13. Management Services and Development

Office of Service Quality and Management Audit

The Office of Service Quality and Management Audit (OQA) is specifically tasked to conduct review and inspection on various management systems of the department, aiming at enhancing the quality of services provided by various major formations and ensuring their compliance with laid down policies, rules and regulations.

OQA only took its current office title in September 2006 following a departmental review exercise, which recommended that apart from promoting service quality, this Office should also put more emphasis of its work on inspection, staff integrity and management audit in future. To reflect the change of its themes of work, the former name of “Office of Service Quality” has since re-titled as OQA.

To further enhance professionalism and capability, the Office had taken the initiative to revamp its own management system in 2004/05 with a view to attaining the international standard and successfully obtained the ISO 9001:2000 Certificate in April 2005. This is a great achievement for the Office as the Certificate is the first of its kind ever awarded to the department.

In setting its work plan and priority, the Office adopts a partnership approach by close collaboration with the major formations. In the beginning of each financial year, a Service Quality Projects Consultative Meeting chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, is held with all branch heads and heads of major formations to discuss the work proposals and determine the deliverables of OQA for the year. This cooperative mechanism has proved to work well as it can enable the pooling of ideas from major formations for fruitful and constructive discussions as well as helping OQA to set out and prioritize its annual work plan.

In 2005 and 2006, the Office completed a series of studies with its focus on enhancement of occupational safety and improvement of service quality to the public. Major ones included reviews on the safety and security of detention facilities; safety procedures in handling, storage and disposal of illicit fuel; safety precautions for Customs sea operations and ways for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our public enquiry systems.

Office of Strategic Research

To support the department in its pursuance of excellence as a progressive and forward-looking Customs organisation, the Office of Strategic Research (OSR) plays an important role as a “think tank” providing the directorate with research and strategic support on issues that affect the shaping of the department’s business direction and policies in medium or a longer term.

On topical issues arising from new service initiatives or latest developments in the operating environment, OSR conducts focused studies and proactive analysis, and translates its findings into practical ideas that facilitate management decision-making and formulation of the department’s priorities and strategies for its sustained competitiveness.  Some major research projects conducted in 2005 – 2006 included :

• Analysis of the range of Customs cooperative initiatives arising from the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) regional cooperation framework, and assessment of the department’s preparedness for taking on the new initiatives in the context of the framework;

• Critical study and internal assessment of implementing an “Authorised Economic Operator” scheme in Hong Kong, which is an inseparable component of the Framework of Standards (FoS) to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade recommended by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) that aims to enhance security of the global trade supply chain across the WCO member economies;

• Impact assessment and analysis on various logistics projects that seek to streamline Customs clearance procedures with modern technologies to speed up movements of cargoes; and

• Evaluation of the acceptance level towards the use of the Unified Road Cargo Manifest, which was formally introduced in 2005 with the aim to eliminate duplicated completion of cargo manifests by cross-boundary drivers for the Mainland and Hong Kong Customs authorities.

OSR also supported the department’s continuous effort to foster betterment of its internal organisation and systems.  In 2006, OSR launched a review on the departmental commendation award system and helped to refine the procedures for the award of commendation to deserving staff with exemplary contributions.  Later the same year, it also assisted in mapping out the re-distribution of business amongst the directorate officers in connection with an exercise to review and strengthen the department’s management structure.

It remains OSR's on-going function to constantly survey the Customs' operating environment and provide strategic recommendations on issues that may impact the department's performance and capacity to deliver its services. It also monitors regularly the department's performance in achieving its committed business objectives and service targets.

Legislation

Significant legislation affecting the department enacted in 2005 and 2006 includes: -

Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586)- the ordinance seeks to give effect in Hong Kong to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora signed in Washington D.C. on 3 March 1973. It seeks to regulate the import, introduction from the sea, export, re-export, and possession or control of certain endangered species of animals and plants and parts and derivatives of those species. The legislation came into effect on 1 December 2006 to replace the Animal and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance (Cap. 187).