CONFIDENTIAL ##
機密
+
an important role as a co-ordinator of Government policies within the New Territories which demands a close working relationship at many levels with a variety of other departments with their own tasks and functions
ithin his area of responsibility, notably P.H.D., U.S.D., Housing Department, Argriculture & Fisheries and Medical & Health: on a smaller scale, the same co-ordinating function is performed by District Officers. It is, however, the Secretary for the New Territories's responsibility for the social and political development of the New Territories which gives his office its particular nature: he stands directly between the Government and the people; he advises on public opinion and political matters in the New Territories - the Heung Yoo Kuk - other organisations
Yce and the general public. He is also the Land Authority and exercises wide and directly delegated authority over lend, both personally and through the District Offices, within the parameters of general Government policy.
2.53 It is evident that a great deal of attention has been, and is being,
paid to the problems of controlling the vast development in the New Territories from which has evolved the formal intra and inter-department21 relationships that now exist. An example is the relationship between the Town Manager and District Officer of Tsuen Wan and the Project Manager for Tsuen Wan of the New Territories Development Division of the P.W.D. Accordingly, this study only attempts a limited survey of the organisa- tional structure of the New Territories Administration and of some of the key relationships and responsibilities as they relate to the practice of supervisory accountability.
2.54 N.7.
The Doputy Secretary for the H.T., the Principal Government Land Agent and Principal Land Executive at N.T.A. HQ provide central policy dircction and control of all aspects of N.T.A. responsibilities. Geographical coverage of the New Territories is provided by 7 District Offices. Within each District, the District Officer in addition to his executive responsibility for land, performs a political function. He is responsible for the smooth administration of the district, but he can only achieve this by ensuring that local people's problems and feelings are not over. looked. Indeed he must take care that such feelings are correctly appraised and made known to the myriad departments and committees involved in the New Territories.
2.55 It is vital that local factors are sufficiently known and taken into
account, because the massive development necessarily involves unsettling and uprooting people. The weight attached to the role of the District Officer in determining the political consequences" of implementing a particular departmental scheme, is therefore most important in all Districts. The overall effect of this situation is that District Officers are given considerable flexibility in implementing policy according to the problems and characteristics of the District, provided they keep within the spirit of the policy guidelines laid down by the Headquarters. These guidelines, however, are often less precisely defined than might be desirable from the point of view of accountability. There is a system of monthly Committees and both S.N.T. and his Deputics visit Districts, but no formal arrangements were found which would allow the S.N.T. to monitor District policies and procedures so as to ensure that they conformed with his policy guidelines.
*
CONFIDENTIAL
/2.56 ...
機密
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.