LettersHow Hong Kong can motivate civil service staff by improving communication
- Readers propose a bottom-up communication platform allowing civil servants to share their ideas with the leadership, and request improvements in the prison system
To address this issue, a new policy recommendation channel could be offered so that civil servants across departments and ranks have the opportunity to directly make suggestions to top officials. A dedicated panel of internal and external policy advisers could be convened by the chief secretary or even the chief executive to process the ideas.
To encourage high-quality proposals, government employees could be given a set of criteria to follow, drawing on models from the business sector. Proposals should be supported by data and evidence. Feasibility checks should be done regarding implementation and targets, along with stakeholder analysis, to manage possible controversies.
The panel of advisers could vote on and shortlist proposals. Rewards for winning ideas could range from extra days of annual leave to a salary increase to a promotion. In extraordinary cases, officers still on probation could be given an early or even an immediate pass. Contract employees could be given priority in being considered for permanent positions.
The submission of a proposal alone, regardless of it being adopted or not, could be factored into employees’ annual performance reviews. This mechanism could help to attract and retain young talent, helping address current turnover rates. It would empower employees to actively participate in policy formulation, rather than just get the minimum work done.