Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Issue 8 - Evidence - June 18, 2015
OTTAWA, Thursday, June 18, 2015
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration met this day at 8:33 a.m., in public, for the consideration of administrative matters; and in camera for the consideration of administrative and other matters.
Senator Leo Housakos (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Good morning, everyone. I would like to welcome new colleagues of ours here today: Senator Batters is replacing Senator LeBreton; and Senator Plett is here, I think on behalf of Senator White; and Senator Neufeld is replacing Senator Manning. Welcome. We have reinforcements here today. That's good. It gives a renewed sense of confidence.
We'll go right to our public side of the meeting. Are we on the air so Canadians from coast to coast to coast can see us doing fine work?
Item 1 is the adoption of the minutes of public proceedings June 11, 2015. Anyone move the adoption of the minutes? Senator Smith (Saurel), seconded by Senator Neufeld.
Item 2 is the Working Group on Senators' Services. We have Miranda Edwards and Amanda McLaren.
Miranda Edwards, Financial Clerk, Finance and Procurement Directorate, Senate of Canada: Good morning. My name is Miranda Edwards. I'm a project coordinator and policy writer with Senate administration. I'm here today with my colleague, who is the co-designer of this project — the Working Group on Senators' Services.
Amanda McLaren, Special Assistant, Office of Senator Marshall: Good morning. My name is Amanda McLaren, and I am Special Assistant to Senator Marshall.
Ms. Edwards: Our proposal to the committee was to establish a Working Group on Senators' Services to support consultation and collaboration between senators' offices and the Senate administration. Reporting to the executive committee, the group would include a cross-section of Senate employees that includes senators' staff as well as administration staff. The role of the group would be, first, to recommend and collaboratively manage special client service projects; and, second, to respond to requests for feedback from Senate administration on specific client service products, services or projects.
Ms McLaren: The concept for this working group came as a result of the Office Portal project. As you know, the Office Portal is the website we launched in January this year that provides online management tools and resources for senators' offices. It was a collaborative project put together by a working group of 16 members, with 6 members from senators' staff as well as a representative from every administration directorate, which included Miranda and me. The group conducted numerous consultations sessions and outreach activities and generally tried to give all staff a chance to participate and provide their input.
Aside from creating a very successful product, the working group turned out to be an effective tool for bringing people together and establishing better working relationships between Senate administration and senators' offices. Through our regular meetings but also through the consultation outreach activities, there was a positive and constructive exchange between the two houses. Senators' staff felt their perspectives were heard and they had an opportunity to contribute. As well, we heard from the administration staff and how they were benefiting from hearing perspectives as well. So it was a very beneficial open dialogue.
Ms. Edwards: Initially when we received approval for the working group to create the Office Portal, it was meant to be a temporary project-based group for the Office Portal. But throughout the life of the project, we started receiving numerous requests for many additional projects from administration, senators' staff and from senators, who approached the group with a long list of project requests that covered everything from learning and training programs and Office Portal expansion to include legislative content, IntraSen improvements, more orientation events and more. Most importantly, we have heard from staff in both the administration and senators' offices that they would like the group to continue as an entity as a platform for collaboration and ideas exchange, regardless of what, if any, specific project it may be working on. Senate staff in particular asked for more consultation and outreach activities that the group organized.
As a result of this feedback, Amanda and I, as two of the working group's original members, along with our project sponsors, felt we should respond to this feedback by requesting permission to continue what we started with the Office Portal.
Undoubtedly, feedback received from senators' offices contributes to better client service projects created by the administration.
[Translation]
At this time, the administration consults senators' staff on an ad hoc basis. We ask for the participation of personnel in various ways, as needed, for instance by asking senators to obtain employees' comments, or by asking, informally, for the participation of volunteers to examine new tools or publications. For senators, staff and administration, this process requires time and considerable coordination work. However, as a permanent entity dedicated to that purpose, the proposed working group would provide an effective and streamlined method for consulting personnel, and would bring greater efficiency to the gathering of Senate staff comments, as well as better mobilization of employees and of their ideas.
[English]
In sum, this initiative can be accomplished with no additional resources to the Senate and will do a great deal to help us to continue the work we're already doing to foster innovation, improve client service, engage all Senate employees and continue the success of the Office Portal and the working group.
Ms. McLaren: I think I can speak for Miranda and me in expressing our enthusiasm for this project in a time of extraordinary organizational change in the Senate. We are excited to take advantage of this unique opportunity and leverage our success with the Office Portal to continue to improve services to senators.
Thank you for having us. We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
Senator Munson: I think it's a great initiative. There is talk about expansion of the Office Portal, including a new legislative section and other tools for IntraSen. How will that work? IntraSen, I think, is not used enough by senators' offices. It's a great, valuable tool, but I don't think it's really used enough. Are you going to have other programs with Senate staff to really walk them through how important it is for the senators to use?
Ms. Edwards: I think part of the Office Portal was not only trying to direct attention to the resources that are already on there but to simultaneously reorganize in a way that is more intuitive and useful for senators' offices.
In terms of IntraSen or a legislative portal more broadly, one of the things we would like to do with this group is first of all talk to senators' staff about their priorities because, as we mentioned in our presentation, we have a list of almost 12 projects that have been requested from the group and we can't do all of them at once. However, some priorities have come up, so we want to do a consultation initially to ask about the big things we can do now to fix it. IntraSen might be one of them, or improving the Office Portal or creating a legislative portal as well. I agree that it's a good tool that already exists, but that could be improved.
The Chair: Any other questions?
Senator Lang: I would like to follow up on this. You said 12 projects. Who has recommended those projects?
Ms. Edwards: Administration employees, senators' staff and senators.
Senator Lang: I want to make a point here. There is a very major difference between the senators' offices that are there representing the major centres in Canada versus those that are representing rural Canada. Subsequently, there are sometimes different needs. Perhaps staff from offices can provide — I will use mine as an example — ideas that should perhaps be incorporated to make the system work in a better way for all senators, but in particular those in the rural areas that are required to do so much travelling and the costs and everything associated. I would strongly recommend that at least two if not three staff members from senators' offices representing rural parts of Canada be represented on this body to help assist to put forward recommendations.
Ms. McLaren: Over the summertime, I guess we have a unique opportunity here because we don't know when we'll he be coming back. It could be a long time, so I think we are going to take this opportunity to have consultation sessions with all senators' staff and encourage everybody to get involved and provide their input. We're going to be extending an invitation to the working group and to all senators' staff and administration, so hopefully we can include representatives from every party, every area.
Senator Lang: To go back, and I'm not going to belabour this, but a core group of people will be organizing and putting together the various recommendations. I would like to think that at least a number of offices representing rural areas will be part of that core working group in conjunction with the overall staff consultation. That's my point. Otherwise, it sometimes gets lost.
Senator Neufeld: My question is much the same as Senator Lang's. I am not aware that my office is involved in the working group.
Senator Lang: My office hasn't been.
Senator Neufeld: I don't know how far the reach was to try and actually include — maybe they are and I'm just not aware of it, but I did ask my staff this morning.
I would volunteer one of my staff members — because I am one of those rural senators — to actually work on the working group with you so that we get input from those who live the farthest away from here on these types of things.
I'm not saying what you're doing is wrong, I totally agree with you, but I think the net has to be cast a little larger than maybe it is.
The Chair: If I may interject, I don't think there is any difficulty expanding the group. If I'm not mistaken, we can expand the group moving forward, and I think an invitation was sent out to all senators who wanted to participate. Going forward, I think we can easily expand the working group and add senators who want to participate in the process.
Sorry for cutting you off.
Ms. Edwards: Not at all.
I can briefly tell you how we put together the first working group, trying to include as many senators' staff as possible. We sent numerous email invitations to all senators' offices to invite them for consultation sessions. When we established the group including senator's staff, we also sent out email invitations to everyone to volunteer. We had six volunteers, and we did outreach as well to try and include as many people as possible. We had over 100 senators' staff participate in the initial consultations.
As for being on the working group, it was a bit more of a time commitment. We have bi-weekly meetings every other Monday morning. It was always a completely 100 per cent voluntary basis. There is no cap on the number of staff that could be in the group. We literally accepted anyone who signed up and wanted to come to the meetings. I think that is the model we want to continue with. Even if there were to be a small group of people that were doing more of the administrative or steering committee type matters, it would still be open meetings. Any staff from the administration or senators' offices that want to come and give their opinion, I think we would be open to that.
Ms. McLaren: Absolutely.
Senator Lang: I'm not going to belabour this any more, but I think there should be representation from the rural parts of Canada on the steering group itself, the working group, because that's where the bulk of the work would be done. That's my only comment.
The Chair: Are there any other questions or comments? Do you agree with the recommendation?
Are you moving that motion, Senator Munson?
Senator Munson: Yes.
The Chair: Seconded by Senator Marshall.
Item 3, training initiative for senators and staff.
Nicole Proulx, Clerk of the Committee, Chief Corporate Services Officer, Senate of Canada: Good morning, senators. This document was provided to you a few weeks ago, and I'm happy to have the opportunity to present it. Basically, it relates to training initiatives.
[Translation]
I would like to begin by saying that there are already training programs in the Senate, in particular training regarding the secure handling of information, first-aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation — CPR — and the use of a defibrillator, as well as other corporate training relating to the supervision of employees, client service and second- language writing techniques. So there is a whole array of training courses.
The Senate also offers more targeted training for procedures related to human resources, finances and procurement. As an example, when the electronic claims system was put in place, we provided good training to all of the employees. The same goes for procedures having to do with the end of the fiscal year.
[English]
So what is being proposed here relates to the provision of more comprehensive training on relevant administrative policies. Providing this training could have two significant benefits: improve understanding about the proper interpretation and application of policies, and the second one is to help build positive relationships between senators' staff and the administration. This actually links very well with the presentation you just heard from Miranda and Amanda. We need and want to build strong relationships between the administration and senators' offices.
The proposal before you, just some initial ideas, is to provide formal training to senators and their staff on areas under their responsibility for Senate resources, all kinds of Senate resources. Training would be designed in modules so that it can be sliced into manageable-sized pieces on key areas such as general office management, finance, procurement, human resources and other related subject matters. It would also have to be adapted, depending on the audience, for senators or for staff, and there is a recommendation that this training be mandatory. Obviously this requires your consideration as well as guidance in terms of frequency and provision of refresher courses.
A second portion could be already happening, informal training to senators and their staff. This can take the form of one-on-one meetings to discuss provisions, provide clarification, assist on interpretation and application of documents, completion of claims or other areas of interest.
[Translation]
Third, we continue to create tools to help the senators, their employees and the administration. The development of online training is a topic of interest, as well as the increased use of electronic systems.
Finally, communicating change is also an important component of good management. We would like to work with the working group to determine the best way of reaching all groups, whether senators, their staff, the administration or all of those who are involved directly or indirectly when there are changes.
Earlier you mentioned the increased use of the IntraSen tool; it is a model we would like to examine and we would like to promote it more. This concludes my presentation. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
The Chair: Do senators have questions?
[English]
Senator Cordy: This is a great idea. At this time, in light of what's gone on and in consideration that there is an election coming up and that there will be more time for staff, the idea of the training being mandatory at this time is also a great idea.
Senator Marshall: Are we going to include security in the formal training? Are there any plans for that?
Ms. Proulx: Security training is already offered on a regular basis, and that will continue as well.
Senator Marshall: On the reference to the mandatory training, the Audit Subcommittee was tasked with meeting with Mr. Duguay regarding the report they issued on leaks regarding some of the audits that were undertaken in the past. One of the issues we were discussing is mandatory training in the area of security so that everybody is aware.
The Chair: One of the issues now with the amalgamation of the three forces over the next three to five months is that there will be significant changes, I suspect. That would probably kick in when we get back.
Senator Marshall: Would that be included?
The Chair: I suspect it might be included or might even be set off on its own. It will be quite significant because the changes will be significant for us and for the three forces involved in security.
The process is starting now and over the summer. Speaker Scheer and I will monitor that, I probably a bit more than he because they're gone for a few months. We're going to make sure that senators are updated throughout the summer on what changes are coming so they don't come as a shock or surprise to anybody. We'll try to make them as seamless as possible.
Senator Marshall: In the areas of office management, finance and human resources and information technology, I agree with all that, but physical security and security over our files and data are of concern also.
The Chair: We will now go in camera.
(The committee continued in camera.)