XN000022-1987-11-04 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987

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"WHAT WE NEED ARE STRUCTURES THAT PREVENT TOO MUCH POWE LEING IN TOO FEW HANDS, AND AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF MONITORING TAT WILL PROVIDE CLEAR WARNING OF EMERGING PROBLEMS, AND A DECISIVENESS OF RESPONSE IN DEALING WITH THEM, SHE SAID.

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TURNING TO THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE SENIOR MEMBER REGARDED 'THE GOVERNOR'S DECISION TO REVIEW THE TOP MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

THE SERVICE AS AN INDICATION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S OPEN-MINDEDNESS.

SHE HOPED THAT THE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES. BETWEEN SECRETARIES AND THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND RELATIVE ROLES OF SECRETARIES AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GOVERNOR IN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND OF THE STATUTORY AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY OF HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS.

RESPONSIBILITIRA

COMMENTING ON THE PROVISION OF 35 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE POSTS IN THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, MISS DUNN DOUBTED WHETHER SUCH A CONCENTRATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE IN THE SECRETARIAT WAS REALLY THE BEST WAY TO USE ALL THE MANPOWER.

SHE SAID THAT ONE GREAT DISADVANTAGE OF THIS CONCENTRATION WAS THAT MANY OFFICERS WOULD INEVITABLY SPEND MOST OF THEIR CAREERS IN THE SECRETARIAT AND WOULD BE CUT OFF FROM CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC ANO FROM DAY-TO-DAY WORKING CONTACT WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES WHO WERE AT SHARP END.

ANO

"THE GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS MUST BE READY AND WILLING LET ME STRESS WILLING - NOT JUST TO CONSULT BEFORE DECISIONS TAKEN. IT MUST ALSO RECOGNISE THE NEED TO EXPLAIN AND JUSTIFY THO DECISIONS EFFECTIVELY TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, AND PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED," SHE SAID.

"PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT PREPARED TO ACQUIESCE IN EDICT AS THEY ONCE DID, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEIR MEANS IS AT STAKE,' SHE SAID.

GOVERNMENT BY

OF LIVELIHOOD

MISS DUNN BELIEVED THAT THE OLD-FASHIONED ATTITUDES OF THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT DISAPPEAR MORE QUICKLY IF THE SECRETARIAT WERE STAFFED BY PROPLE WHO HAD HAD RECENT EXPERIENCE OF WORKING AT THE SHARP END.

"NO ONE SHOULD GO INTO THE SECRETARIAT IN HIS TWENTIES AND NOT EMERGE INTO THE LIGHT OF DAY UNTIL HE IS MIDDLE-AGED. HR MAY BE TOO SET IN HIS BUREAUCRATIC WAYS BY THEN SHE SAID.

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SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT COULD ALSO BENEFIT THE FRONT-LINE DEPARTMENTS, SHE SAID. THE SECRETARIAT WOULD HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS OF RUNNING A DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENTS WOULD HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SECRETARIAT WORKED.

/HISS DUNN