Introduction

250. Plans for the future continue to reflect the eight objectives agreed by the House of Commons Commission in October 2001 (see paragraph 27). Two of them (services to meet changing needs and value for money in all that we do) are inseparable from everyday work and are dealt with here under the heading of "business as usual".

251. The remaining six objectives will take several years to accomplish in full, requiring projects and managed change. In most cases they also require earmarked project resources (people as well as money). They are therefore covered under the heading of "key projects and development activities".

252. Against each aspect of the plans we indicate some measures by which success may be judged. These are necessarily selective.

Sustaining and developing 'business as usual'

253. 'Business as usual' consumes much the greater part of the House administration's human and financial resources. The large majority of staff are involved in ensuring that the Chamber and committees work effectively and are properly reported on, in making sure that everyone on the parliamentary estate is properly looked after in reasonable working conditions, and in ensuring that our responsibility to maintain an important part of the national heritage is properly carried out.

254. There is a strong tradition of responding flexibly to the needs of the House and its Members, and plans set over a five year period may have to be modified for this reason. However, this does not prevent departments from monitoring the quality of their day-to-day work, for example by measuring turnaround time for correspondence, or satisfaction levels among key customers. Although some of the aims set out in this section are necessarily tentative, they are intended to focus attention on the administration's wish to provide high quality services.

255. Business as usual has never meant standing still. The staff and services of the House have always had to respond to shifting patterns of business and sitting hours and will continue to do so. Changes adopted on the recommendation of the Procedure and Modernisation of the House of Commons Committees may have consequences which cannot be accurately foreseen, but must be absorbed. The administration must also look for ways (such as those offered by new technology) for doing old jobs in new, more efficient and user-friendly ways. The Board of Management will analyse the results of the 2003 survey which is gathering data from Members, their staff and House staff on the quality of services provided on the parliamentary estate and take any further actions that are needed to ensure that services continue to match changing needs (objective 1). It will also continue to seek demonstrable value for money in every aspect of the House service (objective 4).

The four core tasks

Task	Indicative measures
Supporting the House and its committees effectively by providing timely, high quality advisory, research, reporting and security services.	Satisfaction of the Commission and Finance and Services Committee Accuracy and fitness for purpose of Vote Bundle, Hansard, committee reports and library research papers No security breaches in Chamber or committees
Supporting individual Members and their staff with office accommodation and equipment, telecommunications, information and advice	Outcome of services survey (Members and their staff) Continuous network access at Westminster and remotely
Providing information and access to the public	Visitor numbers, school visits, hits on the website, outcome of surveys
Maintaining the heritage of the Palace and other buildings, objects and documents	Value to the nation maintained by investment in maintenance/restoration and preservation - measured by regular valuations

Underpinning support tasks

Ensure the continuity of the House's day-to-day business through effective planning (including contingency planning) and risk management	Statement of Internal Control agreed by National Audit Office
Provide a skilled and motivated workforce. Give recognition and reward for achievement, and ensure that all staff realise their full potential, regardless of level or background, through good learning and development opportunities	Investors in People recognition gained/maintained Vacancies filled successfully Training days receiving positive evaluation
Help ensure the wellbeing of everyone on the parliamentary estate through good catering, attention to work-life balance and appropriate maintenance of a healthy and safe working environment	Reduction in absence rates All staff are trained annually in fire safety Asbestos safely encapsulated and ultimately safely removed Reduction in accidental injuries on the estate Health and safety audits
Maintaining reliable IT infrastructure	Network resilience and reliability
Plan for and manage all of the House's resources to a high standard. Achieve value for money in all that we do through good procurement and management of resources	Audited accounts accepted Actions taken on outcome of Value For Money audits Procurement successes e.g. contracts for printing of House papers beneficially renegotiated Resources managed effectively within agreed baseline budgets

International Parliamentary Conferences Members of the British Parliament play an active part in a variety of international parliamentary assemblies and associations and periodically take their turn in hosting them. The House has agreed to host the Interparliamentary Union (IPU) Session of Spring 2004, which will meet in the Queen Elizabeth Centre, Westminster. The lead in organizing the meetings will be taken by the British Group of the IPU, which has hired outside conference organizers to supervise most of the preparatory work, although Members and House staff will also be involved closely with the project at all stages. Planning also continues for the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which the UK will host in Edinburgh in July 2004. The Rt Hon Bruce George MP is the President of the Assembly, which promotes parliamentary involvement in the activities of the OSCE and facilitates inter-parliamentary dialogue and co/operation. Up to 800 delegates - parliamentarians from throughout Europe and North America, consular and Government representatives, the media and others - are expected to attend the Session. Officials also contribute to parliamentary democracy worldwide by sharing their knowledge with the staff and members of other parliaments, many of whom visit Westminster every year. Preparations are being made for Westminster to host the Association of Secretaries-General of Parliaments, which is held under the auspices of the IPU, and also the Commonwealth Serjeants at Arms Conference during 2004.

Key projects and development activities

256. This section covers Objectives 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 which require planned change over several years and, in most cases, significant project expenditure. Projects costing more than £150,000 (or £500,000 in the case of works) are subject to business case approval. Projects which may fall within this category are marked with an asterisk. This means that the decision to proceed in a particular way and on a particular timescale is dependent on the business case (including value for money) being established and on the availability of funding.

A safe, modern and efficient working environment for the House of Commons

257. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in improving the parliamentary estate to provide Members, their staff and staff of the House with a safe, modern and efficient working environment. Major developments have included the construction and opening of Portcullis House, the refurbishment of catering facilities in the Palace, the opening of the Jubilee Café and the refurbishment of the Norman Shaw South block. There have also been significant enhancements to the security of the Estate to meet changing risk assessments.

258. The emphasis in the next period will be on consolidation and smaller-scale improvements rather than on major construction projects. The major review of office accommodation conducted during 2002/03 will lead to significant changes in the way that office space is managed, including a series of pilot projects designed to match the limited space available better to the current business needs of Members and the staff of the House. The intention will be to avoid the need for any major new acquisition of office property other than for temporary projects and decanting during refurbishments.

259. There are still Members' offices and other working areas which do not meet modern standards and these will be tackled in a continuing programme. We will also seek to make the whole Estate more efficient in terms of energy consumption and recycling of materials.

Accommodation Review Pilot Projects The Accommodation Review Team has reached an important milestone following on from the successful publication of its Phase 2 Report. The report's recommendations on space usage, work style, work settings and new opportunities to improve the way estate accommodation is used will be tested through nine pilot projects. The pilots will be live working areas across the Estate where a number of teams from different departments can explore new ways of working, alternative work settings, group spaces, cultural change, new filing conventions, and new space standards, supported where appropriate by new technology. The objective is to maximise the use of existing offices to keep pace with the ever increasing demand for space on the estate. Two of the pilots already at the planning stage are Finance and Administration in 7 Millbank and PWSD on the 5th Floor at Canon Row. The former is intended to reduce the amount of filing kept in the work area to create more opportunities for group space in a number of new work settings. The PWSD pilot will create an additional flexible open plan space and shared team spaces. This will facilitate the increase in PWSD's manpower plan by providing accommodation for more people to work on the 5th floor Canon Row . Plans to improve the existing kitchen/rest area are included in the plan. The remaining pilots are planned to start during 2003.

Corporate goals	Indicative measures
Implement the agreed accommodation strategy	Objective assessment demonstrates that by 2008 the best possible use is being made of parliamentary accommodation
To improve office accommodation where it falls below acceptable standards*	Refurbished and re-planned working areas meet Health and Safety requirements and comply with the agreed accommodation strategy
To meet or exceed environmental targets set for the public sector	Replacement of Palace boilers and chillers improved awareness of energy consumption in departments. Extend recycling strategy to whole estate. Energy saving strategy and targets to be updated
To make further improvements in access to all parts of the Estate for the disabled*	Implementation of priority projects as identified by disability re-survey of the Palace of Westminster
To maintain effective controls on access to and within the estate	Renewal and enhancement of the pass and automatic access systems*

Improving corporate management

260. There have been significant changes to the system of corporate management of House of Commons services in recent years:

• the introduction of more systematic business and human resource planning;
• implementation of the 'Braithwaite' reforms, including creation of the post of Chief Executive, supported by the Office of the Clerk;
• application of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000;
• application in stages of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (to be completed by 2005);
• creation of the Audit Committee;
• creation of a central procurement office; and
• creation of the Parliament-wide IS Programme Board.

261. The full effects of some of these are still to be felt and more work will be needed in coming years to ensure not only that the House complies with statutory and 'best practice' requirements, but also that it positively benefits from them. The combined effect will be to make the administration work more as a single, coherent team dealing with a diverse range of functions.

Managing change There is a growing recognition within the House service that change needs to be managed in order to secure benefits and avoid undue risks. This is particularly so when technology change or change to the legal environment (eg Freedom of Information) may have knock-on effects on the way that people work, the training and support that they need and on the pattern of dependencies between different parts of the organisation. Examples of a broader and more planned approach to change management include the Parliamentary Communications Directorate change programme, the Library change project and the Business Development Programme in the Department of Finance and Administration.

Corporate goal	Indicative measures
To ensure through strong programme, project and risk management that planned changes to business processes and systems are implemented with maximum benefit and minimum cost	Gateway reviews successfully passed; post-implementation reviews identify benefits
To support improvements in business efficiency and service quality through successful staged implementation of the HAIS project	All HAIS first phase modules in successful live operation Access and functionality extended to House departments on agreed decentralised model Post-implementation review confirms realised benefits
To increase benefits and reduce risks by more centralised management of procurement and contracts	Contracts/projects delivered on time, to budget and specification

Developing skills and diversity

262. Renewing the workforce by recruiting to fill vacancies and ensuring that new staff acquire the skills and knowledge of their more experienced colleagues are normal aspects of 'business as usual'. But the overall profile of the House's workforce must also change to meet the changing demands of parliamentary work and changing expectations of society. For example, the House is likely to need more people with an understanding of web-enabled electronic services. Management skills must also be developed significantly, to keep pace with organisational need. The Commission and the Board of Management are also strongly committed to developing the workforce at all levels so that it comes to reflect more closely the diversity of the United Kingdom.

263. Investors in People accreditation has recently been achieved for the House as a whole, following accreditation for each House department individually in recent years. A great variety of training initiatives are organised, both corporately and in departments, and the staff appraisal system is explicitly linked to personal development for each individual. The aim over the next few years will be to build on these and make sure that human resource management supports the needs of the organisation as a whole. Maintaining IiP accreditation House-wide would demonstrate that the service is able to reap the benefits of consistent staff management and development across all areas

Investors in People: House-wide Corporate IiP recognition for the House is intended to bring a number of benefits: a public commitment to training staff; a more focused approach to planning and budgeting for training and development linked to business needs; a clearer and improved appraisal process; an increase in the quality and frequency of training information; helps to attract high calibre staff; and training fully evaluated for effectiveness and value for money.

Diversity Forum A diversity forum was set up under the auspices of the Human Resources Group and met for the first time in March 2003. The forum includes representatives of all departments. It will promote the concept and ethos of managing diversity, advise on priorities and review existing equality policies, systems and procedures. Managing Diversity ensures all employees maximise their potential and their contribution to the organisation; embraces a broad range of people - no-one is excluded; concentrates on the culture of an organisation and the meeting of business objectives; and is the concern of all employees, especially managers.

Corporate goal	Indicative measures
To improve staff training, communications, motivation and involvement	Attainment and maintenance of House-wide IiP Channels for staff communication and feedback are improved Learning and Development Strategy agreed and implemented Revised staff appraisal schemes implemented Outcomes of management conferences and seminars are shared and communicated
To expand the provision of relevant specialist support to committees	Implementation of committee staffing proposals as agreed by the Commission
To identify and rectify skills shortages which impede the work of the administration	Skills audits carried out in IT, IS and project management Staff Appraisal System is used to identify and develop potential Development of management competences and training programme
To increase and benefit from the diversity of staff	The workforce becomes significantly more diverse according to accepted criteria

Improving public understanding and access

264. This has been a major priority for the Commission, the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons and the domestic committees over the last few years. There are implications for every department of the House. Much has already been achieved. For example, the Jubilee Café has been opened, we have issued a well-received publication scheme under the Freedom of Information Act, there have been significant improvements to the organisation and content of visitor tours, and a fundamental redesign of the Parliament website was implemented in 2002.

265. "Connecting Parliament with the Public" and "A More Accessible Parliament" were major themes of the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons' report of July 2002.[30] Similar messages came from the Information Committee report Digital Technology: Working for Parliament and the Public published the same month.[31]

Principles for the use of Information and Communications Technologies In July 2002 the Information Committee identified five principles for the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in the service of the House of Commons. Three of the five principles were concerned with the potential of ICT to forge new connections between Parliament and the public: "To increase accessibility and enable the public… to communicate with Members and with committees of the House" "To increase public participation in its work" "To enable, as far as possible, the public to have access to its proceedings and papers" (Digital Technology: Working for Parliament and the Public, July 2002)

Hansard Society Projects The Hansard Society is running two new projects funded by the grant from the House of Commons Commission. Both of these projects look at new ways in which citizens of all ages can be involved in the political process and be better informed of the work of Parliament. Headsup (www.headsup.org.uk) The website was launched in May 2003 and a seminar for MPs about the site is being organised. The site aims to further engage young people in political issues and increase the consultation between school children and politicians. The Hansard Society has been running pilots and working with focus groups of young people since January 2003 and has received very positive feedback on this site. The Society now has a full time member of staff working on the content and marketing of the site to schools across the country. It is hoped that once MPs are familiar with the site, they will be involved by taking part in online forums on issues they are working on. Connecting Communities This project is aimed at establishing and developing a longer-term relationship with citizens. It is primarily looking at ways in which visits to Parliament can be the start of this relationship, rather than the end point. The Hansard Society has a full-time project manager who will develop an information pack and organise pilot visits to Parliament over the next few months. The Society shall be working with individual MPs to develop the pack and the visits programme.

Corporate goal	Indicative measures
To implement the high priority recommendations of the Information Committee on using IT to connect with the public	A permanent webcasting service is implemented to build on the pilot scheme The website and webcasting are used to increase public engagement with select committees Further steps are taken to enrich the content and searchability of the www.parliament.uk website* A new contract is let to extend the life of the Explore Parliament educational website*
To comply fully and actively with all requirements of the Freedom of Information Act by January 2005	Satisfaction of the Information Commissioner
To develop a clear and coherent message to the public about the role and work of the House of Commons	Key messages are reflected in the public communications of the House administration A consistent and pro-active approach to retailing and merchandising is achieved
To explore new ways in which citizens of all ages can be involved in the political process and be better informed of the work of Parliament.	Successful implementation of outreach projects in partnership with the Hansard Society (see text box)
To make further improvements to physical access to Parliament*	Develop plans for Saturday tours More informative and helpful signs Improved access for the disabled Follow-up survey of visitors' feedback

Developing our information base and extending electronic delivery of services

266. Both Houses of Parliament now rely on information systems and computer technology in order to discharge their responsibilities to Members and the public. Expectations have increased markedly over recent years in line with awareness of what other public and private organisations are achieving with digital and web-enabled technologies. These are seen to speed information processing, dissemination and retrieval. At the same time there is an awareness that major investments in IS/IT are expensive and need to be carefully managed in order to realise the intended benefits.

267. These considerations mean that Parliament must invest in efficient, reliable and cost effective information systems. Fundamental elements of our strategy are to collaborate with the House of Lords on shared infrastructure, to achieve interoperability between systems and to move progressively towards a smaller set of core systems based, as far as practicable, on standard commercial packages. The ultimate aim is to exploit information systems and technology so as to give parliamentary and public users ready access to a wide range of parliamentary information, when they want it and without having to know where it is held.

PIMS (Parliamentary Information Management Services) Most departments and offices in both Houses will be affected by, and benefit from, the improved information management services that are being planned as part of PIMS. The benefits will come with the phased implementation of an information and knowledge management system, with the potential to support widespread integration of information systems and automation of business processes across the two Houses of Parliament. Although it must encompass services already provided by POLIS, PIMS is required to support much wider information needs and to lay a foundation that will permit the organisation to extend the reach of parliamentary information services to a broader community of users. PIMS Phase One centres on the information managed and provided as a service by the Libraries of the two Houses. Implementation is planned from late 2004.

Corporate goal	Indicative measures
To plan, deliver and maintain an IT infrastructure for Parliament that meets the business needs, including robustness, reliability and security*	Achievement of a fully convergent network that does not under-perform as a result of technical incompatibilities. Annual targets for availability and stability achieved.
To plan and implement a programme of IS projects designed to achieve seamless access to parliamentary information for all users	PIMS replaces and enhances the functionality of POLIS (see text box) Successful completion of all stages of the Vote Bundle project Improvements to the management and navigability of the parliamentary intranet, including access to web-enabled systems * Agreement is reached on key standards for interoperability and on permanent arrangements for the maintenance of standards in the future
To identify options for the extension of electronic service delivery*	The potential for Members to gain secure web access to information in HAIS is assessed and costed Electronic tabling is further developed as required by the House Priorities established for Serjeant's Department services to be offered over the intranet (e.g. room booking)

Corporate goal	Indicative measures
To develop an integrated approach to information management in paper and electronic formats which supports business processes, complies with Freedom of Information and Data Protection requirements and guarantees effective management of records	Development and implementation of a viable strategy for electronic records management* Document management and electronic workflow extended to new areas where they bring clear benefits* Satisfaction of the Information Commissioner where appropriate
To preserve and improve access to historic information sources by making them available in digital form	Digitisation of Hansard* and Private Acts

31   HC 1065, 2001-02 Back