Untitled - Civic Exchange

Chapter 7: The Dynamics of Decision-making in Hong Kong
1. The political system gives overwhelming authority to the executive branch, which has resulted in
an "executive-led" system of government in Hong Kong. This will not change with the
implementation of the POAS. 234
2. Key decision-makers are the elite "Administrative Officers" (AOs), who are generalist bureaucrats
effectively doubling up as ministers. Civil servants dominate all major policy processes, including
policy initiation, formulation, and implementation. The POAS will create a new political elite.
However, since it is anticipated that many of the initial appointees will come from the senior ranks
of the civil service, existing organizational structures and decision-making practices are unlikely
to change in the short-term.
3. The administrative culture of the Hong Kong civil service and the training of civil servants impact
the way that decisions are made. The top-down and compartmentalized structure of the bureaus and
departments does not encourage a multidisciplinary approach. This problem is further exacerbated
by an internal culture where different bureaus and departments avoid "interfering" with each
other's decisions. While officers from different units of the administration may coordinate with
each other, there is little effective joint decision-making at the important stages of policy
formulation. 235 In implementing the POAS, the Chief Executive has pushed for closer coordination
of policy portfolios. Although the ministers will all serve on the Executive Council - a step in the
right direction - effective coordination will occur only if policy objectives, goal setting, and
organizational structures and practices are properly aligned.
4. The bureaucratic-administrative system sometimes results in a lack of competency at the highest
levels of government. AOs change jobs every few years and, more often than not, are transferred
into areas where they have no previous experience. Over the course of a five-year period, it is
possible that all of the key officers within a bureau will change. This means that it can be hard to
retain experience and institutional memory, as each new officer has to learn on the job. The POAS
will create a non-political civil service in which permanent secretaries serve as administrative
bureau heads and provide support to political appointees. It is unclear at this stage whether there
will be complementary changes in the administrative system to develop the policy expertise
required for a new governance system.
5. The argument in favor of the existing system is that while AOs are generalists, they are supported
by departmental officers who are specialists. At the departmental level, the training has been to
implement policies rather than initiative them. In theory, generalists and specialists should make a
strong team but in practice, they often do not, and the differences in approach can be a cause of
internal conflict and contention. The POAS is unlikely to change this situation in the short-term.
6. There is an urgent need to review Hong Kong's transport planning process and locate it within
overall planning for sustainable development. The executive branch also needs to ensure that there
is a meaningful connection between the planning and implementation of transport decisions,
including the funding and pricing of transport. Opportunities to be more creative in developing and
funding transport for the benefit of the community at large are being missed.
234 This system is derived from a colonial system in which the government was not elected to office and where
there were no real politicians. As such, the civil service was in fact the ruling party and played a political as well as
administrative role.
235 For example, for years the Transport Department (TD) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD)
used different standards to test vehicular smoke emissions. It was only after intense criticism in the legislature that
they adopted a common standard in July 2000.
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