000240 G. F. 324
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From: Colonial Secretariat
MEMO
Ref: (41) in GR 2/3511/67 II
Tel No : 95405
Date 22 February 1969
To Heads of Departments and
Branches
CIRCULAR MEMORANDUM
SCA's Report on the First Year of the
City District Office Scheme
Two copies of this preliminary report are attached. More can be supplied by the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs if they are needed.
2
This is a report to the Governor by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs on the twelve months' work since the City District Office scheme was announced on 24 January 1968. His Excellency has directed that the report should be distributed to heads of departments as it stands, and also that it should be slightly re- cast into a form suitable for publication, and published as soon as possible in Chinese as well as English. The rewriting and translation have been started.
3
The Governor, who attaches considerable importance to this scheme and considers that the progress made so far has been encouraging, has been glad to learn from the report that these new district branches of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs are making progress in the establishment of good working relations at the local level with the professional and technical departments; His Excellency hopes that this process will continue as the City District Officers gain experience, and that the encouraging public reception so far given to the scheme will enable departments to make increasing use of the CDO network in order to ensure that their services and activities are fully understood by the public, and in order to sound out public opinion about existing services or procedures or new ideas as the need arises. Requests for work to be done in this field may be addressed to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs (whose title is shortly to be changed to Secretary for Home Affairs) when the subject matter concerns the whole urban area, or to individual City District Officers (with a copy to the SCA, head office if the matter is of more than ephemeral significance) when the subject concerns individual districts.
4
The Secretary for Chinese Affairs has asked that it should be emphasised to departments that whilst the present principles and objectives of the CDO scheme are clear and established, the methods and tactics are still, and will remain for some time to come, very much a matter of trial and error. He will welcome comments on the
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