Role
The Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) supports the work of the Australian Parliament, maintains Parliament House as a symbol of Australian democracy, and makes the building, and the important activity that takes place within it, accessible and engaging. DPS reports to the Presiding Officers of the Parliament (the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives).
DPS activities
In 2014–15 DPS undertook many activities to support its clients, stakeholders and customers. These activities included, but were not limited to:
- replacing 1,025 desk top PCs and 1,364 monitors in parliamentarians’ offices
- repolishing 25,457 square meters of flooring
- recording and transcribing 4,216 hours of parliamentary proceedings
- transcribing 55,872 pages of parliamentary proceedings and committee hearings
- supporting 37 official visits
- providing security 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- providing audio services for 245 interstate committee hearings and 4,216 hours of parliamentary proceedings
- completing 12,656 individual client requests
- adding 172,766 items to Library databases
- offering visitor events and programs, including behind-the-scenes tours, Floriade courtyard and garden tours, Enlighten and heritage tours
- maintaining 23 hectares of landscape in the Parliamentary Precinct and planting more than 7,000 annuals in the formal gardens
- implementing new finance, payroll and HR systems
- delivering foundation training in procurement and contract management, and
- implementing a new governance framework.
In 2014–15 there were:
- 759,483 visitors to the building
- 3,979,949 million virtual visitors to the website
- 196,058 participants on tours and 1,144 functions and events
- 63.1 million emails transmitted on the Parliamentary Computing Network