Service Quality Wing (SQW) released the Environmental Scan Report 2015 (ESR 2015) on February 11. The Report is now available on POINT.
Publication of the ESR 2015 heralds the beginning of the next Strategic Planning Process, which will examine the current Strategic Directions and culminate at the end of the year with the delivery of the Strategic Directions and Strategic Action Plan 2016-2018 in February 2016.
This is the seventh Environmental Scan Report that the Force has produced. Each one has covered three main subject areas: study on the External Environment, Internal Force Review and summary of recent significant International Policing Developments.
Work on the report began in July last year when SQW recruited six university interns. Each undergraduate was tasked to undertake external research by using the PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal) model.
Former Senior Superintendent (SSP)(ES SQ) Josephine Lau said that the research the interns produced was "relevant and detailed and provided real food for thought. They all showed tremendous vigour and application in assembling, comparing and refining their data."
Key Trends and Emerging Issues
The ESR 2015 is a combination of factual information and analysis of the happenings in both Hong Kong and around the world. Through grouping many singular and disparate events together, one may identify the emerging issues and trends that are shaping the world.
Acting Assistant Commissioner (Service Quality) Yolanda Chan said, "The modern world is changing fast and the Force is obliged to nimbly react or faces the risk of lagging behind. The ESR 2015 is an attempt to lay out the world now as it may affect the Force. Given the limits imposed by space and the developments since the script was sent to the publishers, the Scan cannot be exhaustive. Nonetheless, it is hoped that the Scan will facilitate discussion of the issues and help build the future directions of the Force."
New Aspects of the Scan
Two new features were introduced in ESR 2015: introduction of the Force Enterprise Risk Management (FERM) methodology and use of Overseas Vocation Training (OVT) reports.
FERM is based on a system used by many large organisations worldwide, both public and private sectors, to identify, assess and treat their significant risks. A team comprising SQW officers and officers with qualifications in risk management has been formed to assess the significant issues that emerged from Part One of the Scan and that will emerge following upcoming interviews with all Commissioner Rank Officers. The results of this analysis will be presented to the Commissioner and the Senior Directorate Group to assist with their deliberations on formulation of the Strategic Directions and Strategic Action Plan 2016-2018.
Police College maintains a library of post-OVT reports. The reports are an excellent source to identify the significant themes for Part Three, with the assistance from three Junior Police Officers (JPO), Police Constables Chan Wai-kuen, Chan Chun-kit and Siu Tsz-fung, who assisted with research into international policing developments.
Acting SSP (ES SQ) Edmund Lee also highlighted the contribution provided by the three JPOs. "They brought great credit to themselves because the nature of the work was entirely different from anything they did before," he said.
Ms Chan thanked all the contributors to the Report, including representatives from Major Formations, interns, JPOs and the Force's four staff associations.
Two briefing sessions on the Report were held on February 26 and 27 for over 300 officers. For further discussion on the content of the Report, contact Acting SSP Lee or Chief Inspector (ES SQ) Neil Burnett.
