The Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS) is one of the Principal Officials appointed under the Accountability System and a Member of the Executive Council.
For civil service posts with general academic qualifications set below degree level, applicants should attain at least Grade E in Chinese and English (Syllabus B) in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, or equivalent.
In accordance with the Basic Law, new recruits appointed on or after 1 July 1997 must be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, save for certain specified exceptions.
The commission is an independent statutory body responsible for advising the CE on civil service appointment, promotion and disciplinary matters.
[5] In 1965, the Commission further suggested that the principle of fair comparison should be weighted the most among all other considerations, including internal relatives, which is being emphasised too much in the past, commented by the Task Force on the HKSAR Civil Service Pay System.
The institute also disseminates best practices in HRD through its advisory services in training needs analysis, learning strategies, development of competency profiles, and performance management systems.
Management of the process helps maximise individual performance and enhance the corporate efficiency and effectiveness of the civil service as a whole.
[8] The process allows supervisors to better communicate individual work targets and expected standards to civil servants.
[12] 1.1 Performance planning The appraisee and the Appraising Officer would reach a consensus on the list of main objectives or responsibilities for the upcoming reporting period at the beginning of the cycle.
[12] 1.2 Continuous coaching and development In order to provide direction and feedback, regular guidance and supervision of appraisees are required.
[12] It should focus on both unsatisfactory and exemplary performance such that means to overcome difficulties or reinforcing commendable behaviours are made known to the appraisees.
- Determine the effectiveness of existing performance management measures and identify training needs of civil servants to provide appropriate assistance.
[14] It reviews the (i) effectiveness of the deliverance of agreed objectives and targets, (ii) constraints and hindrances affecting the effectiveness, (iii) the strengths and weaknesses of the appraisee that has influenced or will influence the appraisee's further development, and (iv) potential personal or career development and training proposals.
[10] 3.1 Rewarding good performers 3.1.1 Increments 3.1.1.1 Policy In addition to being remunerated based on the annually adjusted pay scale, civil servants are entitled to advance one increment per year within their respective grade scales if they displayed satisfactory performance (including conduct, diligence and efficiency) throughout the year.
As at April 1 in 2021, a total of 68 387 civil servants had already reached their maximum pay points, meaning that they will not be considered for the granting, stoppage or deferral of increments, despite still being subject to the annual performance appraisals.
According to the guidelines issued by the Civil Service Bureau, such promotion should be based entirely on merit, taking into account the personal character, ability, and qualifications of the individual.
[26] It is an annual award that recognises individual civil servants who showed consistently good performance for at least five consecutive years.
[15] No specific statistics on counselling and guidance to substandard performers were recorded as this is part of the daily staff management and will be conducted if necessary .
The civil servant will also be warned that the management may invoke a section 12 action on him or her if his or her work performance continues to be below standard during the observation period.
Upon consideration of all relevant circumstances, the Chief Executive retains the power to require the officer to retire from the Civil Service.
Among these cases, 4 civil servants have substantial improvement in performance hence are no longer required to further proceedings; Among the remaining 15 officers, 6are still under observation period (some are more recent cases), 2 were retired in the public interest due to persistent sub-standard performance without improvement; 7 has left the Civil service after the commencement of phase 3, i.e. section 12 action .
Bureau or department can send the mentioned cases to the Secretariat on Civil Service Discipline for centralised processing, with penalties ranging from reprimand to dismissal.
[20] The accused civil servant reserved the right to cross-examine witnesses and make representation under the principle of ‘natural justice’ to ensure a fair hearing .
The majority of these proceedings were in the form of moderate warnings, with only 5.5 percent resulting in removal by dismissal and compulsory retirement.. Civil Servants who disagree with the disciplinary rulings can appeal to the Chief Executive or seek judicial review.However, it has been suggested that the present disciplinary mechanism has insufficient deterrent effect on civil servants who committed misconduct.
[18] From 2015 to 2020, approximately 25% of disciplinary matters subject to hearings could not be concluded and ended by the Secretariat on Civil Service Discipline within nine months .
[20] It took more than a year to conclude the whole procedure for cases in which Civil Servants were convicted with criminal offences that are relatively minor in nature.
Due to the tremendous workload and prolonged examination by Bureau or department, the processing period might be as long as three years in extreme cases .
[38] The book cited a survey conducted in early 1990, delineating that among civil servants in the Government Secretariat, the Housing Department, and the Social Welfare Department, the performance appraisal reports were only relevant to promotion decisions, but not for other decisions regarding postings, transfers, training and manpower planning.
Cheung: Public Administration In Southeast Asia Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, And Macao (2016) The book commented that some performance measures reported by departments were found not to be the key and most meaningful ones that would best indicate the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of their work.
[12] Composed of groups of senior officials, the panels monitor the distribution of grading and handle appeals against performance appraisals.