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2.4
2.0
Another significant factor is that certain Heads of Departments operate under Ordinances governing the functions of their departments. These Ordinances state that the Head of Department is subject to the order and control" of H.E. the Governor. Accordingly, such Heads of Departments feel entitled to direction by H.. personally on important matters.
2.5 In this evolution of the relationships between Branch Secretaries and
Heads of Departments the point has been reached at which some Heads of Departments consider that on important policy matters they may communicate direct with the Chief Secretary. On policy matters of less consequence they will normally communicate with the relevant Branch Secretary as a matter of administrative convenience. In this form of relationship the Secretary sees himself as only having responsibility in the very broadest sense for success in the operational implementation of policy programmes,
A view was given that Secretary posts and their supporting staff were not created for operational control purposes and therefore the relation- ship of Secretaries to Heads of Departments should definitely be more "staff" than "line". In this concept the Heads of Departments are the operational control managers and they are accountable to the Chief Secretary by virtue of a "line" relationship. Heads of Departments generally feel that they are not personally accountable to Eranch Secretaries on operational matters. In practice, they are not subjected to any interference" on operational matters and they would not expect to be. The Branch Secretary is regarded as a "minister" with whom the Head of Department communicates on matters of policy and from when they receive advice.
2.7
The concern and interest in the Branch Secretary's role, in the context of this assignment, stems from a desire to trace with clarity the Eranch Secretary's job and, in particular, his relationship to the work of departments in terms of defining accountability for departmental performance. There is clearly a divergence of views on this matter but it is appreciated that the most efficient and effective system will only emerge as part of the evolutionary process which is now taking place.
2.8 Supervisory Accountability within Departments
2.9
The logical extension of examining the relationships between Branch Secretaries and Heads of Departments at the top of Government, was to
The aim xamine the mechanisms existing within a range of departments. was to ascertain whether structures and relationships existed within the departments surveyed which might encourage and foster the practice of supervisory accountability.
It was not practical to examine all Government departments. Indeed, it is thought that it would not have been realistic to do so as there are some departments which do not fit into broadly recognisable "types" and therefore any findings or conclusions would have validity only within a
1 For example
Police Force Ordinance, Cap. 232, Section 4 Fire Services Ordinance, Cap. 95, Section 5
- Customs and Excise Service Ordinance, Cap. 342, Section 4.
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