the Throne,

the Installation of the Governor General and the annual Remembrance

Ceremony. The Black Rod is responsible for the management of the Page

Program and oversees the duties of the Mace Bearer.

4.4. Communications

Role The Communications Directorate is responsible for the Senates communications program and carries out a wide range of activities, including:

the production of internal and external publications; outreach and awareness

programs; the creation of corporate communications products and services; and

the management of media relations for the Senate and its committees, as well as

the communication of ceremonies and special events in the Senate Chamber.

This Directorate supports Senate committees by assisting them in preparing

communications plans, distributing news releases and facilitating media access.

It assists senators with public relations on their responsibilities and work on

behalf of Canadians by providing assistance in identifying media contacts and

distributing media releases.

The Communications Directorate also manages the operation of the Senates toll-free information line (1-800-267-7362).

4.5. Legislative Services

Role The Legislative Services Sector provides procedural advice and support to

senators and coordinates the Senates work as it relates to the Chamber and Committees.




Chamber

Operations

and

Procedure

Office

The Chamber Operations and Procedure Office supports the business of the

Senate. The Principal Clerk prepares the Speaker, Senate Leadership, other

senators and the Clerk for each sitting of the Senate, and provides procedural

research, information, advice and training. This Office also prepares the

Journals, Order Paper and Notice Paper, makes arrangements for royal assent

to bills, and prepares Speakers rulings.

Committees

Directorate

The Committees Directorate serves committees with administrative support,

including budget management and witness preparation. It offers procedural

research and advice to committee chairs and members. As well, it manages the

room allocation service for reserving Senate committee rooms.

Legislative

Systems and

Broadcasting

Office

The Legislative Systems and Broadcasting Office manages the provision of

television services to committee proceedings and certain Senate events. The

Directorate is the coordinator and project manager for the Legislative Sector on

all information management projects and is responsible for the transcription of

Senate debates and committee proceedings, the provision of closed captioning

and CART services and for the publication of Debates, Journals, Order Paper

and Notice Paper, committee proceedings and committee reports.

International

and Inter-

parliamentary

Affairs

Directorate

The International and Interparliamentary Affairs Directorate is a joint service of

the Senate and the House of Commons that gives logistical and administrative

support to parliamentary associations and friendship groups, and manages and

coordinates parliamentary exchanges and protocol.

4.6. Parliamentary Precinct Services

Role The Parliamentary Precinct Services Directorate provides the physical and

logistical services offered to senators and the Senate Administration. The

Client Service Centre (613-992-3333) offers a single point of contact for all

services offered by Parliamentary Precinct Services.

Long-Term

Accommodation

Secretariat

The Long-Term Accommodation Secretariat ensures that the Senates accommodation needs for the short, medium, and long-term are identified and

conveyed to the appropriate approval authorities, coordinates Senate projects

contained in the Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct

(LTVP) and represents the Senate on LTVP working groups.




Senate

Protective

Service

The Senate Protective Service provides security operations within the Senate

Precinct for the protection of life and property, controls access to Senate

buildings and responds to emergencies. It also prepares identification cards

and offers locksmith, lost and found, and traffic services.

Building

Services

Building Services is responsible for facilities management, office space set-up

and moves. It also provides mail and messenger services, building

maintenance and recycling, painting and minor repairs, material handling and

delivery, committee room services, transportation, printing services, trade

services, and asset management. Safety and environmental issues also fall

under the management of Building Services.

4.7. Corporate Services

Role

The Corporate Services Sector offers a wide range of services related to human

resource and financial management and technological and systems support

services.

Human

Resources

Directorate

The Human Resources Directorate delivers services to senators, managers and

employees and develops and implements policies and practices related to: pay

and leave administration; benefits and support programs; personnel services;

staffing; staff relations; classification; official languages and training services.

It also organizes various special activities that celebrate Canadas cultural diversity or which mark important dates or events.

Finance

Directorate

The Finance Directorate provides financial management services to senators and

to the Senate Administration including: senators pay, benefits and pensions; financial planning; budget development and analysis; financial and non-

financial trends analysis; accounts processing; cash management; and financial

reporting. It develops and implements financial management policies and

practices and provides advice and interpretation on them. It is also responsible

for purchasing and contracting services.

Information

Systems

Directorate

The Information Systems Directorate makes available expertise and services to

senators offices and the Senate Administration on all corporate information management and information technology services and products. These include

network and desktop support, application and web development,

telecommunications and multimedia services, documents and records

management services.

Documents

Resource Guide: Structure and Governance