with the Sha Tin, Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan New Town Development Offices. Completed texts were passed to Government Information Services for final design work, and should be published early in the next financial year. A number of other publications were initiated.
2.62
In January, the Unit assisted the Metrication Executive Unit with the Department's participation in the Polytechnic's Metrication Exhibition.
2.63 In March, a major exhibition on the Sha Tin New Town project was staged at the Lek Yuen Housing Estate. The exhibition was highly successful, attracting 70,000 visitors. The exhibition period had to be extended twice to meet demand, eventually being closed after nine days, and being visited by His Excellency the Governor.
2.64
MANAGEMENT SERVICES UNIT
Organisation and Methods Officer: P.D. WEYMONT, M.I.W.M.
Formed in June 1974, the function of the Management Services Unit is to assist the Director of Public Works to increase the productivity of all resources employed within the Department.
2.65 The work of examining the organisation of the Department which was started in 1974/75 had to be limited during the year because of the need to study various administrative procedures and systems. Such work requires the attention of trained and experienced management services personnel but with the limited resources available to the Unit, it is necessary to limit activities to those areas where there is either an urgent operational need or substantial economies are believed to be available. In economic terms, the results of this work have fully justified the establishment of the Unit.
2.66
The Unit was maintained at its full strength throughout the year, and several professional officers were either seconded from their parent Offices or acted as advisers to the Unit for specific studies. Despite this assistance, however, a considerable number of worthwhile studies cannot be considered in the absence of an adequate scale of management services personnel.
2.67 The major studies either carried out or commenced during the year concern Government Land Transactions and the feasibility of creating an all-embracing Lands Department, the establishment requirements of a Prosecution Unit in the Waterworks Office, the problems associated with the excessive workload experienced by senior personnel in the House Service Section of the Waterworks Office, Drawing Offices methods, organisation and manning, and the manual procedures associated with the computerisation of the Architectural Office's Maintenance Contractors' Bills.
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