District Planning - Opportunities & Challenges

1. HKCSS Symposium on Partnership : Service Planning & Funding Arrangement District Planning - Opportunities & Challenges Mrs Patricia Chu, BBS, JP Deputy Director (Administration), SWD 8 November 2002

2. Outline • Why district planning ? • Enhanced functions of DSWO • Parameters for enhanced functions • Mechanism / methodology • Study on enhanced DSWO functions • Opportunities and challenges

3. Why district planning Why district planning ? • Centralised planning no longer adequate to meeting local community needs • Rising community expectations • Population-based planning standards not sensitive to changing local welfare needs • Rapid expansion in past decade led to facility-driven and incremental approach, which is not cost-effective • Holistic perspectives and better co-ordination are called for

4. Why district planning Why district planning ?(Cont.) • Integration of services at district level recommended by consultants, e.g. • Fundamental Expenditure Review on Youth Services (1999) • Review of Day Services for the Elderly (2000) • Family Services Review (2001)

5. Why district planning Why district planning ?(Cont.) • Need for outreaching social networks at district level • CE’s 2000 Policy Address : imminent need to enhance outreaching services for those hard-to-reach target groups; and • to build up social networks to support the disadvantaged ie the elderly, families and youth at risk, single parents, new arrivals

6. Enhanced DSWO functions Enhanced Functions of DSWO • Re-organisation of SWD in September 2001 (in the districts) : • Delayered SWD structure from 3 tiers -HQs/Region/District to 2 tiers - HQs/District • Upgraded DSWOs from CSWO to PSWO • Created additional ADSWOs, SSSOs and District Secretary (DS) posts to support strengthened DSWO functions • Formed PCTs and FSNTs to underpin DSWOs, by pooling resources from the former YOs, REOs, and GWUs

7. Enhanced DSWO functions Enhanced Functions of DSWO (Cont.) • DSWOs took up enhanced responsibility in : • Planning welfare services on a district basis to meet local community needs • Collaborating with DCs, related Gov’t departments and district organisations to facilitate implementation of social welfare policies in the district

8. Enhanced DSWO functions Enhanced Functions of DSWO(Cont.) • Co-ordinating with subvented and non-subvented NGOs in the district in delivery of services to meet local welfare needs • Establishing a more proactive social outreaching network in the district to help the needy and the disadvantaged • Administering and managing centralised operational units

9. Parameters Parameters for enhanced functions • To guide DSWOs in fulfilling their enhanced functions, 7 parameters have been worked out for their reference • Responsiveness towards district welfare needs • Evidence-based needs assessment • Prevalent policy objectives (POs) and key result areas (KRAs)

10. Parameters Parameters for enhanced functions(Cont.) • Resources allocation and pursuance of value-for-money • From fragmentation to integration • From compartmentalisation to cross-sector collaboration • Community partnership

11. Mechanism/Methodology Mechanism / Methodology • Evidence-based need assessment • Environmental scanning : analysis of internal and external environments • PEST Analysis (analysing district characteristics) • Political • Economic • Social • Technological

12. Mechanism/Methodology Mechanism / Methodology (Cont.) • SWOT Analysis

13. Mechanism/ Methodology Mechanism / Methodology (Cont.) • Collection of feedback from stakeholders (e.g. DCCs/LCs, district forums & focus group, visits, etc.) • Drawing reference from district data banks and various available statistical reports • Comparison of district need profile and service provision profile • Identification of service gap • Trend analysis (reviewing socio-economic trends) • Prioritization of need

14. Mechanism/Methodology Mechanism/ Methodology (Cont.) • Overall planning DSWOs/ PCTs Environmental Scanning and Analysis NEEDS ASSESSMENT • SWOT Analysis • Strength • Weakness • Opportunity • Threat • PEST Analysis • Political • Economical • Social • Technological • Constructing • Service Provision Profile • Review on- • Existing service provision • Planned projects • Service development capacity • Mapping Out • District Need Profile • Statistical data analysis • Trend analysis • Analysis on district characteristics • Collection of stakeholders’ views • Gap Analysis & • Identification of Social Need • Compare district need profile and the service provision profile • Identify service gap • Draw reference from proposed social need indicators • Prioritization of Service Need • Criteria: • Consistency with policy directives • Population of at-risk targets and vulnerable groups • Political pressure • Anticipated cost effectiveness of services/ programmes SETTING OF SERVICE FOCUS & PROGRAMME PLAN

15. Mechanism/Methodology Mechanism / Methodology (Cont.) • Planning of premises-tied projects • From centralised planning to district-based • DSWOs to make bid and give comments to projects early in the planning process • DSWOs as project co-ordinator among different SWD units • Collaborate with DCs and other stakeholders • Better capturing district welfare needs, local sentiments, local consultation, provision and utilisation of existing service utilization, need for reprovisioning, etc.

16. Mechanism/Methodology Mechanism / Methodology (Cont.) • Planning of non-premises-tied projects • DSWOs and local personalities are involved in invitation and vetting of proposals, e.g. • Understanding the Adolescents Project • Healthy Ageing • Most suitable proposals/operation modes can be selected • Enhance community involvement and partnership

17. Mechanism/Methodology Mechanism / Methodology (Cont.) • Co-ordinating mechanism • key mechanism – DCC/LCs • Other platforms: • District planning forum • Briefing sessions for DC members/assistants, service providers, service users, other stakeholders

18. Progress Progress update • LegCo Panel on Welfare Services • Progress on enhanced functions of DSWOs reported at 8 April 2002 meeting • Achievement so far made by the DSWOs was appreciated by Welfare Panel, DCs, local organisations • A study to benchmark the effectiveness of the enhanced DSWO functions was suggested

19. Study on enhanced functions Study on enhanced DSWO functions • Study to evaluate and benchmark • To evaluate effectiveness of enhanced functions of DSWOs • To set benchmarks and best practices • To involve outside researcher • To cover all 13 DSWOs • To study retrospectively on one full year of implementation • Funding from Lotteries Fund secured

20. Opportunities and challenges Opportunities and challenges • For SWD • Are we on the right track and how far should we go ? • Repositioning of DSWO in the local community • How to further improve our responsiveness towards district welfare needs ? • Are there better ways to collect, assess and analyse district welfare needs ? • How to address district uniqueness ? • How to balance between district welfare needs and territory-wide needs ?

21. Opportunities and challenges Opportunities and challenges (Cont.) • For NGOs • Repositioning of NGOs in the local community • How to create synergy, for strategic alliance or collaborate with other organisations ? • Is there need to re-organise the agency structure regionalised/service unit based ? • How to become better involved in district welfare needs assessment and district welfare planning ?

22. Thank you !!!