Strategic Objective 2

A panoramic photo of Parliament Hill

To enhance ongoing services to Members and sustain the institution

The House Administration must continually improve the services it delivers to Members and their staff in the Chamber, committees, caucuses and their constituencies while developing a strong foundation to support the future needs of the House of Commons. It must also assist with the modernization of the buildings within the Parliamentary Precinct to ensure they continue to serve Canada’s democratic tradition well into the 21st century.

Preserving the past, building for tomorrow

Advance the Long Term Vision and Plan to rehabilitate heritage buildings and grounds, and provide additional parliamentary accommodations

Parliament Hill is home to some of the most impressive and iconic buildings in Canada. But the Parliament buildings are more than just a majestic backdrop for visitors to the nation’s capital the work that goes on inside them ultimately has an impact on all Canadians. As such, the purpose of the Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) is twofold: to restore and preserve these important symbolic spaces while upgrading them to support the needs of a modern Parliament as it carries out Canada’s democratic traditions.

The House Administration will continue to provide strategic direction and input at all stages of the LTVP implementation, working closely with partners from Public Works and Government Services Canada to manage all maintenance, repair and construction projects, and to ensure these projects respect and reflect the heritage of Canada’s parliamentary institution. This includes readying parliamentary accommodations for the additional 30 Members of the House in the next Parliament.

As the LTVP progresses, one of the House Administration’s top priorities will be to see that the rehabilitation projects already underway remain on track. As these projects advance, the House Administration will play a lead role in overseeing the planning, design and implementation of technology services and network and other telecommunication infrastructures, including the modernization of the integrated security system and the radio communication system. As well, work will begin on master plans for other projects throughout the Parliamentary Precinct.

The LTVP pertains to more than just architecture. The Parliament buildings are also home to a number of artifacts and works of art that chronicle the history of the House of Commons and help shape an understanding of the role the institution plays as the focal point in Canadian democracy. The House Administration will develop a set of common guidelines and standards to manage this collection and ensure it will be available for the appreciation of generations to come.

Keeping the House connected

Maintain the flexibility of our technology infrastructure

The modernization of the Parliament buildings parallels the ongoing modernization of Parliament itself. In our technology-driven world, the House Administration recognizes its responsibility to maintain and renew an information technology infrastructure and services that are essential to Members and their work. Technology-related initiatives in the coming years will include the ongoing lifecycle management and modernization of information technology systems and applications architecture in accordance with established enterprise-wide IM/IT standards and strategies.

Our House, safe and sound

Strengthen the guardianship of the institution

Through its membership in the Master Security Planning Office a partnership between the Senate, the House of Commons and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police the House Administration will continue to strengthen its approach to security by centralizing the planning, development and delivery of security services.

One of the core elements of the Master Security Plan is intelligence-led security a concept that involves using the collection and analysis of information to guide both strategic and operational decisions. During the 41st Parliament, the House Administration will place particular emphasis on further improving its intelligence-led approaches to be able to better assess risks and establish an appropriate security posture to match them.

An additional focus will also be placed on prevention: developing and implementing security initiatives and mitigation measures to ensure the continued safety, accessibility, and continuity of the operations of Parliament. Moving forward, the prevention-planning process will encompass a number of initiatives intended to strike the right balance between respecting Members’ access to their places of work and the security deployments necessary to create a safe environment for all. These will include the development of business continuity plans for Members’ offices and committee rooms, and the finalization of an in-city alternate site plan for the Chamber. The Incident Command System will also be expanded to improve the response to major crisis at the House of Commons.

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