Message from the Clerk

The last federal election, held on June 28, 2004, ushered in Canada's 38th Parliament and with it a whole new series of opportunities and challenges for the House of Commons Administration.  I believe that the Administration is ready to respond with its characteristic professionalism and energy, and we owe much of that readiness to the strategic planning undertaken over the past decade.

In the mid-nineties, during the 35th Parliament, the Administration published its first Outlook on Program Priorities and Expenditures.  This document established a robust service delivery model for the House:  it cast Members of Parliament as our clients; identified four lines of business in which Members are engaged, that is, the Constituency, Committees, the Chamber and Caucus; and articulated the ways in which our organization supports and serves them.

Since then, the Administration has presented its plans and accomplishments every year in the Report on Plans and Priorities and the Administration Performance Report.  The transition to the 38th Parliament provides an excellent opportunity to refine the planning and reporting process thus reflecting more accurately the activities of the House of Commons and the support structure that the Administration puts in place to support the work of Members.

The Strategic Outlook will be produced at the start of each new Parliament to provide Members with our strategic orientation and key commitments for that Parliament.  The Annual Report will provide Canadians with a summary of Members' parliamentary activities during the year and will report on the programmes and projects supporting those activities.

In preparing the first Strategic Outlook, the Administration has taken note of the many factors that shape the operating environment over the life of a Parliament to assess the most critical variables at play and to base its strategic objectives on that assessment.

Legislators around the world are discussing how better to align democratic institutions and processes to meet the needs of their people in the 21st century.  In Canada, the same debate is carried on at all levels of government.  At the federal level, Members of all parties have expressed an interest in strengthening their representative and deliberative roles, and in cultivating active, responsible and inclusive citizenship for all Canadians.  This has an impact on how Members fulfill their roles in the Chamber and in committees, and how they manage the work in their constituencies and their activities on the world stage.

There are certain key themes that affect any organizational development in 2004.  Technology continues to play a central role in our society and its presence is pervasive.  Institutions, including legislatures, must plan ahead, to anticipate the evolution of technology, the better to manage its impact on work and on the workforce.  There is also a growing public interest in responsible and accountable corporate management in the public and private sectors.  Institutions are also faced with the demographics of an aging workforce and the challenge of balancing continuity of service with changes in key human resources.  Everywhere – especially in legislatures – increased security concerns demand that ongoing, effective assessment be met with measured, effective response.  All these factors have been considered in planning for the 38th Parliament because of the impact they have on the stewardship the Administration exercises over the resources of the House of Commons. 

The Strategic Outlook presents strategic objectives and identifies corresponding initiatives.  The projects and programmes needed to undertake these initiatives will be presented to the Board of Internal Economy and Board approval will be sought for the required resources, human and financial, ongoing and new. 

With the publication of this Strategic Outlook for the 38th Parliament and in full confidence that this new approach will be of benefit to both Members and Canadians, we are ready to embrace the opportunities and meet the challenges that lie ahead during this Parliament.

William C. Corbett,
Clerk of the House of Commons