Review Report on the Lump Sum Grant Subvention ... - lwb.gov.hk

e detrimental to the professional development of the welfare workforce, and willlead to deterioration of service quality in the long run.3.55 The IRC agrees that the success of the LSGSS, and indeed the future of ourwelfare sector, depends on the availability of staff who are qualified for, andcommitted to, their careers. A pool of well trained social workers is a social asset,and our community should continue to invest in it. Indeed, in-service training is notonly necessary for social workers, but also for other staff in the welfare sector, theNGO management and board members. It helps them upgrade their skills, so thatthey may perform their respective roles more effectively. This is of utmostimportance under the LSGSS as all stakeholders have to work together to meet newchallenges and take advantage of new opportunities. Enhancing their capacitymeans enhancing welfare services.3.56 We therefore consider it necessary to put in place a comprehensive schemeto enhance the personal capacity of all those who work in welfare NGOs under theLSGSS (in particular the younger social workers who joined the sector after 2000)and to enhance the management capacity of the NGOs. Regarding the latter, we notethat a Business Improvement Project (BIP) Scheme has been implemented since 2001to help NGOs improve service quality, efficiency and responsiveness in the LSGenvironment. We shall discuss further how the BIP Scheme has achieved itsobjectives in Chapter 5. It is clear that if there is to be a new initiative to enhancethe capacity of the entire welfare sector, the contributions of the BIP Scheme shouldbe taken into account.3.57 Having regard to the above considerations, and in anticipation of thesubstantial demand for capacity enhancement in the foreseeable future, werecommend that the Government introduce a $1 billion Social Welfare DevelopmentFund to support the following -training and professional development for NGO board members,management and staff (not limited to social workers), covering also the costof workers to relieve staff who go on training;system upgrading for NGOs, e.g. IT infrastructure, system design andinitiatives to enhance NGOs’ management capacity or facilitate theirre-engineering; andstudies aimed at enhancing NGOs’ service delivery.- 34 -