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

2Outline 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 ? 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 Why district planning

4 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) Why district planning

5 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 Why district planning

6 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 Enhanced DSWO functions

7 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 Enhanced DSWO functions

8 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 Enhanced DSWO functions

9 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) Parameters

10 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 Parameters

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

12 Mechanism / Methodology (Cont.) Mechanism/Methodology Internal factors External factors Strength (S)Weakness (W) Opportunities (O) SO Strategies Use strengths to take advantage of opportunities WO Strategies Take advantages of opportunities by overcoming weaknesses Threats (T) ST Strategies Use strengths to avoid threats ST Strategies Minimize weaknesses and avoid threat  SWOT Analysis

13 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 Mechanism/ Methodology

14 NEEDS ASSESSMENT DSWOs/ PCTs Mapping Out District Need Profile  Statistical data analysis  Trend analysis  Analysis on district characteristics  Collection of stakeholders’ views Constructing Service Provision Profile Review on-  Existing service provision  Planned projects  Service development capacity 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 SWOT Analysis Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat PEST Analysis Political Economical Social Technological Environmental Scanning and Analysis Mechanism/ Methodology (Cont.) Mechanism/Methodology Overall planning

15 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. Mechanism/Methodology

16 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 Mechanism/Methodology

17 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 Mechanism/Methodology

18 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 Progress

19 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 Study on enhanced functions

20 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 ? Opportunities and challenges

21 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 ? Opportunities and challenges

22 Thank you !!!