Procedures for handling sub-standard civil servants will be further streamlined, Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong says. The Public Service Commission and the staff sides will be consulted on the proposal in the coming months.

Mr Wong told lawmakers today the proposals aim to reduce the lead-time for the compulsory retirement of persistent sub-standard performers. With the implementation of the revised procedures for handling underperformers in April 2003, the Government has shortened the lead-time for compulsorily retiring such officers in the public interest.

In the 21 months ending December, 17 civil servants were removed for persistent sub-standard performance, compared to 16 cases in the preceding four years. During this period another 73 civil servants were brought under supervision. Of these, 31 showed substantive improvement that rendered further action unnecessary. For the remaining 42, 32 are still under supervision while 10 have left the service.

Award scheme expanded

Mr Wong said the Government plans to expand the Civil Service Customer Service Award Scheme this year to recognise effective co-operation among departments.

To encourage civil servants to further upgrade the quality of their services, new awards will also be introduced to recognise remarkable achievements in innovation and application of technology.

A new round of the training sponsorship scheme will be launched this year to sponsor junior staff and middle managers to take accredited external management programmes. Sponsorship will also be granted to frontline staff to take after-work courses that are job-related or lead to an academic qualification up to form five.

The Government plans to issue to civil servants at all levels a revised Civil Servants' Guide to Good Practices in the middle of the year.

The Civil Service Bureau and the Independent Commission Against Corruption will also jointly organise a large-scale leadership forum in mid-2005, which will provide an opportunity for the Government, the public sector and the business community to share experience in integrity management and examine new ethical challenges.