Joining hands to cut costs
The 16th Police Staff Suggestions Scheme and Police Staff Motivation Scheme Prize Presentation Ceremony was held on Saturday, March 8 at the Police Officers' Club. A total of ten Gold Awards, including one awarded under the Staff Motivation Scheme, 13 Silver Awards and nine Letters of Appreciation were presented to 55 officers. Family members of awardees also attended the ceremony to share the joy and happiness.
The Police Staff Suggestions Scheme was set up in January 1994 with a view to encouraging Force members to submit ideas which could help improve utilization of resources (both manpower deployment and use of equipment) to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness, streamline processes and procedures and improve service quality and working environment.
The mechanism of the Police Staff Suggestions Scheme and the Police Staff Motivation Scheme was modelled after that of the Central Staff Suggestions Scheme operated by the Civil Service Bureau. Since the inception of the Scheme in 1994, over 2,600 suggestions were received from Force members. In 2002, 371 staff suggestions were received and the rate of acceptance was about 6% which reflected the careful examination of ideas in the process and the prudent level of awards conferred by the Police Staff Suggestions Committee.
"I hope you could all assist the Force to achieve further savings proactively under the Police Staff Suggestions Scheme," said Assistant Commissioner, Service Quality Wing, Mr Charles Wong Doon-yee, the Officiating Guest of the Prize Presentation Ceremony. "The Civil Service Bureau just announced a 'Let's Join Hands to Cut Costs Campaign' operated under the Staff Suggestions Scheme. This Campaign has a central theme on 3'R', i.e. re-engineering operations to streamline procedures, reprioritizing resources to cater for what society needs and re-organising structure to reduce layers and duplications whilst fulfilling our policy and operational commitments. To tie in with the Government's economy drive and to support the Civil Service Bureau's Campaign, on behalf of the Chairman of the Police Staff Suggestions Committee I encourage staff active participation in the Police Staff Suggestions Scheme," Mr Wong elaborated.
The main focus of the Campaign launched by the Civil Service Bureau is on cost-saving suggestions. As an added incentive to staff, the cash award under the Campaign will be raised to HK$30,000 for suggestions which can save more than HK$1 million for Government and the Force. However, please note that only practicable proposals which can be implemented within 12 months will be awarded. Staff will need to submit their proposals in a standard proforma and set out the identified problems, details of the proposed solutions, implementation plan and estimated cost-savings. Detailed Campaign information will be released shortly.
Silver certificate and $250 each for Senior Police Constables, Mr Leung Hung-sum and Mr Mak Kwai-tai, for proposing the addition of a rubber insert on the sharp edge of the container behind passengers seats of the newly designed EU large vans