ENG-2019 — Page 48

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Constitution and Administration

Exemplary staff performance is recognised through various commendation schemes to motivate civil servants to provide quality service to the public. The schemes include the Secretary for the Civil Service's Commendation Award Scheme that commends individuals with consistently outstanding performance, and the Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme that commends achievements in service excellence on a departmental or team basis. On the other hand, staff misconduct is handled under an established disciplinary mechanism for punitive and deterrent purposes. To instil a culture of probity in the civil service, the Civil Service Bureau and the ICAC jointly run an ethical leadership programme, and each bureau and department is required to appoint a directorate officer to coordinate efforts to attain that goal.

The Civil Service Training and Development Institute formulates policies on training and development and on performance management. It organises training programmes and seminars for civil servants on leadership and management, innovation and technology, language and communication, national affairs and the Basic Law. The institute also advises bureaus and departments on how to improve staff performance, develop competency profiles, enhance leadership capabilities and prepare officers for succession. Through its e-learning platform, Cyber Learning Centre Plus, the institute provides civil servants with ready access to training resources to promote a culture of continuous learning. A new civil service college will be established to enhance training for civil servants, deepen their understanding of the country's development and the relationship between the central authorities and the HKSAR, raise their awareness of international affairs, and promote exchanges with civil servants in other places.

Official Languages

Chinese and English are Hong Kong's official languages. It is government policy to have a civil service that is proficient in written Chinese and English, and competent in Cantonese, Putonghua and spoken English. Important government documents are issued in both official languages, while correspondence with individual members of the public is conducted in either language appropriate to the recipient.

The Civil Service Bureau's Official Languages Division helps implement the government's language policy, and provides bureaus and departments with a wide range of language-related support. Besides translation, interpretation, drafting and editing services, the division operates language advice hotlines, compiles reference materials such as guides to official writing and glossaries, and organises language-related talks and competitions. It also produces Word Power, a quarterly publication on language and culture, for service-wide distribution.

Government Records Service

The Government Records Service (GRS) oversees the overall management of government records and provides a range of records and archival management services. With regard to records management, the GRS formulates policies, guidelines and procedures; develops systems and oversees their implementation; and sets standards, gives guidance and provides training to bureaus and departments on good practices. It assists bureaus and departments in the intermediate storage of inactive government records and microfilming.

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