XN000022-1978-11-02 — Page 3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1978

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SHE THOUGHT EXPERIENCED OFFICERS IN THEIR PRIME SHOULD BE DISSUADED FROM DEPARTING WHEN THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO DO SO AND ASKED THAT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS BE POSTED TO VARIOUS EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO GAIN AN ALL ROUND TRAINING.

SHE ALSO FELT THAT THE PRESSURE TO COPE WITH EXPANSION HAS MADE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS LESS ALERT TO DISCONTENT WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE. SHE CALLED FOR THE ENTIRE CIVIL SERVICE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS BE STRENGTHENED AND IMPROVED TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS EFFECTIVE DIALOGUE BETWEEN GROUPS OF CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE GOVERNMENT.

THE SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN OFFICIALS AND THE PUBLIC IS ALSO NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS IT MIGHT BE, RESULTING IN DISCONTENT, MISS DUNN SAID.

SHE SUPPORTED OUR UNIQUE SYSTEM OF ADVISORY BODIES BUT DISAPPROVED THE ATTITUDE OF SOME OFFICIALS WHO CANNOT ACCEPT ANY FORM OF CRITICISM AND AS A CONSEQUENCE ARE SUSPECTED OF NOT BEING PREPARED TO RECOMMEND FOR APPOINTMENT TO THEIR COMMITTEES ANYONE WHO IS KNOWN TO BE CRITIC.

+THIS KIND OF ATTITUDE UNDERMINES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SYSTEM. FURTHERMORE, SHE SAID, AS LONG AS RESPONSIBLE CRITICS ARE EXCLUDED FROM BEING INVOLVED IN THE DECISION-MAK ING PROCESS, THEY WILL NOT BE EXPOSED TO, OR GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE AND, IN THE END, BECOME DIEHARD, AND EVEN SOMEWHAT IRRATIONAL.

SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE SAME APPLIED TO REPRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WHICH ARE OFTEN CONTEMPTUOUSLY DISMISSED. ALTHOUGH IT IS TRUE THAT MANY COMPLAINTS ARE INSTIGATED BY MINORITY PRESSURE GROUPS ON RELATIVELY TRIVIAL MATTERS, IT WOULD BE WRONG TO DISMISS ALL COMPLAINTS AS TRIVIAL, SHE SAID.

MISS DUNN REFERRED TO A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS TO A NEWSPAPER IN WHICH HE ADMITTED THAT SOME OFFICIALS DO NOT RESPOND TO PUBLIC OPINION BECAUSE THE PRESSURE TO ACT QUICKLY (IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST) MAY SIMPLY NOT ALLOW TIME TO CONSULT PEOPLE SATISFACTORILY, THUS LENDING CREDENCE TO HER POINT THAT THE PRESSURE OF EXPANSION FORCES SOME OFFICIALS TO BECOME CARELESS OF PUBLIC OPINION.

SHE ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE HEED OF HISTORY, BOTH PAST AND RECENT, AND NOT TO INTERPRET PUBLIC SILENCE ÀS

INDICATIVE OF PUBLIC SATISFACTION IN ALL THINGS.

+ IT IS IMPORTANT, THEREFORE, THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE BROUGHT INTO THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS SHE SAID, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT CARE IS TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT POLICY DECISIONS ARE MADE ON THE BASIS OF VALID ASSUMPTIONS, AND IT IS VITAL THAT OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS ARE WILLING TO TALK, WILLING TO LISTEN, ILLING TO AGREE AND JUST OCCASIONALLY WILLING TO ADMIT THEY TOO CAN MAKE MISTAKES AND THAT OTHERS MAY HAVE BETTER AND MORE RELEVANT IDEAS.+