Information and communication technology requirements of the Parliament are managed by the Department of Information Systems & Management.
The department was added to the long-established seven departments of the Sri Lankan Parliament in late 2004. The idea of forming such a department originated as a result of the project "Modernizing Parliament for Democracy and Development in Sri Lanka" conducted by the government of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the Department was entrusted with the responsibility of ICT management in Parliament and is now in the process of implementing an information and communication technology strategy, namely “e-Parliament”.
The e-Parliament strategy which was first developed by a reputed consultancy firm M/s Ernst & Young entails different perspectives: institutional growth, improving internal processes, stakeholder satisfaction and cost effectiveness. The strategy has gone through several revisions due to prevailing cultural and procedural practices and evolving technological landscape.
The e-Parliament has made significant progress over the years.
Vision
To strengthen the stakeholders via information systems
Mission
To date, the Department of IS&M has implemented diverse initiatives to achieve envisaged objectives.
Functions
Services
Intranet Portal (iParliament)
Parliament has developed an intranet portal, a web based home-grown system, in order to manage information across departments within the Parliament. Users, mainly the staff and the Members of Parliament, could access the portal locally and remotely via secure Virtual Private Network (VPN).
The main objective of the portal is to provide an integrated information solution and empower all stakeholders including the general public.
The intranet portal was conceptualized, designed and developed by the staff of the Department of Information Systems & Management of Parliament, and is being updated continuously to have more applications and features. As at today, the portal contains over 30 applications.
Communication Infrastructure
Department of IS&M provides ICT infrastructure services throughout the Parliament building in order to facilitate robust information exchange in an efficient and effective manner. Features of the communication infrastructure includes high speed fibre backbone, sophisticated switching equipment, wireless connectivity, secure remote access, secure authentication and advanced intruder detection mechanisms.
ICT Training
Parliament has an in-house training centre which has resources to provide training for more than 25 personnel at a time. ICT awareness and training to parliament staff and Members of Parliament are constantly provided in order to uplift their ICT knowledge and there by positively contribute to parliamentary business in a more result-oriented manner.
Web Presence
Parliament website was first developed in 2006 with the objective of sharing parliamentary information and communicating with citizens and other relevant stakeholders. Its multilingual version was launched in 2008, and a revamped version compliant with IPU guidelines was unveiled in 2013 with new and enhanced features. The website was adjudged as the “Best Government Website” at the competitions organised by the LK Domain Registry in 2009, 2010 and 2013.
Mobile App of Parliament of Sri Lanka
Mobile apps have become a popular and effective mode of communication amongst the general public. In this backdrop, Parliament deployed its own mobile app in January 2016. The mobile app provides parliamentary information from the website, including the facility to view proceedings of the House as live or on-demand. It is available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone platforms.
Help desk support and maintenance services
Help desk support is provided to all ICT users in parliament during office hours. Users can sort out their ICT related issues by calling the Help Desk and obtaining technical support.
ICT Policy compliance
A well-documented ICT policy has been enforced with the view of enhancing confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.
Resources
The use of Information and Communication Technology in Parliament - Benefit Cost Analysis
The use of Information and Communication Technology in Parliament - Benefit Cost Analysis (in brief)
Name
Nawagamuwa NBU
Phone
0112776451
buddhika_n@parliament.lk
2014-07-01
Handbook of Parliament
The System of Elections in Sri Lanka
How Parliament Works
Business of Parliament
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