Accountability: Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs—February 27, 2020

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Key messages

• Accountability for the Parliamentary Precinct is shared between the 2 branches of government: the legislative and executive branches
• This shared accountability adds a layer of complexity to the program, and maintaining proper alignment between accountability and authority is critical to achieving objectives and realizing benefits
• To address this complexity, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the Parliamentary Partners’ administrations have developed an integrated governance framework to provide strategic vision and direction to the renewal of the Parliamentary Precinct and to collaboratively inform timely decisions that recognize the shared interests of all members as well as program outcomes

Responsibilities and accountabilities

The below table clarifies the different responsibilities and accountability of key PSPC and Parliamentary Partners in the delivery of the Long Term and Vision Plan (LTVP).

Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada legislative role

The minister responsible for Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has one of the most extensive portfolios in the Government of Canada and is responsible for a wide array of functions and duties. The minister is accountable for overseeing the department’s role as the government's principal banker, accountant, central purchasing agent, linguistic authority, and real property manager. They are also responsible for ensuring compliance with the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act and serve as the Receiver General for Canada.

Powers, duties and functions of the minister

6 The powers, duties and functions of the Minister extend to and include all matters over which Parliament has jurisdiction, not by law assigned to any other department, board or agency of the Government of Canada, relating to:

1. the acquisition and provision of articles, supplies, machinery, equipment and other materiel for departments
2. the acquisition and provision of services for departments
3. the planning and organizing of the provision of materiel and services required by departments
4. the acquisition and provision of printing and publishing services for departments
5. the construction, maintenance and repair of public works, federal real property and federal immovables
6. the provision of accommodation and other facilities for departments
7. the planning and coordination of telecommunications services for departments, boards and agencies of the Government of Canada
8. the provision to departments of advice on or services related to architectural or engineering matters affecting any public work, federal real property or federal immovable; and
9. the provision to departments, boards and agencies of the Government of Canada of translation and related services

Federal real property and federal immovables

10 (1) - The Minister has the administration of all federal real property and federal immovables not situated in Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut except those under the administration of any other minister, board or agency of the Government of Canada or any corporation.

Other properties

10 (2) The Minister may incur expenditures or perform, or have performed, services or work in relation to

1. any federal real property or federal immovable
2. any work or other property belonging to Her Majesty in right of Canada and
3. any real or immovable property, any work or any other property not belonging to Her Majesty in right of Canada, with the consent of its owner

16 If the Minister is authorized to do a thing under this or any other Act of Parliament for or on behalf of any department, board or agency of the Government of Canada, the Minister may do that thing for or on behalf of

1. any department, board or agency of the Government of Canada or Crown corporation or
2. with the Governor in Council’s approval—given on a general or a specific basis—any government, body or person in Canada or elsewhere

All aspects of this mandate—except for 6 (d) (printing and publishing) and 6 (g) (telecommunications) which are managed in partnership with the House of Commons’ Information Technology Project Management Office (ITPMO)—are at play in the work to plan, rehabilitate and update the Parliamentary Precinct for Parliament and Canadians.

Accountability in practice

The minister and their officials will frequently be called to appear before parliamentary committees to provide program updates, including project updates, information about key rehabilitation elements, and financial updates:

• Board of internal Economy (BOIE)
• Standing Committee of Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO)
• Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC)
• Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration (CIBA)
• Sub-Committee on the LTVP

This dynamic is unusual in that members of these committees are not only holding to account in the standard tradition but are also clients and are directly or indirectly involved in establishing Parliament’s requirements—the foundation of the LTVP program of work.

For project planning and delivery, accountability includes the standards modernizations. Approvals of policy coverage updates or changes are secured through Cabinet, while approvals for major projects and contracts are secured through the Treasury Board, or by leveraging delegated authorities and PSPC officials through internal senior management regimes established under and in support of Treasury Board policies such as PSPC’s Investment Management Board and its Strategic Operations Committee.

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Date modified:

2023-05-10