How Do Parliamentarians Use ICTs?

Abstract

Parliamentarians have many responsibilities, both in the legislative chamber and in their constituencies. From participating in house and committee deliberations, to proposing legislation or amendments to other proposed bills, and speaking on behalf of and defending the interests of their electors, parliamentarians are supported by the resources of the body that administers parliament. In the digital era, these resources usually include information and communication technologies (ICTs) that facilitate these important and challenging tasks and support parliamentary transparency and legislative functions. However, little is known about how parliamentarians currently use ICTs to accomplish their goals. This research assesses how parliamentarians in the Canadian House of Commons and in the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly use ICTs to carry out their legislative and representative functions, and how the further use and adoption of ICTs can improve their performance. The research finds that the legislators surveyed are adopting ICTs and using Web 2.0 tools to accomplish their work, and that the use of laptop computers, smart phones, and social media to communicate, promote their objectives, and influence parliamentary and public discussion are all having a direct and often positive impact on their daily business. From these findings, core recommendations are made for the administrative offices of parliament to improve the effectiveness of existing tools, address emerging confidentiality and data security concerns, and strengthen legislator’s access to tools for the analysis of proposed legislation and the oversight of government actions.