218 Social Welfare
A Help Desk set up for small NGOs on a time-limited basis aims at rendering advice on subvention matters and helping them enhance their competence in corporate governance and achieve sustainability in the LSG subvention environment.
The LSG Independent Complaints Handling Committee handles complaints. related to the use of subventions and the service quality that cannot be satisfactorily addressed at the NGO level.
Social Welfare Development Fund
A $1 billion Social Welfare Development Fund was launched in January 2010 for implementation in three three-year phases from 2010-11 to 2018-19 to support all subvented NGOs in carrying out training and professional development programmes, business system upgrading projects and service delivery enhancement studies. By year-end, about $263 million was approved for 150 NGO applications.
Information Technology
The SWD has commissioned a consultant to conduct a review of the Departmental Information Technology Plan (DITP) to recommend the strategic direction of IT applications for supporting the department's service objectives and to propose a DITP for the coming five financial years.
The department has also commissioned a consultant to review the current Information Technology Strategy for the Social Welfare Sector to map out the direction for the development of information technology in the sector for meeting their management, operation and service needs.
By year-end, about $80 million under the Social Welfare Development Fund set up by the Lotteries Fund had been approved for 113 subvented NGOs to implement 233 information technology projects.
Promotion of Tripartite Partnership: The Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged
A $200 million SWD-administered Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged was set up in 2005 to promote tripartite partnership among the welfare sector, the business community and the Government in helping the disadvantaged. In view of the positive response from the business sector and NGOs, additional funding of $200 million was injected into the fund in May 2010 to encourage further cross-sector collaboration to help the disadvantaged. Donations in money and in kind from the business sector are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Government to enable NGOs to carry out social welfare projects.
By year-end, 125 NGOs had obtained matching grants totalling over $184 million to implement 442 welfare projects, benefiting over 800 000 disadvantaged persons. Many of the business partners also participated in service planning and served as volunteers.
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