ENG-1985 — Page 259

200

PUBLIC ORDER

On the advice of the Operations Review Committee, reports concerning 189 serving or former government officers were referred to the heads of departments and the Civil Service Branch for consideration of disciplinary or administrative action.

Corruption Prevention

The Corruption Prevention Department reviews and recommends changes to procedures in government departments and public bodies which could be conducive to corruption. Its advisory service is also extended to any private organisations or individuals on request. In April, an Advisory Services Group was formed to expand upon this task.

In 1985, 96 assignment studies were completed, bringing the total since 1975 to 1 013. These studies are detailed examinations of specific areas of a department's activities, covering policy, law, instructions, work methods and management. Reviewing previous studies and monitoring corruption prevention measures continued to be an important aspect of the department's work.

The year saw the addition of a large number of Corruption Prevention Groups in government departments. Through liaison and discussion, at directorate level, these groups provide a co-ordinated approach to corruption prevention studies, with the individual departments actively participating in the identification of corruption-prone areas in their own organisations. By the end of the year, 31 such groups had been established.

The Corruption Prevention Department maintained a close working relationship with a large number of government departments, offering advice on draft legislation, new procedures and instructions. The department also played an active part in departmental and inter- departmental working groups, being represented on 36 working groups or committees.

Reports to the ICAC which indicated deviation from established policy or procedures were followed up by the department. These provided useful information for the evaluation of policy and the effectiveness of corruption prevention measures and helped to pinpoint areas requiring study.

Training programmes organised for supervisors in the government and in the private sector continued in 1985. The programmes covered the concept of supervisory accountabil- ity, management's role in corruption prevention, and delegation of responsibility and authority. Training for senior and junior supervisors in the government helped to build corruption prevention measures into government policies and procedures as they evolved. During the year, 217 seminars were held for 3 281 government officers in 17 departments, while 32 seminars were attended by 510 people from public bodies and the private sector.

Community Relations

The Community Relations Department is responsible for educating the public against the evils of corruption, harnessing public support in the fight against corruption, and, in the long term, promoting a higher standard of honesty and integrity among individuals and in society. In going about these tasks, the department works on two fronts reaching all sectors of the community through direct liaison and the general public through the mass media.

Direct contact with the public is made mainly through the 11 ICAC local offices, all located in densely populated districts. Liaison staff keep in close contact with government departments, public bodies, trade and professional organisations, business firms, schools, group welfare bodies and neighbourhood associations.

During the year, the department conducted 17 703 liaison functions and 166 special programmes, reaching 370 324 people, most of them young people who were private sector