THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1978
10
-
SHE NOTED THAT SOME 550 EXPATRIATES, REPRESENTING ABOUT 25 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL ESTABLISHMENT OF EXPATRIATE OFFICERS, WERE RECRUITED IN 1977.
WHILE SHE RECOGNISED THAT HONG KONG IS TOO SOPHISTICATED A PLACE FOR IT TO BE WISE OR NECESSARY TO PURSUE A POLICY OF LOCAL IS- ATION FOR ITS OWN SAKE, MISS DUNN SAID SHE HAS A DISTINCT FEELING THAT SOME EXPATRIATES ARE RECRUITED +SIMPLY BECAUSE STAFF REQUIRE- MENTS ARE NOT FORESEEN IN ADVANCE.+
SHE ASKED WHETHER SUITABLE LOCAL RECRUITS ARE SOUGHT AFTER AGGRESSIVELY ON THE BASIS OF RATIONAL, FORWARD PLANNING, AND WHETHER THE CAREER PLANNING OF SERVING LOCAL OFFICERS MAXIMISES THE USE OF THE IR TALENTS.
ON THE WORK OF ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, WHERE UNOFFICIALS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH AND EVEN INVOLVED IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, MISS DUNN THOUGHT THAT A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO THE IR MANNING IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE CAREER PLANNING OF LOCAL OFFICERS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE AND SHE DOUBTED WHETHER THEY ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY ENOUGH BY THE GOVERNMENT.
SHE ASKED WHETHER THEY ARE REVIEWED PERIODICALLY TO SEE WHETHER CHANGES ARE CALLED FOR WHETHER THERE ARE NOT SOME WHICH ARE OBSOLETE OR WHOSE TERMS OF REFERENCE NEED UPDATING WHETHER THEIR ROLE IS SUFFICIENTLY WELL DEFINED, THE COMPOSITION OF THEIR MEMBER- SHIP APPROPRIATE, AND WHETHER MORE OF THEM SHOULD NOT BE CHAIRED BY UNOFFICIALS.
MISS DUNN WANTED TO KNOW WHAT ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE FOR SEEKING OUT A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE TO SERVE ON THESE COMMITTEES, WHICH ARE OFTEN CLAIMED BY THE GOVERNMENT AS OUR UNIQUE STYLE OF ADMINISTRATION,
AS TO THE FINANCIAL PROCEDURES OF THE GOVERNMENT, MISS DUNN SUGGESTED A GREATER DEGREE OF DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY, NOW THAT THE VOLUME AND COMPLEXITY OF TRANSACTIONS ARE SO MUCH GREATER, ALTHOUGH SHE WOULD BE OPPOSED TO ANY ABROGATION OF CONTROL BY THE FINANCE BRANCH AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
•
THIS WOULD AVOID UNDUE DELAYS IN THE APPROVAL OF PROJECTS, AVOID INADVERTENT OVERSIGHTS AS A RESULT OF THE WORKLOAD, AND ENSURE THAT THE CASE FOR REALLY SIGNIFICANT EXPENDITURE PROPOSALS IS REALLY PROPERLY SCRUTINISED, SHE SAID.
SHE HOPED THE FINANCE BRANCH WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE MORE TIME TO ENSURING THAT DEPARTMENTS ARE ACHIEVING VALUE FOR MONEY, AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL BE ABLE TO PAY SUFFICIENT ATTENTION TO THE POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING EXPENDITURE PROPOSALS.
SHE STRESSED HOWEVER THAT ANY FURTHER DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY DOWNWARDS FROM FINANCE BRANCH AND FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD NEED TO BE LINKED WITH A REAPPRAISAL OF CONTROL PROCEDURES AT DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL.
MISS DUNN ALSO COMMENTED ON THE PATTERN OF OUR BUDGETARY EXPENDITURE WHICH SHE THOUGHT REQUIRES A BALANCE BETWEEN GENERAL SERVICES, COMMUNITY SERVICES, ECONOMIC SERVICES, AS WELL AS SOCIAL SERVICES.
/WHILE THE
+