XN000022-1991-11-06 — Page 53

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1991

MR WIGGHAM SAID THAT IN COMMON WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, CIVIL SERVANTS DID WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.

"AS PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION, SOME HAVE PARTICULAR CONCERNS. AND WE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CIVIL SERVICE MANAGEMENT MUST ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. IN THAT WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF THIS COUNCIL. UNFORTUNATELY, I FEAR THERE MAY BE NO INSTANT MAGIC-WAND SOLUTIONS, HE SAID.

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MR WIGGHAM SAID PART OF THE CHALLENGE, AS SOME MEMBERS HAD POINTED OUT, WAS TO MOTIVATE. THE LAST COMPREHENSIVE SALARY STRUCTURE REVIEW, COMPLETED LAST YEAR, ENSURED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS UP TO DATE, AND COMPETITIVE AS AN EMPLOYER AS REGARDS PAY.

ADVANTAGE CONTINUED TO BE TAKEN OF NEW IDEAS, METHODS AND EQUIPMENT TO MOTIVATE STAFF AND ENSURE IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY. MOTIVATION APPLIED TO ALL LEVELS: FOR INSTANCE THE STAFF SUGGESTIONS SCHEME, WHICH ENCOURAGED INDIVIDUALS TO REVIEW THEIR OWN FIELD OF WORK, APPEALED TO CREATIVITY.

OVER THE YEARS, RELATIVELY JUNIOR CIVIL SERVANTS HAD MADE PRACTICAL AND IN SOME CASES INGENIOUS SUGGESTIONS LEADING TO WORK METHODS AND CONSIDERABLE SAVINGS TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS.

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IMPROVED

TRANSPORT

"RECENTLY FOR INSTANCE I HANDED OUT AN AWARD ΤΟ A OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR A SCHEME RELATING TO THE TRAFFIC FLOW AT LION ROCK TUNNEL; ANOTHER AWARD RELATED TO A SUGGESTION BY A FIREMAN THAT LED ΤΟ ENHANCED SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY OF BREATHING APPARATUS EQUIPMENT.

"RECOGNISING THE NEED TO ENCOURAGE SUCH

SUGGESTIONS, WE HAVE

JUST INCREASED THE MAXIMUM CASH AWARD UNDER THE SUGGESTION SCHEME FROM $2,000 TO $12,500," HE SAID.

MR WIGGHAM SAID THE SCHEME WAS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT THOSE IN THE FRONT LINE WERE OFTEN IN A BETTER POSITION TO JUDGE HOW BEST TO CARRY OUT THEIR WORK.

AUTHORITY

"ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE WE ARE INCREASINGLY DEVOLVING FROM THE CENTRE TO DEPARTMENTS, AGAIN AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS GREATER PRODUCTIVITY.

"WITH MORE

DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY, MANAGERS CAN RESPOND MORE DIRECTLY AND EFFECTIVELY ΤΟ THE NEEDS OF THEIR STAFF AND DEPARTMENTS. THEY ARE ALSO IN A BETTER POSITION TO SET PRIORITIES. HAND IN HAND WITH THIS GOES ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

申野

"AT THE SAME TIME, DEVOLUTION SERVES TO SIMPLIFY AND SPEED UP PROCEDURES BY REDUCING THE NEED FOR CONSTANT REFERRALS TO THE CENTRE, HE SAID.

MR WIGGHAM SAID AREAS WHERE PROGRESS HAD BERN MADE IN DELEGATING AUTHORITY ΤΟ DEPARTMENTS INCLUDED DISCIPLINE, THE ADMINISTRATION OF CERTAIN CONDITIONS OF SERVICE. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS.

/HE SAID