Indicator: 1.5 Administrative capacity and independence

Parliamentary business needs to be supported by a capable and independent parliamentary administration. The parliamentary administration should be independent of the executive, be free from political influence in its day-to-day operation, and provide support to all MPs impartially.

This indicator concerns the general support available to parliament from the parliamentary administration. While the nature and level of this support varies across parliaments, it typically includes adequately trained staff, suitable facilities, digital technologies, and management of documents, policies, systems and practices.

Specific support related to the core parliamentary functions is covered in separate indicators (see, for example, Indicator 1.6: Law-making Law-making The legislative process or the act of legislating, i.e. the process by which laws are made. See also: Act of parliament, Law and  Legislation Legislation A law or a set of laws that have been passed by parliament. The word is also used to describe the act of making a new law. See also: Act of parliament, Law and Law-making. . , Indicator 1.7: Oversight and Indicator 1.8: Budget Budget A plan typically prepared by the executive and placed before parliament each year (depending on national statute) showing what money the government expects to receive (revenue) and how the government proposes to spend it (expenditure). ).