Civil Service Training and Development

Preparing civil servants to provide quality service to the public and to
meet new challenges is the primary goal of training and development in
the Civil Service. To achieve this goal, the Civil Service Training and
Development Institute, the government's central training agency, offers a
wide range of management, language, China studies and information
technology courses for civil servants ranging from the directorate to the
junior ranks. Training courses are supplemented and reinforced by
developmental tools such as self-learning packages. The institute also
provides training services to support management activities launched by
the government and offers a full range of training services to departments.

Management training programmes, in which senior staff may enrol,
include overseas executive development programmes, local directorate
seminars and the Senior Staff Development Programme (SSDP). The
SSDP is a seven-week, intensive programme with emphasis on policy
analysis and the leadership role of senior civil servants. Visits to overseas
civil service counterparts form an important component of the course.

The emphasis on China Studies is to increase civil servants' knowledge of
the social, economic and administrative systems in the Mainland through
lectures and visits. The programmes include:

Tsinghua Course: Each course consists of four weeks of classroom
lectures at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Lectures are supplemented
by visits to government departments and other organisations.
Familiarisation Visits: Familiarisation visits are organised to give
officers the opportunity to get a better understanding of China's
government system and way of life.China Seminars: Speakers
knowledgeable about China-related issues are invited from within
and outside the government to deliver seminars to public servants.
Self-learning Packages: Videos, booklets and computer software on
China-related subjects are developed for use by civil servants.

Putonghua and Chinese writing courses are offered to a large number of
officers. Tailor-made courses on Putonghua and on Chinese writing are
also offered to departments and grades. Training on Chinese word
processing is offered to secretarial, clerical and executive grade officers
to meet soaring demands for the skill. Cantonese courses are provided for
expatriate officers to help them work effectively in the Chinese
community.

Courses are organised to provide support to the Human Resource
Management initiative launched by the Civil Service Bureau. Consultancy
services are offered to departments to promote the practice of a
co-ordinated and systematic approach to Human Resource Development.
Best human resource development practices are also introduced to
departments to strengthen organisational competence.

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