A well run parliament is an important part of a strong and dynamic democracy and society. The Department of the House of Representatives has a role to play in achieving this broad outcome.
This corporate plan sets out our purpose, values, commitment to our people, and responsibilities, together with our priorities and strategies for the next three years. In doing so, it provides guidance for our clients and ourselves on what we do, how we go about it, and what we intend to achieve over the next three years.
The plan provides continuity with previous plans, through its emphasis on excellence in service delivery, development of our people and the importance of ensuring sustainability of operations into the future. As to new themes, the plan gives greater prominence to the centrality of relationships in our work, and the importance of flexibility in our operations.
The plan has been developed in consultation with people at all levels in the department, including the input of almost two-thirds of the staff of the department at the annual departmental planning day in February 2007. It will be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the House of Representatives.
I commend the plan to you.
To support the House of Representatives to fulfil its role as a representative and legislative body by providing effective advice and services of the highest possible standard.
We uphold the Parliamentary Service Values and adhere to the Code of Conduct set out in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999.
Our people
Our future depends on our investment in the knowledge, skills and motivation of our people.
We aim to enhance the prospects for our people to learn and develop, and to be valued for their contribution and diversity. We aim to continuously improve on our performance.
Our business
We provide facilities, support, advice and information to ensure that:
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the Chamber and Main Committee operate effectively;
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parliamentary committees operate effectively;
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Members receive appropriate services to fulfil their parliamentary duties;
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international and regional relationships with other Parliaments, parliamentary bodies and organisations are maintained; and
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the community understands, and interacts with, the work of the House of Representatives and the Commonwealth Parliament.
Strategies for achieving these corporate outcomes and measures of performance are set out in our annual Portfolio Budget Statements and business and other plans and have ‘line of sight’ to individual work plans.
We pursue business excellence through our
People-Service-Productivity business model and the agreed arrangements set out in our workplace agreements.
Priorities for 2007 – 2010
Our priorities remain closely linked with improving our ability to serve our clients – developing our people – sustaining our capability – and maintaining strong relationships within the department, the parliament, and beyond.
Service
We need to ensure strong client service in support of Members of Parliament, other parliamentary clients and the wider community.
We will enhance our performance and strengthen our service culture by:
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fostering professional relationships with clients;
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gathering feedback from our different client groups, and being responsive to their requirements;
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encouraging excellence in service provision;
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pursuing improvements to services and their delivery; and
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nurturing an integrated department while recognising individual responsibility.
People
We need to be skilful, dedicated and motivated and ensure our department is a good place to work.
We will continue to develop our knowledge and skills and make our working environment better by:
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assessing our culture to ensure it complements our values and assists us to achieve our goals;
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reinvigorating our leadership development program, helping people at all levels to develop an understanding of how they can demonstrate leadership, and promoting a shared responsibility for leadership and mutual support;
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reviewing recruitment practices to ensure attraction and selection of high quality suitable staff;
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reviewing the factors that assist in attracting and retaining good staff and adopting strategies to ensure an effective mix of mobility and experience;
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embracing generational change and being innovative and flexible to draw the best from people of all ages and ensure ongoing productivity and performance;
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continuing to support and encourage training and development, including an emphasis on enrichment opportunities, relationship skills and the parliamentary context;
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adopting flexible strategies to support staff with varying workloads and foster appropriate work life balance for people in all areas; and
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ensuring effective performance management through ongoing feedback, active management of underperformance and recognition of high performance.
Sustainability – flexibility
We will ensure that our capability to support our clients and the parliamentary institution continues into the future.
We will encourage our sustainability and ability to operate flexibly by:
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ensuring our resources are used efficiently and are adequate to meet our requirements into the future;
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adopting flexible strategies in response to the workload variations of the parliamentary cycle;
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implementing suitable governance arrangements, including monitoring compliance with associated policies and practice;
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integrating our business continuity and disaster recover plans into parliament wide plans and undertaking periodic awareness raising
and testing;
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strengthening communication and information sharing across the department;
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enhancing departmental records management, including the use of electronic document management;
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maintaining the integrity of House and Committee records and documents for the benefit of future generations; and
- investing in information and communication technologies that improve our ability to meet the needs of our clients.
Relationships –
Members, colleagues, community
We will strengthen our links with parliamentary colleagues in Australia and internationally.
We will encourage and rely on shared understanding and knowledge to develop our services to Members of Parliament and the Australian community by:
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drawing on commitment to our own roles and awareness of the needs of Members to refine the services we provide to them;
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ensuring we build and maintain harmonious working relationships with each other and with parliamentary colleagues in Australia and beyond;
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drawing on strong professional relationships and using the best information and communications technologies to pass on to colleagues the benefits of our tradition of professional support to the House; and
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developing the reach of the information resources we create for the Australian community on the work of the House.
Print version of Corporate Plan 2007– 2010
This corporate plan is available in PDF Format (342 Kb)
