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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
Council which provides quality municipal services and institutes reforms unhesitatingly, even though it may only last for one year or so. In fact, with the approach of the 21st century, the Council has an even more urgent need to better equip itself, understand the needs of the public and provide them with services of better quality.
In my opinion, the Council's work in the coming year should include a review of the organisation and establishment of the Urban Services Department. As regards the mode of review, we should consider commissioning an independent organisation to do the job. In line with the Enhanced Productivity Programme put forward by Mr. TUNG Chee-hwa, which aims at improving the efficiency of departments within existing resources, our review should adopt the concept of Total Quality Management. After the review, any redundant staff should be effectively redeployed to other Government departments. After all, I don't wish to see unemployment being created as a result of the review. In order to reduce costs and increase efficiency, we should also review the existing administrative mechanism of contracting out services and the improvement measures of the Trading Funds so that the public can really be benefited from the reform.
The staff members of the Department are valuable assets of the Council, and they are also the frontline workers who implement the Council's policies. Hence, we should cultivate in them the spirit of serving the community through various management measures. Individual sections in the Department should formulate their own performance pledges, setting out objectives and specific implementation plans. Besides, section heads should be tasked to brief their staff about the section's objectives, policies and measures, and provide them with appropriate training. Staff should be awarded for good performance to enhance their job satisfaction. Thus, maximum results could be achieved in carrying out the work of the Department.
Moreover, the Council should upgrade its equipment. The Council and the Urban Services Department should improve their existing information systems to ensure that both the information and non-information technological systems of the Council may transit smoothly into Year 2000. Of course, we need more than a good working team and fine equipment to provide high quality municipal services. The objective of Total Quality Management is to enhance customer satisfaction. Who are our customers then? They are the people of Hong Kong. To better satisfy our customers, we must understand their needs. Thus, collecting information on public opinions and demands, formulation of a reasonable performance pledge are important steps in the implementation of Total Quality Management. The Public Health Select Committee, the Library Select Committee and the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee of this Council have introduced policies and services which have sufficiently catered for the needs of the public. A sound communication channel will play a very useful role in collecting public opinions, as a result of
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