SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

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

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SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

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

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The Senate is responsible for its own internal administration and, to that end,
establishes administrative rules and provides direction and control.

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SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

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

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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.

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SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

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

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SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

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

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The Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel provides the following services:
legal advice to senators on matters relating to their parliamentary
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SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

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

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The Legislative Services Sector provides procedural advice and support to

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

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SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

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

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SENATORS RESOURCE GUIDE:

Allowances, Entitlements and Administrative Services

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

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 nonfinancial 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.

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