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LCQ15: IT capability of Government staff
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    Following is a question by the Hon Sin Chung-kai and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Frederick Ma, in the Legislative Council today (December 19):

Question

     Will the Government inform this Council whether:

(a) any measures are in place to enhance and evaluate the information and technology (IT) capability of the staff of various bureaux and departments; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(b) any mechanisms are in place to evaluate the progress in computerisation, such as IT application and electronic delivery of services, of various bureaux and departments each year, and whether bureaux and departments will be required to submit reports on computerisation on a regular basis; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:

Madam President,

     Regarding the question raised by the Hon Sin Chung-kai, my reply is as follows:

(a) Over the years, the Government has been enhancing the capabilities of staff in bureaux/departments (B/Ds) in using information technology (IT) through various initiatives:
 
(i) The Government Office Automation Programme and the Accessibility Programme have established an e-enabled working environment by providing the necessary hardware, software and connectivity so as to enhance the efficiency of daily operations.

(ii) Apart from providing the necessary physical facilities, training programmes, seminars, experience sharing sessions and conferences have been provided by the Civil Service Training and Development Institute of Civil Service Bureau and the Office of Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) to equip staff with knowledge and skill on the use of IT, as well as to broaden their awareness on pertinent issues such as IT security and new technology trends and applications.

(iii) A total of 67 B/Ds are supported by Information Technology Management Units (ITMU) (Note 1) either on a shared or dedicated basis. ITMUs stand ready to advise B/Ds on IT usage and the planning and implementation of IT initiatives.

(iv) Depending on the operational needs of B/Ds and job requirements of staff, knowledge and capability on information technology will be assessed as a core competence of different grades of staff during the annual performance appraisal exercise. These include, for example, the Administrative Officer grade, the Analyst/Programmer grade, the Executive Officer grade, the Clerical Officer grade, the Personal Secretary grade, the Confidential Assistant grade and management rank of the Supplies Officer grade.

(b) A range of measures are in place to enhance monitoring and report of IT projects being planned and implemented in B/Ds:  

(i) We encourage B/Ds to plan their IT requirements in a systematic and strategic manner. B/Ds have been advised to prepare and review periodically their departmental IT plans (DITP) and Information System Strategy plans (ISSP) (Note 2) according to their business and e-government needs. Besides, B/Ds are also required to maintain a Departmental IT Projects Portfolio (DITPP) and provide annual update to OGCIO. The DITPP provides a more detailed portfolio of B/D's IT initiatives that are in operation, being implemented and being planned in current and subsequent years.

(ii) For all IT projects funded under the Capital Works Reserve Fund - Head 710 Computerisation, B/Ds are required to report progress on a quarterly basis to OGCIO and provide justifications for any delay. Through this regular reporting mechanism, the health status of all projects can be monitored so that OGCIO can provide timely advice where necessary. For major projects costing $10 million or more funded under Head 710, annual progress reports are provided to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.

(iii) In addition, an enhanced Project Governance system has been introduced since April 2006 under which the risk profile of a project is assessed at the funding approval stage and health check is conducted on a regular basis at the implementation stage. Depending on the risk assessment result, senior levels of OGCIO will participate where necessary in the concerned project steering committee to tender advice to facilitate timely and successful implementation of the project.  

Note 1: There are 55 ITMUs staffed with IT professional staff serving 67 B/Ds.

Note 2: A DITP is a medium-term IT Plan for B/Ds with relatively low IT requirements. It normally covers a period of one to three years. An ISSP is a long-term, strategic IT plan for B/Ds with a relatively wide variety of services or high service volumes. It normally covers a period of five years or more.

Ends/Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Issued at HKT 14:20

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