The CPA Benchmarks were intended to codify minimum benchmarks for democratic legislatures and drew heavily on the outcomes of past CPA Study Groups on a range of specific issues. The CPA Benchmarks provide a tool for Commonwealth parliaments to use in undertaking their own self-assessment, as they seek to identify possible new ways to function as effectively as possible. Since their publication, the CPA Benchmarks have had an impact globally, with a number of other parliamentary associations developing their own sets of recommended benchmarks or standards based on the Benchmarks.