File n° 73 

At the end of the 1980s the National Assembly set up a single computer department which was given the name “Information Systems Department” in 1998 and placed under the responsibility of the two secretaries general.

The department is in charge of managing the computer equipment of the institutional bodies of the National Assembly and its administration (excluding that of the political groups). Its task is to provide and develop the information system it deems necessary to allow the National Assembly to function autonomously. It may however, when necessary, call upon external assistance particularly when specific requirements in the field of expertise and development are needed (audits, advice, the conception and creation of new applications) or maintenance required.

Since 2002, the future programme of the Information Systems Department has been set out in a three-year computer plan which lays down the policies to be implemented as well as the means to be invested. This plan, which is drawn up by the Information Systems Department after having consulted the other departments of the National Assembly is submitted to the Questeurs for approval.
 

I. –  the general Organisation
of the Information Systems Department

The Information Systems Department is in charge of the research into, the setting-up of and upkeep of all computers, computer systems and applications for the entire National Assembly. It is also responsible for the running of the main site and the management of the computer network. In collaboration with the Personnel Department it also trains users in the skills needed to work with computers.  

It is made up of fifty people, three quarters of whom are computer engineers and technicians who are recruited by internal or external examination for the following four units :

― The “Management” Unit which deals with budgetary and accountancy questions, with the preparation and follow-up to tenders and with every type of legal issue ;

― The “Applications” Unit which deals with researching and developing the information system and with the correct operation of the applications used (maintenance and assistance) ;

― The “Production” Unit which deals with running the central systems as well as the internal and external networks ;

― The “User-Support” Unit which deals with answering user requests for assistance by calling upon external service-providers, with the management and the maintenance of the micro-computer network, and with the technical assistance and organization of computer-based training periods.

II. – the applications

The Information Systems Department manages and maintains over 55 applications, some of which are specific to the National Assembly on account of its double task of legislating and monitoring Government action.

1. –   Legislatives and documentary applications

The main applications are the following :

― The electronic voting system

The electronic voting system means that the results of public ballots which take place in the Chamber may be made known and published in real time. It has been adapted so as to enable votes outside the Chamber using several ballot boxes.

― The Legis Application

This application is used to follow, by means of legislative files, the successive steps in the examination of Government and members' bills, from their being tabled in the National Assembly or the Senate to their publication in the Journal Officiel. The Legis database contains all the procedural information, as well as an indexed summary of the content of the Government or Members' bill. This software, which is at the very heart of the legislative application programme, was completely updated in 2004 and 2005. It is one of the most complex computer projects carried out at the National Assembly over the last ten years. It makes the coordination of work between various legislative departments possible and controls the productions of numerous publications for internal use and for the Journal Officiel. The data contained on this database may be consulted on the internet.

―  The Questions Application

This application is used to automate the verbatim processing and managing (by the departments of the National Assembly) of the written and oral questions put by M.P.s to the Government, as well as the answers provided. The data contained on this database may be consulted on the internet. In 2007 new developments were implemented which now provide M.P.s with the possibility of actually tabling questions on-line and thus dematerializing the exchanges with the Journaux Officiels.

― The Tribun Application

This application is used to manage information concerning M.P.s’ elective offices and their membership of the various bodies in the National Assembly. The database also contains information concerning Senators transmitted by the Senate. Data from this database may be consulted on internet.

― The Archives Application

This application is used to provide, on the one hand, a description of the events which take place during the plenary sitting and on the other hand, an automated edition of the debate schedules of the National Assembly (with two lists: one by theme and the other by author).

― The Library Application

Beginning in 1992, the library has had a computerized list of all the works acquired since that date (fifteen thousand files per year). The indexing is carried out by using the Bibliothèque Nationale’s (France’s National Library) “Rameau” thesaurus which is also used by the National Foundation for Political Sciences. A new application was developed in 2003 to facilitate searching and create more secure access, via internet, to the catalogue and enable reservations of works to be made on-line. 

―  The Eurodoc Application

This application is used in the European Affairs Department to manage the documentation of the various European institutions. It may be consulted on intranet or on internet.

The National Assembly also possesses applications which enable the processing, management and transmission of legislative documents. These applications mainly concern:

― The processing and the transmission of the verbatim official report

The processing and transmission application for the official report, has enabled, since 2004 for the official report of the debates (“white book”) and 2005, for the supplement of articles, amendments and annexes (“blue book”) their composition, secure transmission to the Journal Officiel for publication and their consultation on-line on the internet site of the National Assembly, in a 24/48-hour period after the sitting.

― The drawing-up, processing and transmission of amendments

This application, which is regularly updated, has been in use since 2005. It enables the processing of amendments and allows them to be placed on the internet and to be printed en masse. The digitalized amendments thus are part of the drawing-up of the “petite loi” (“little law”) and the drafting of the verbatim official report.

2. –  Management applications

Most of the management applications (accountancy, salaries, pensions, social security etc.), which were first introduced in the early 1990s to facilitate the operation of computer tools by the relevant departments, were replaced between 2001 and 2005. The accountancy, salary and human resource systems now rely on a single, piece of integrated, management software. The social security management system of the National Assembly has been outsourced to a service-provider.

So as to facilitate and improve access to the various buildings, a “hands-free” identity pass management system was introduced in 2003. 

Other management applications have been implemented to cater for the specific needs of particular departments: stock management, applications for the Transport Department when dealing with issuing transport tickets, or with coordinating car transportation in Paris and in the suburbs etc.

3. –  The portals

―   M.P.s’ Portal

A new portal has been made available to M.P.s as of the XIII^th Parliament. It is accessible from their computers at the National Assembly and from all computers connected to the internet network (constituency, office etc.) and will provide simplified and secure access to different applications and services gathered together in a “virtual office”:

·  The personal e-mail of the M.P. and his agenda which can be shared with any of his assistants he chooses;

·  The “tabling questions” application;

·  The site “577”, the information and communication portal for M.P.s;

·  The library site.

― The Portal of the Departments of the Assembly: WEBAN

The intranet site, “Weban” may be consulted by all members of staff of the National Assembly. It enables the transmission and consultation of a large amount of information concerning the management of the personnel, in-house training and competitive examinations as well as practical information of all kinds. Almost all information published internally is nowadays available on-line.

― The Internet Site of the National Assembly

The authorities of the National Assembly decided to open, from the beginning of 1996, the internet site (http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr), which is operated in collaboration with the Communication and Multimedia Information Department.

This site provides the general public with information concerning the organization and running of the National Assembly. It provides access to parliamentary documents and to legislative files as well as to the live broadcasting of the plenary sitting.

The internet site of the National Assembly received 9.4 million visitors during 2006.

III. –  hardware and technical infrastructure

1. –  M.P.s’ hardware

Each M.P. is provided with standard micro-computer hardware in his office at the National Assembly. This consists of two micro computers set up with free software (Linux for the operating system and Open Office for the office suite).

All the computers have a secure access to the internet and to a private internal network which provides the possibility of using different information applications. Assistance, maintenance and the necessary training are all provided by the Information Systems Department.

In addition, each M.P. receives a long-term computer allowance for his personal constituency secretariat (hardware, software, maintenance, training etc.). This allowance is allocated for the length of the Parliament and is managed by the Purchasing and Material Means Department. The M.P.s are entirely free to choose the computer equipment and supplier they wish. 

2. – The hardware of political groups at the National Assembly  

The secretariats of political groups at the National Assembly are allocated a specific allowance whose total amount is set for the entire Parliament according to the number of M.P.s the group actually has.

The political groups may decide upon their computer hardware policy with the advice, if they so wish, of the relevant departments of the National Assembly. Assistance, maintenance and training services concerning the hardware and software of the political groups are not carried out by the Information Systems Department. However requests for access to broadband services may be met via the National Assembly’s network. 

3. – Department hardware

Having an office automation policy has enabled the standardization of the hardware of each department. Its aim is to simplify hardware management and to provide an office support system which uses the same standard software. The hardware is renewed department by department over a period of around every five years.

At the present the network includes around 1,300 microcomputers.

4. – The network and security

The offices of political groups, M.P.s and the departments have been progressively cabled since 1992. In addition, the meeting rooms and certain shared spaces are equipped with terminals providing WiFi internet access.

Most of the computers can communicate with servers using a star network topology which is transferred by broadband. Connections to internet are also carried out via the internal network and access-providers. The growth in usage has required an increase in the network capacity.

Operations to secure the general network were carried out in 2002 and 2003 at the same time as the setting-up of a new computer room. This led to the renewal of the hardware as well as to the backing-up of strategic asset hardware.

The electronic voting system in the Chamber, which was renovated in 1998, is now linked to the Ballot Management Department and, for the recording of proxy votes, to the secretariats of the political groups. The voting system was also made secure in 2003 and 2005. It now has its own network which is independent of the general network. 

5. – E-mail

The M.P.s and all members of staff have their own e-mail boxes. The system was replaced at the end of 2002 so as to improve its performance and functionality.

It is now possible to access the National Assembly electronic address book and to directly manage one’s passwords, e-mail groups and rerouting.