Guide to Making Federal Acts and Regulations: Part 2 - Making Acts

This table highlights important questions and issues for consideration in planning and managing legislative projects.

	Taken into Account
Questions and Issues	yes	no
Legislative project team Are team members fully bilingual and able to evaluate drafts critically in both official languages? Does the team include members who fully understand the Cabinet approval process and parliamentary procedure? Are the team members able to network at all levels within the Government, with Minister's staff and with staff of the House of Commons and Senate? Does the team include a legal adviser from the Departmental Legal Services Unit to deal with the many legal questions that necessarily arise in a legislative project? Do the team members have the appropriate technical skills? (for example, word processing, e-mail, Internet, etc.) Does the team include administrative support staff?
Development of Legislative Strategy What is the priority of the proposed legislative project relative to other bills? how does it relate to other Government priorities? was it part of the Speech from the Throne? was it part of the Budget? is there a technical reason for the bill (for example, the implementation of an international agreement)? Which Parliamentary process should be proposed? normal legislative route committee study of a bill before Second Reading Senate consideration of bill before the House of Commons committee study of policy proposal before a bill is introduced committee study of a draft bill. What are the target dates for the Parliamentary phase (taking into account other events)? introduction in the House of Commons passage by the House of Commons introduction in the Senate passage by the Senate Royal Assent.
Communications Strategy What are the public, interest groups and the media saying about the bill? What is the atmosphere in Parliament and what external events may affect the debate on your bill? What is the appropriate focus of public communications (for example, why is this a good initiative)? What media activities could support the strategy?

Project Planning Templates

The two templates in this chapter are to assist managers, team leaders and working level officials to plan each step in the law making process. For each template, an outline is provided with an example showing how the template might be used.

Key Step or Activity	Anticipated Timing

Product	Start on	Finish by	Responsibility	Comments	Status

Key Step or Activity	Anticipated Timing
Introduction and first reading	Week of March 12th
Product	Start on	Finish by	Respon- sibility	Comments	Status
Briefing books and information kits	January 5	March 5	P. Smith	Senior management to review the advance copy	First draft now being reviewed by legislative project team

Schematic Map of the Federal Law-making Process and Associated Support Activities (Acts)

Note to users: Given the scope and complexity of the data, this schematic map exceeds standard paper and/or screen dimensions. For printing purposes, the map has been formatted to fit within 5 separate 8.5x11 pages. Print each page separately and assemble side by side for a complete image.

*Task or Step*	*Earliest Start*	*Latest Finish*
Prepare Ministerial briefing books	January 5	February 5
Prepare and assemble bill kits	January 19	February 20
Prepare news releases and information packages	February 5	February 28
Draft speeches	February 5	February 28

Strategic Considerations for Legislative Planning and Management

Project Planning Templates

Schematic Map of the Federal Law-making Process and Associated Support Activities (Acts)