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Constitution and Administration

business and labour sectors. The commission also includes three ex-officio members: the Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary and the Head of the Central Policy Unit.

Efficiency Unit

The Efficiency Unit reports to the Chief Secretary for Administration. It provides internal management consultancy services to government agencies with the aim of improving the quality and value of public services. It also helps to develop new service models and the application of design thinking for more engaging and effective public services. The unit provides support to the Commission on Poverty's Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund Task Force to promote innovation in addressing social needs.

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The unit runs 1823 a one stop call service for the public to obtain information about government services and report problems and the Gov.HK website's youth portal. These projects provide insight into emerging public demands and trends that help the unit to develop ideas for adapting and improving services to meet community needs.

Advisory and Statutory Bodies

About 5,200 members of the public serve on the roughly 470 advisory and statutory bodies which are a distinctive feature of the system of government. These bodies tap professional expertise in the community and enable public participation in government decision-making. Through these bodies, a wide cross-section of the community and relevant organisations can participate in the initial stage of policy-making and public service planning. The government maintains a regular turnover of members to ensure wide participation and the inclusion of fresh perspectives.

The advisory bodies' areas of activities are wide-ranging. Some, such as the Advisory Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries, deal with the interests of a particular industry. Others, such as the Transport Advisory Committee, advise on a particular area of government policy. Statutory bodies, such as the Hospital Authority, have legal powers and responsibilities to perform specific functions in accordance with the relevant legislation.

The Civil Service

The civil service is a permanent, honest, meritocratic, professional and politically neutral institution, responsible to the Chief Executive. It supports the government in formulating, explaining and implementing policies, conducting administrative affairs, delivering public services, and undertaking law enforcement and regulatory functions. It provides staff for all government departments and other units of the administration. As at 31 December, the total strength of the civil service was 163,400 (excluding about 1,500 judges and judicial officers and Independent Commission Against Corruption officers), amounting to about 4.2 per cent of Hong Kong's labour force.

The Civil Service Bureau has overall policy responsibility for the management of the civil service, including appointments, pay and conditions of service, performance management, manpower planning, training and development, staff relations and conduct and discipline. The bureau is

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