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Maintaining
a high standard in the provision of public service has been an important
part of EPP. While delivering the required productivity gains, bureaux,
departments and subvented organizations have also made further improvement
to their services. The award of more certificates under the internationally
recognised ISO 9000 Qaulity Management System is the evidence of their
achievement. It also indicates clearly their commitment to improving
continuously services to the community. Since the launch
of the EPP in 1988, a total of 34 ISO 9000 certificates has been presented
by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) to services units
of various Government Departments. At two recent
presentation ceremonies , the Information Technology Services Department
and the Government Supplies Department were presented with ISO 9001
and ISO 9002 certificates.. In the case of
the Government Supplies Department, two ISO 9002 certificates were awarded
to its Procurement and General Divisions. During the process to raise
the standard of performance in line with the requirements for accreditation,
the department conducted a systematic review of all procedures to ensure
that they maintain good quality standards which are fully documented
, that staff receive regular training in their use and that there are
effective control measures for detecting and correcting any deviations.
Particular attention has been paid to an accurate delineation of staff
responsibilities and to the maintenance of stringent safety procedures.
The HKQAA conducted
a detailed review of its revised procedures and how they are put into
practice before determining that the standards for accreditation had
been met. Further visits by HKQAA staff at six-monthly intervals to
ensure that the quality standard have been maintained and that further
improvements have met changing circumstances. As regards Information
Technology Services Department , the ISO 9001 certificates was awarded
to its Central Computer Centre (CCC) Helpdesk. The CCC Helpdesk
operates round-the-clock and provides support for the various services
of the ITSD. It also serves as a central agent monitoring the smooth
running of the Government Backbone Network connecting all bureaux and
departments. The award of
ISO Accreditation to these services units is a tribute to the teamwork,
enthusiasm and hard work of their staff members. ISO 9000 quality
management standards were first published by the International Organisation
for Standardization (ISO) in 1987. The system sets out to establish
document and maintain an effective and economic quality system which
demonstrate a commitment to quality and ability to satisfy customers'
quality needs. It helps improve management control and efficiency, motivate
continuous improvements, provides foundation for total quality management
and increase customer satisfaction. A total of 58 certificates has been awarded to Government departments since the inception of the system.
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