EC(97-98)54
For discussion
on 4 February 1998


ITEM FOR ESTABLISHMENT SUBCOMMITTEE OF
FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 98 - MANAGEMENT SERVICES AGENCY
Subhead 001 Salaries


Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the creation of the following supernumerary post in the Management Services Agency for the period from 1 June 1998 to
30 November 1999 -

1 Principal Management Services Officer

(D1) ($92,650 - $98,300)

PROBLEM

The Management Services Agency (MSA) needs a directorate officer to take overall charge of the implementation of Phase III of the Records Management Strategy (the Strategy).

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Management Services (DMS), with the support of Head, Efficiency Unit, proposes to create one supernumerary post of Principal Management Services Officer (PMSO) (D1) to head the Strategy's Phase III Implementation Team for 18 months with effect from 1 June 1998.

JUSTIFICATION

Major Phase III tasks

3. Phase I of the Strategy has laid the foundation for the implementation of the Strategy and Phase II has developed and implemented improvement measures to cover a wide spectrum of government departments. The main objective of Phase III is to consolidate and further develop improvement measures introduced in the previous phases. We summarise below the proposed tasks of Phase III -

  1. Facilities Support and Enhancement

    1. to develop a multi-user version of Bar-coding File Management System (BCFMS) to facilitate location of files through local area network;

    2. to enhance the BCFMS to a bilingual version to support the management of files with Chinese subject titles;

    3. to develop a Storage Allocation Management System for the Government Records Service to facilitate transfer of inactive files from bureaux and departments to Records Centres;

    4. to review the effectiveness and service level of the Government Microfilming Service Centre;

    5. to assess the potential demand for microfilming/electronic filing interface and to identify technological and managerial solutions for meeting such demand; and

    6. to conduct a bulk purchase tender exercise for the supply of standardised mobile racking systems to enable implementation of the first mobile racking zone in the new Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices Building.

  2. Departmental Support on Records Management

    1. to conduct about 15 departmental reviews on records management by adopting a "total system" approach with a view to addressing the overall records management needs of selected departments;

    2. to assist departments to implement the recommendations arising from the studies conducted in Phases II and III;

    3. to develop a comprehensive target-oriented curriculum for training courses on records management for departmental records managers and registry staff;

    4. to review, develop and publish guidelines/instructions on five different aspects of records management practices to help bureaux and departments improve their records management systems themselves; and

    5. to conduct an overall review of the Strategy to evaluate its effectiveness, assess whether or not it should be continued, and recommend the way forward.

Staffing Requirements

4. We expect the Strategy to have an important bearing on service-wide practices and the use of resources in records management. Its implementation will involve major changes in operational procedures and organisational culture. To expedite the move towards better records management, we hope to complete Phase III of the Strategy within 18 months. To take the Strategy forward, DMS will need to create 15 additional staff and redeploy another 15 existing staff for a period of 18 months from June 1998 to set up an Implementation Team to plan, organise and co-ordinate Phase III implementation. The team will be organised into three groups, each headed by a Chief Management Services Officer, and will comprise staff from both Management Services Officer Grade and General Grades. Organisation charts of MSA and the Implementation Team are at Enclosures 1 and 2 respectively.

5. As the performance of the Implementation Team will impact directly on the outcome of Phase III of the Strategy, we need a directorate officer with substantial experience and management skills to lead the Team to complete Phase III within 18 months and to provide the necessary leadership to steer the promotion of good records management in Government. DMS therefore proposes to pitch the head of the Implementation Team at the PMSO level. The main duties and responsibilities of the proposed post are at Enclosure 3.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6. The additional notional annual salary cost at MID-POINT of the proposal is -

$

No. of Post



New supernumerary post

1,144,200

1

The full annual average staff cost of the proposal, including salaries and staff on-cost, is $2,155,248. We will include sufficient provision in the 1998-99 draft Estimates to meet the cost of this proposal.

7. In addition, we will create 14 non-directorate posts at a notional annual mid-point salary cost of $4,336,860 and a full annual average staff cost of $5,901,336 to staff the Implementation Team. We will create these posts during 1998-99 under the normal Departmental Establishment Committee mechanism.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

8. To promote better records management, the Administration formulated in 1994 a service-wide Records Management Strategy. The objective of the Strategy is to help departments reduce record stock, reduce record growth, improve quality of service and improve cost-effectiveness.

9. Taking into account the level of coverage and complexity, the service and improvement demands, the systems and technology involved, the resource and financial implications of the Strategy, we have adopted a three-phased approach for implementing the Strategy in about five years.

10. The Finance Committee approved on 25 November 1994 and
5 January 1996 a commitment of $35.7 million for Phase I and of $25.62 million for Phase II respectively. On 9 February 1996, the Finance Committee approved the creation of a supernumerary PMSO post to co-ordinate Phase II implementation. The post will lapse on 1 June 1998.

11. The Finance Committee approved on 9 January 1998 a commitment of $13.9 million for Phase III implementation. This paper is put forward for Members' consideration on the assumption that the Finance Committee will approve the above commitment at its meeting on 9 January 1998.

CIVIL SERVICE BUREAU COMMENTS

12. Civil Service Bureau agrees that there is a continued need to provide a PMSO for 18 months to head the Implementation Team for Phase III of the Strategy.

ADVICE OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON DIRECTORATE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

13. As the PMSO post is proposed on a supernumerary basis, we will report its creation, if approved, to the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service in accordance with the agreed procedures.


Efficiency Unit, Chief Secretary for Administration's Office January 1998

Enclosure 3 to EC(97-98)54

Main Duties and Responsibilities of
Proposed Principal Management Services Officer (Records Management)

Main Role and Objectives

The main role of the proposed Principal Management Services Officer (Records Management) (PMSO(RM)) is to head a management services team for implementing Phase III of the Records Management Strategy (the Strategy) and maintaining the measures implemented in Phases I and II. He will be responsible to Assistant Director of Management Services(B) for planning, co-ordinating, monitoring and implementing the Strategy.

Main Responsibilities

2. The main responsibilities of PMSO(RM) are as follows -

  1. maintaining the improvement measures initiated and systems implemented in Phases I and II;

  2. formulating plans for Phase III implementation;

  3. co-ordinating with parties concerned the tendering, evaluation, procurement and installation of various systems, services and equipment required for Phase III implementation;

  4. co-ordinating with all government departments the enhancements of the service-wide Bar-coding File Management System;

  5. reviewing the effectiveness and service level of the Government Microfilming Service Centre and developing suitable technological and managerial solutions for any demand for microfilming/electronic filing interface;

  6. leading and conducting departmental reviews on records management with a view to providing a total system solution for departmental records management;

  7. planning, leading and conducting an overall review of the Strategy with a view to evaluating its effectiveness, assessing whether or not it should be continued, and recommending the way forward;

  8. leading and supervising the Phase III Implementation Team (which comprises 30 officers from the Management Services Agency) and overseeing the Team's co-ordination with the Government Records Service; and

  9. supporting the Steering Group on Records Management on all aspects of records management.