CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
The Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service advises on matters affecting all other public servants. The commission is currently conducting an overall review of the salary structure of non-directorate staff, excluding members of the disciplined services.
The government fully recognises the value of good staff relations in the Public Service. Apart from providing a wide range of welfare and recreational facilities to staff, much effort is devoted to the promotion of effective staff consultation. The formal consultative machinery comprises two service-wide central consultative councils (the Senior Civil Service Council and the Model Scale 1 Staff Consultative Council), a Police Force Council for members of the Police Force, and departmental consultative committees for staff in all other departments. Outside these councils and committees, individual members of the Public Service or staff associations have ready access to their heads of department or grade as well as the Civil Service Branch. The Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service submitted a report to the Governor in February 1989 which contained recommendations on how the consultative machinery in the Civil Service could be further improved.
Continued efforts were made in 1989 to increase productivity and to improve the quality of service to the public. To this end, value-for-money studies and work improvement studies were carried out in various departments. These studies brought about not only improvements in the quality of service, but also more effective deployment of staff and significant savings in resources.
The quality of service is also maintained by way of a disciplinary code which applies to all public servants. It provides sanctions against misconduct and sub-standard performance where other staff management measures fail, while safeguarding the interests and rights of individual public servants.
The government is developing its use of manpower planning techniques and practices in order to ensure that the public service possesses the right mix of officers in terms of numbers, experience, qualifications and skills to achieve its objectives and goals. Particular care and attention is paid to the selection and grooming of senior government officials.
Civil Service Training
The government attaches great importance to the training of civil servants in a bid to increase efficiency and effectiveness and to help them meet new challenges. Induction and refresher training is provided by many departments to equip staff with the skills to carry out their duties properly. To meet common departmental needs, the Civil Service Training Centre conducts a wide range of management, language and computer courses and co-ordinates the training undertaken by public servants at local and overseas institutes. As the central training agency, it also provides advice and assistance to departments on all training matters.
The Senior Staff Course Centre, first established on an experimental basis in 1984, is now a permanent feature of the management training offered to senior public servants. The centre is primarily concerned with the running of two three-month senior management development programmes and a number of short workshops and seminars each year. Participation by private sector executives is encouraged.
Language
The official languages of Hong Kong are English and Chinese. They are used with equal status in all manner of communications between the government and the public. Major
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