5
9.
These considerations have led to the decision
not to engage permanent staff in excess of that already in the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, to staff the new offices
largely from the combined grades of the public service and,
when all vacancies have been filled, to arrange for some
secondment of permanent S.C.A. staff to other departments.
This has been done by using Administrative Officers to fill C.D.O. posts, by posting Executive Officers to fill many new Liaison Officer posts (of which there are 8 in each City District Office) and by offering a period of secondment to
the C.D.O. Scheme to any public officer receiving a salary within the Liaison Officer range. In response to the last
offer some 35 officers from a dozen departments were selected and are now in the process of being released from their departments.
10.
The management of such a heterogeneous collection of staff will naturally create many difficulties. It is hoped however that as time goes on the scheme will benefit from the wide range of departmental experience made available and, as officers return or move on to other departments, the scheme
should become more and more acceptable and influential among
them.
Reactions
11. Departmental reactions are difficult to assess where
they are not favourable. There has been some puzzlement about what the C.D.Os can find to do in situations where so many departments are already at work. There has been no positive friction but no doubt some are still yet to be convinced. In other cases departments have gone out of their way to involve
/C.D.OB.....
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