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Constitution and Administration
platform, Cyber Learning Centre Plus, the institute provides civil servants with ready access to training resources to promote a culture of continuous learning. A new civil service college will be established to enhance training for civil servants, deepen their understanding of the country's development and the relationship between the central authorities and the HKSAR, raise their awareness of international affairs, and promote exchanges with civil servants in other places.
During the fight against COVID-19, a large number of serving and retired civil servants. performed anti-epidemic duties such as medical surveillance, contact tracing, virus testing, quarantine and treatment. Around 4,000 serving and retired civil servants undertook a range of duties at 141 testing centres across the territory for the Universal Community Testing Programme in September. The programme provided members of the public with a free COVID-19 test and by its completion over 1.78 million samples had been tested. To safeguard its staff's health and safety while maintaining emergency and essential public services, the government allowed some government employees to work from home during the pandemic.
Official Languages
Chinese and English are Hong Kong's official languages. It is government policy to have a civil service that is proficient in written Chinese and English, and competent in Cantonese, Putonghua and spoken English. Important government documents are issued in both official languages, while correspondence with individual members of the public is conducted in the language appropriate to the recipient. The Civil Service Bureau's Official Languages Division. helps implement the government's language policy, and provides bureaus and departments with a wide range of language-related support.
Government Records Service
The Government Records Service (GRS) oversees the overall management of government records and provides a range of records and archival management services. With regard to records management, the GRS formulates policies, guidelines and procedures; develops systems and oversees their implementation; and sets standards, gives guidance and provides. training to bureaus and departments on good practices. It assists bureaus and departments in the intermediate storage of inactive government records and microfilming.
To drive electronic records management in the government, the GRS sets the standards and functional requirements of electronic record-keeping systems in the government and provides support and advice to bureaus and departments in developing or adopting such systems.
The GRS appraises, acquires, preserves and provides access to government records of enduring value. Through its public programme, reference service and online educational resources, the GRS encourages understanding, use and protection of Hong Kong's documentary heritage. Its Central Preservation Library for Government Publications contains a wealth of government publications for the research and study of Hong Kong. Members of the public can visit the Hong Kong Public Records Building in Kwun Tong or use the GRS website to search the archives and browse the online exhibitions and educational resources portal, among other services.
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