Types and Nature of Administrative Support

Several types of administrative support are required to ensure the smooth operation of parliamentary committees. The major supporting activities relate to the support staffs’ duties to the chair of the committees, to members of the committee during debate, post debates and deliberations. The major activity of support staff relates to information flow to committee members, to the house, to the chairperson of the committee and to and from government ministries, departments and agencies. Regarding administrative support to the Chairperson, staff members are required to assist the chairperson in preparing a work program. This will typically include a listing and prioritizing of activities for a particular session of parliament or for a pre-determined time period, such as a year; drawing up notices of meetings and agenda for meetings in consultation with the chairperson and providing similar support to subcommittees appointed by the committee. These program schedules are circulated to members of the committee.

Support to members particularly regarding information flow include:

• Registration of committee members and alternate members, recording attendance and noting co-opted members;
• Ensuring that papers referred to the committee are distributed to members;
• Liaising with government departments, ministries, legal advisors and the general public;
• Supporting fact-finding missions, oversight missions and public hearings;
• Ensuring the implementation of decisions taken by the committee;
• Preparing Order Paper entries in respect of Bills and papers referred to the committee.

Administrative support duties of committee staff also include: drafting and circulating minutes of meetings; assisting in preparing committee reports; drafting press releases; and publishing committee reports and other relevant notices in the Announcements, Tabling and committee Reports.