The House of Assembly Service (HOAS), established by statute, is the group of public service employees which supports the functioning of the Legislative branch. Its mandate is to provide non-partisan services in the areas of parliamentary procedure, administrative support and information services to the institution of Parliament, the Speaker and other presiding officers, and elected Members in the performance of constitutional functions. The HOAS includes the Speaker and the Clerk of the House of Assembly and employees of the following offices/divisions.
Office of the Clerk
The Office of the Clerk supports the activities of the Clerk of the House of Assembly in exercising responsibilities as chief parliamentary advisor and chief administrative officer. The Office also includes the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel who provides legal advice on parliamentary matters to the Speaker, the Clerk and the Members, and general legal advice to the Management Commission and House of Assembly Service; and the Sergeant-at-Arms who is responsible for maintaining security in the parliamentary precinct.
Committees, Policy and Communications Division
Operating under the direction of the Principal Clerk of Committees, the Committees, Policy and Communications division has a mandate to develop, manage and provide services in the following areas:
Parliamentary, administrative and logistical support to Standing and Select Committees of the House of Assembly;
Policy planning, analysis and development, including secretariat support functions for the House of Assembly Management Commission and Audit Committee;
Strategic communications and media relations;
Broadcasting services, including web and social media streaming, for all proceedings of the House of Assembly, and public proceedings of the Management Commission and Committees of the House;
Visitor services, outreach and public education programming;
Orientation and training development and facilitation; and
Event planning and execution.
Corporate & Members' Services Division
Operating under the direction of the Chief Financial Officer, the Corporate and Members' Services division has a mandate to manage, support and provide services in the following areas:
Human resources services and payroll administration which provides services in payroll administration; benefits coordination; staffing; competency development and learning; staff relations and counselling; occupational health and safety; conflict of interest; service recognition; position classifications; and supporting the development of human resources policies.
Financial planning and reporting which provides financial analysis, development and communication, as well as advice on financial policies and procedures. It is also responsible for coordinating the annual budget process; providing internal financial reports; providing external financial reporting, including Members' expenses; and coordinating all audit processes. This section is also responsible for the accounts receivable/revenue function.
Accounts payable which is responsible for processing all Members' expense claims, as well as all other payables for the Legislature (with the exception of the Office of the Auditor General).
General operations and purchasing provides support for day-to-day operational matters, central purchasing and asset-management activities. This section also manages the process for setting up district constituency offices, and coordinates the furniture, equipment and services acquisition for all Members.
Information Management Division
Operating under the direction of the Principal Clerk of Proceedings and Information Services, the Information Management Division has a mandate to manage, support and provide services in the following areas:
Parliamentary research services for the Table, supporting the Clerk in the interpretation of the Standing Orders, conventions, precedents and usages of the House to advise the Speaker and Members on parliamentary procedure.
Sessional paper production and management, supporting the preparation and safekeeping of the Journal of the proceedings; the Hansard – the official transcript of the debates of the Assembly, its Committees and the meetings of the Management Commission; and other papers and records of the Assembly.
Legislative Library services, including parliamentary reference and research services conducted primarily for Members and officials of the House of Assembly, and secondarily for the public service and public. The Library is the official depository of publicly released government documents of Newfoundland and Labrador and is responsible for developing and maintaining the House of Assembly website and intranet as well developing research tools and indexes.
Records management, which oversees the administrative and operational records of the House of Assembly Service by developing and implementing policies, procedures and guidelines for their control in accordance with legislative authorities. The records section also provides advice and best-practice guidance to Members for managing their records and provides training respecting protection of privacy in relation to the collection and use of personal information of constituents.
