CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
October 1, the total strength of the Civil Service was 188 000, with staff distributed among some 420 grades and 1 250 ranks.
Overall responsibility for the management of the Civil Service lies with the Civil Service Bureau of the Government Secretariat. The bureau deals with policies and case work on such matters as appointments, pay and conditions of service, staff management, manpower planning, training and discipline. It is also the focal point for consultation with the principal staff associations and-its General Grades Öffice manages the 30 800 executive, clerical and secretarial staff. Management of the Civil Service is governed mainly by three important instruments: the Public Service (Administration) Order 1997, the Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulation, and the Civil Service Regulation, all made with the authority of the Chief Executive.
The Public Service Commission is an independent statutory body set up in 1950 under the Public Service Commission Ordinance (Chapter 93 of the Laws of Hong Kong) comprising a full time chairman and prominent citizens serving as members and responsible for advising the Chief Executive on Civil Service appointment, promotion and disciplinary matters. The Government is also advised on matters relating to pay and conditions of service by four independent bodies, the Standing Committees on: Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service (senior officers); Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service (the judicial officers); and Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service (the disciplined services); plus the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service (all other civil servants).
In accordance with the Basic Law, all new appointees to the Civil Service on or after July 1, 1997, must be permanent residents of the HKSAR, save for those who fall within the exceptions pursuant to Articles 99 and 101 of the Basic Law. It is also a Basic Law requirement that the specified Principal Official posts must be filled by Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of the HKSAR with no right of abode in any foreign country.
The Government also administers a long-established policy of localisation of the Civil Service, which aims to ensure that it is staffed primarily by officers whose roots are in Hong Kong and who have a sense of commitment to Hong Kong. Under the policy, preference is given to recruitment of candidates who are permanent residents of the HKSAR. Other candidates are considered only when there is no fully qualified and suitable permanent resident candidate.
Subject to the above policy, appointment to the Civil Service is based on open and fair competition which aims to recruit the 'best person for the job'. Promotion is performance-based and is not a reward for long service. As the largest employer in Hong Kong, the Government takes the lead in employing people with a disability to help them integrate into the community and ensure that they are given equal opportunity in recruitment to the Civil Service.
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The Government monitors closely the turnover in the Civil Service for manpower planning purposes. Overall wastage of the Civil Service in 1998-99 was only 2 per the lowest since 1971. Given the importance of continuity at the management level, the Government has a well-established staff planning mechanism to review succession planning of senior staff and to identify and groom officers with potential for advancement to senior management, in order to develop a pool of talented staff for senior positions.
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