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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1976
+VOLUNTARY SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES HAVE STRONG INCENTIVES TO PLAY THEIR PART AND ARE EAGER TO EXPERIMENT WITH INNOVATIVE APPROACHES AND METHODS IN THEIR WORK.
+ IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT THEY ARE MORE FLEXIBLE AND ARE BETTER ABLE TO TEST PILOT PROGRAMMES PLANNED AND DESIGNED TO MEET CHANGING NEEDS, SHE SAID.
SHE ADDED THAT MOST OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES OTHER THAN CASH IN KIND WERE PROVIDED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, AND SOME ESSENTIAL SERVICES WERE PROVIDED SOLELY BY THEM.
+HOWEVER, QUITE A LARGE PART OF THE SUBVENTION ALLOCATION IS USED TO MEET RENTS AND RATES, OFTEN PAYABLE TO GOVERNMENT ITSELF FOR PREMISES IN ITS PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.+
SHE FORECAST THAT OVERSEAS CONTRIBUTIONS PREVIOUSLY A MAJOR SOURCE OF INCOME FOR MANY OF THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, WERE EXPECTED TO DROP FROM $1,1 MILLION THIS FINANCIAL YEAR TO BELOW $1 MILLION IN THE COMING YEAR, AND WOULD COMPLETELY DRY UP TWO YEARS FROM NOW.
+ HOPE GOVERNMENT WILL REVIEW THE SITUATION OF THE SUBVENTED AGENCIES DURING THE YEAR, AND IF NECESSARY CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTARY SUBVENTION ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE AGENCIES IN DIFFICULTIES,+ SHE SAID..
MISS KO WAS PLEASED THAT AT A SEMINAR RECENTLY SPONSORED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE THE DISCUSSION GROUPS CONSIDERED EVALUATION TO BE NECESSARY TO ENSURE BOTH VALUE FOR MONEY AND THAT AGENCY SERVICES SHOULD DEVELOP IN RESPONSE TO CHANGING COMMUNITY NEEDS.
+I THINK WE SHOULD ENSURE HOWEVER THAT MONEY IS NOT THE MAIN CRITERION FOR EVALUATING SERVICES, BUT THE REAL NEEDS OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED AND EMPHASISED IN THE EVALUATION PROGRAMMES. PRIORITIES WOULD ALSO BE SET THROUGH EVALUATION EXERCISES.+
EVALUATION SHOULD BE INTEGRATED WITH THE REVIEWING PROCESS, INCLUDING THE REVIEW OF THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN, SHE CONTINUED.
+EVALUATION SHOULD ALSO LOOK AT EACH PARTICULAR AREA OF SERVICE AS A WHOLE AND AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EACH AREA OF SERVICE IS DESIRABLE TO AVOID UNHEALTHY COMPETITION.
+THE INDIVIDUAL WELFARE AGENCIES SHOULD CONDUCT SELF-STUDY CONTINUOUSLY THUS HELPING THE OVERALL EVALUATION PROGRAMME.
*WITH THE EVALUATION PROGRAMMES, IT IS ALSO HOPED THAT A BROAD RANGE OF ACCEPTABLE AND REALISTIC STANDARDS WILL BE ESTABLISHED, AND THESE WILL THEMSELVES FACILITATE MORE OBJECTIVE EVALUATION,+
SHE ADDED THAT AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, GUIDELINES OR MINIMUM STANDARDS SHOULD BE SET TO RAISE THE QUALITY OF THAT SERVICE.
/+QUANTITY