LCQ18: Promotion of directorate Administrative Officers
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Question:
Regarding the promotion of directorate Administrative Officers (AOs) of the AO grade structure, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the current establishment and strength of AOs at the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade C;
(2) of the average length of service as an Administrative Officer Staff Grade C for those who were promoted by one rank to become an Administrative Officer Staff Grade B in the past five years; and
(3) whether any AOs at the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade C or above were exceptionally promoted to more than one rank in the past five years; if so, of the details?
Reply:
President,
The Administrative Service is a cadre of multi-skilled professional administrators who play leadership roles in different bureaux and departments, and are core members of the executive authorities and the governing team of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Administrative Officer Grade comprises seven ranks, including Administrative Officer, Senior Administrative Officer, Administrative Officer Staff Grade C (AOSGC), Administrative Officer Staff Grade B (AOSGB), Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1, Administrative Officer Staff Grade A and Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1. Officers promoted to AOSGC rank normally serve as Assistant Director in departments or Principal Assistant Secretary in the Government Secretariat.
Our reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
(1) As at January 1, 2025, the establishment and strength of AOSGC stood at 216 and 196 respectively. Of note is that not all AOSGC posts are filled by officers of the same substantive rank. Some AOSGC officers are acting up at the AOSGB rank, while some AOSGC posts are being acted up by Senior Administrative Officers.
(2) and (3) Promotion in the Administrative Officer Grade is based on objective criteria, such as personality, ability, performance, experience and potential. Administrative Officers are selected and promoted through a fair process, rather than according to their seniority. Promotion boards are convened on a regular basis to assess candidates' suitability for promotion to the next higher rank. No Administrative Officer can be promoted for more than one rank at a time.
In the past five years, it generally took more than 10 years for AOSGC officers to be promoted to the next higher rank at AOSGB; the longest case took 22 years while the shortest was about 10 years. The average length of service is as follows:
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Years of service at AOSGC rank | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Issued at HKT 14:28
Issued at HKT 14:28
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