Fostering a Committed Workforce

The WSD has nurtured a talented and highly dedicated workforce that spans the entire range of the Department’s operations. We schedule in-depth training schemes along with inter-branch seminars for our (4 396) staff members to make sure that we continue meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of our customers. This year, our in-house training unit has focused on enhancing the technical knowledge and managerial skills of our staff, particularly in the area of water treatment, as well as safety and information technology. To this end, we have conducted a total of 12 346 training days at a cost of HK$2.7 million. With respect to lowering workplace accident cases, the statistics show that we are maintaining a consistently low rate on water works contracts. In fact, we are well below the safety limits designated by the Government for public works contracts.

We are also working hard to expand the strong and effective communications channels that exist between managers and staff throughout the Department. In this regard, the Departmental Consultative Committee and its sub committees have provided useful forums to create an open exchange of ideas on issues of common concern for all staff members. The Department schedules regular meetings with staff unions and senior officers make regular visits to individual offices and work sites to become more knowledgeable about various on-going projects and to help motivate staff. All supervisors are expected make productivity enhancements and service delivery improvements a top priority as part of their duties. To this end, the Department has introduced a number of motivation schemes to encourage staff to contribute their ideas and opinions on how to improve service delivery and foster greater work efficiency. As a consequence, new innovative ideas are being tried, tested and implemented, significantly helping our operations achieve impressive service and operational improvements.

Learning from Partnerships

We have formed a great many partnerships with academic institutions and private sector firms on research and development projects. This has led to strengthened collaborative relationships on technological developments and newly developed applications. The Department actively cultivates a culture of innovation and we have worked hard to bolster confidence throughout the organisation. The large number of ideas and suggestions submitted by staff during the year to help raise the overall excellence of our operations has been carefully considered and, where feasible, the ideas have been implemented.

In order to affect improved customer services for the public, the Department has organised a series of experience-sharing sessions in which our staff meet with the public directly to discuss matters such as how we’ve handled ombudsman cases , processing of applications, carrying out inspections, and meter replacement work. Other sessions have covered topics such as management of the Sichuan Reconstruction project, turf management and corruption prevention issues.

In 2010, the Department formed a technology transfer workshop and training group to help increase knowledge about the latest developments in water treatment. We held seminars on design, treatment processes and treatment plant operations. During the year, 60 staff members participated in knowledge-sharing at five seminars and four technical visits to local water treatment facilities and sewage treatment works. The Department’s engineering consultants as well continue to share their advanced technical knowledge with staff.

Departmental Cross Postings

The WSD participates in a cross-posting scheme that seconds engineers from our Department to the Government’s Civil Engineering and Development Department in order to expand their overall exposure and broaden work perspectives. This successful scheme, now in its fifth year, has matched 21 pairs of engineers. Engineers from all sections of the Department can apply for one of these cross- posting positions for a term which normally spans two years. The Department believes strongly that this cross-posting experience helps staff members with succession planning and offers a novel environment for people to display their personal initiative and individual capabilities. For this reason we encourage as many engineers as possible to take part in the programme.

Team Building

To help build a better work-life balance for our staff, we arranged a wide array of sporting events during the year with more than 500 WSD personnel taking part. We also actively encourage everyone in the Department to participate in the various sporting events organised by outside bodies such as the Inter-department Table Tennis Tournament, the Corporate Games, the Construction Industry Sports Day cum Charity Fun Day, as well as other sports-related activities. All of these activities and events help to build a stronger esprit de corps within the Department and a healthier lifestyle for our staff.

Staff is encouraged to take part in various sport competitions