FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1983
SENIOR STAFF COURSE
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THE GOVERNMENT IS SETTING UP AN INDEPENDENT ORGANISATION TO DEVELOP AND CONDUCT A SERIES OF SENIOR STAFF COURSES FOR MID-CAREER OFFICERS TO PREPARE THEM FOR DIRECTORATE LEVEL RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE.
THE WORK OF THE ORGANISATION WILL BE GUIDED BY AN ADVISORY BOARD WHICH HAS NOW BEEN SET UP UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF MR LI FOOK-KOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, AND COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THE ORGANISATION WILL BE HEADED BY A DIRECTOR OF STUDIES ASSISTED BY FOUR FULL-TIME TUTORS AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY.
THE RECRUITMENT EXERCISE HAS ALREADY BEGUN SO AS TO ENSURE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE THAT THE FIRST COURSE CAN BE RUN IN SPRING, 1984.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE SENIOR STAFF COURSE WAS RECOMMENDED BY A WORKING PARTY, ALSO CHAIRED BY MR LI, WHO WERE ASKED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY IN JUNE LAST YEAR TO EXAMINE WHETHER IT WAS FEASIBLE TO SET UP A FULL-TIME COURSE ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS TO PREPARE THE OFFICERS FOR WIDER MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES, GENERALLY AT THE DIRECTORATE LEVEL.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SENDING OFFICERS TO ADVANCED MANAGEMENT COURSES OVERSEAS OVER THE YEARS BUT IT CONSIDERS THAT THERE IS A STRONG CASE FOR SETTING UP FACILITIES LOCALLY IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE NUMBERS THAT CAN BE TRAINED AND TO MEET HONG KONG'S OWN REQUIREMENTS.
THE SENIOR STAFF COURSE, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE WORKING PARTY, WILL COVER THREE MAIN SUBJECT AREAS: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY, PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE TRAINED TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT OPERATES AND TO HAVE INCREASED COMPETENCE IN KEY AREAS OF MANAGEMENT.
IT WILL BE TRIED AS AN EXPERIMENT FOR THREE YEARS. DURING THIS PERIOD FIVE THREE-MONTH FULL-TIME COURSES AND ONE OR TWO NINE-MONTH PART-TIME COURSES WILL BE CONDUCTED.
EACH COURSE WILL CATER FOR 30 TO 50 OFFICERS AT THE TOP END OF THE MASTER PAY SCALE AND THE DISCIPLINED SERVICES (OFFICERS) PAY SCALE OR IN THE LOWER DIRECTORATE, WHO WILL COME FROM A BROAD MIX OF PROFESSIONS AND DEPARTMENTS. UP TO FOUR PARTICIPANTS WILL BE INVITED FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR SO THAT THERE CAN BE A USEFUL EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND EXPERIENCE AND COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO MANAGEMENT.
MEMBERS OF THE FULL-TIME COURSE WILL SPEND ABOUT THREE WEEKS IN RESIDENCE IN ORDER TO FACILITATE GROUP DISCUSSIONS AND PROJECTS AND DEVELOP CLOSER INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. THEY WILL ALSO VISIT ONE OR TWO AREAS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA TO OBTAIN A BROADER OUTLOOK ON THE IR STUDY PROJECTS,
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