XN000022-1975-12-08 — Page 4

MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1975

SEMINARS FOR SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICERS OPEN

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THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, TODAY OFFICIALLY OPENED THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF MANAGEMENT SEMINARS FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER SENIOR STAFF.

THE SEMINARS, TO BE HELD OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, ARE LED BY PROFESSOR LEONARD MINKES AND DR. DEREK WILLIAMS OF BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY. MR. EDWARD MCCRENSKY, UN REGIONAL ADVISER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IS ALSO TAKING PART.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SIR DENYS' SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF THE SEMINARS THIS MORNING

+I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO OPEN THE FIRST OF THIS SERIES OF SEMINARS FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER SENIOR STAFF, WHO SELDOM HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF, TAKING PART TOGETHER IN STUDY GROUPS OF THIS NATURE.

+ INEVITABLY, AS THE SERVICES WHICH THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDES BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND SPECIALISED, AND AS OUR ECONOMY DEVELOPS AND ADAPTS, THE DEMANDS UPON THE RESOURCES AND ORGANISATION OF THE GOVERNMENT MULTIPLY.

+EQUALLY INEVITABLY, THE SIZE OF THE GOVERNMENT MACHINE GROWS. WITH GROWTH, ANY ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINE UNLESS IT IS UNUSUALLY ALERT AND SENSITIVE, BECOMES CAUTIOUS AND MORE PONDEROUS. DECISIONS ARE REACHED WITH INCREASING SLOWNESS AND DIFFICULTY. SOMETIMES THIS IS BECAUSE MIDDLE AND UPPER MANAGEMENT LEVELS DO NOT EXPAND, IN NUMBERS OR QUALITY, AS FAST AS THE LOWER RANKS. SOMETIMES IT OCCURS BECAUSE MANAGEMENT

IS RELUCTANT TO DELEGATE. OFTEN BECAUSE THOSE BELOW ARE UNWILLING TO TAKE DECISIONS WHICH IN THE PAST, IN A SMALLER ORGANISATION, WERE TAKEN AT A HIGHER LEVEL.

+THESE DEVELOPMENTS EMPHASIZE THE NEED TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF LIMITED HUMAN RESOURCES. THIS DEMANDS A WILLINGNESS TO ADAPT AND REORGANISE, BETTER STANDARDS OF MANAGEMENT AND MORE EFFECTIVE TRAINING.

+THIS SERIES OF SEMINARS IS LARGELY THE OUTCOME OF VISITS BY MR. MCCRENSKY, THE UN REGIONAL ADVISER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE IN RECEIVING FINANCIAL HELP FROM THE COMMONWEALTH FUND FOR TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION, TO WHICH WE ARE INDEED GRATEFUL. PROFESSOR LEONARD MINKES AND DR. DEREK WILLIAMS FROM BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY HAVE COME TO HONG KONG TO SHARE WITH YOU THEIR KNOWLEDGE, AND WEALTH OF PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE, OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

IN THE UK AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES.

THE SUCCESS