218 Social Welfare
IT Strategy for the Social Welfare Sector
The Joint Committee on Information Technology for the Social Welfare Sector endorsed the revised IT strategy in October. It sets out the framework for exploiting IT to underpin the corporate governance and business development of NGOs and encourages sharing of IT knowledge, experience and applications.
At year-end, Lotteries Fund grants totalling about $203 million were approved for implementing 29 IT development projects in the social welfare sector.
Community Building and Promoting Mutual Care
Several government departments and NGOs contribute towards the community- building programme which serves to foster among the people of Hong Kong a sense of belonging, mutual care and civic responsibility.
Community-building efforts involve developing community infrastructure, such as purpose-built facilities for group and community activities, the formation of citizens' organisations, encouraging community participation in the administration of public affairs, solving community problems, creating opportunities and improving the quality of community life in general. The Home Affairs Bureau has policy responsibility for the programme and the Home Affairs Department and the SWD are principally responsible for its implementation. The Home Affairs Department, through its network of district offices, is primarily concerned with encouraging participation in community service and promoting mutual care and community spirit through local organisations such as area committees, mutual aid committees, rural committees, charitable organisations, social service groups, kaifong associations and women's organisations.
The SWD and NGOs, through the provision of group and community work activities, promote social relationships and cohesion within the community and encourage individuals to solve community problems.
Enhancing Social Capital: Community Investment and Inclusion Fund
In his 2001 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced a plan to set up the $300 million Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) to encourage mutual concern and aid, promote community participation, and mobilise community resources through cross-sectoral collaboration that would contribute to building social capital and harmony.
Since its formal launch in August 2002, five batches of applications have been called, resulting in 69 projects being selected and funding of $60 million allocated, involving over 800 organisations, schools and small scale businesses. When fully implemented in three years, these projects will result in 17 380 people who were previously service recipients being empowered to become contributors and volunteers; 210 mutual help networks and 17 cooperatives being formed; 800 jobs being created; 3 500 jobs being matched; and over 300 000 people being helped.
Some of the new strategies were beginning to show results, with groups previously considered marginalised (such as the homeless, unemployed middle-aged