Seminar on IT Project Management for the Social Welfare Sector Opening Remarks Mrs Carrie Lam Direct

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Seminar on IT Project Managementfor the Social
Welfare SectorOpening RemarksMrs Carrie
LamDirector of Social Welfare21 January 2002
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Use of IT in the Social Welfare Sector

• Generally lagging behind in the use of IT
• Need to catch up in the use of IT becoming more
  imminent because we need -
• more responsive service to meet changing needs
• technology assistance to improve efficiency
• faster communication to facilitate cross-agency
  and cross-sector collaboration

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare Sector

• Drawn up in consultation with HKCSS in December
  2000
• To apply IT to delivery of client-based services
  (core business functions)
• To expand and improve the use of IT in managing
  an organisation (back office functions)
• To assist disadvantaged individuals to use IT by
  making IT accessible (overcome Digital Divide)

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare Sector

• SWAC and LegCo Welfare Panel consulted in January
  and February 2001 respectively
• Direction supported
• Early implementation of the recommendations
  aspired
• Joint Committee on Information Technology for the
  Social Welfare Sector chaired by DSW, comprising
  representatives from ITSD, HWB, HKCSS and welfare
  NGOs as well as IT experts, was set up in May
  2001

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare
SectorEssential Components

• Infrastructure
• PC replacement
• Procurement assistance by extending Standing
  Offer Agreements to NGOs
• Communications
• between NGO HQ and service units (e.g. Internet
  access and e-Cert)
• between NGOs and service recipients (e.g.
  web-based applications)

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare
SectorEssential Components

• Humanware
• To raise the competence of social work personnel
  in the use of IT
• Matching volunteer IT professionals as IT
  advisers to NGOs
• System applications
• To support NGOs to develop their need-based
  applications to facilitate organisational
  management and service delivery

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare
SectorEssential Components

• Accessibility
• To enhance the accessibility of elders and
  disabled persons to IT

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare
SectorImplementation

• Initiatives in 2001
• A half-day seminar on computer security was held
  in March 2001
• Guidelines to improving web accessibility were
  issued to NGOs in March 2001
• ITRC commenced operation in June 2001 to provide
  a wide range of IT services to NGOs

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare
SectorImplementation

• Initiatives in 2001 (contd)
• A reference guide to the implementation of
  software asset management was issued in August
  2001
• A seminar on design concepts and techniques to
  make the web sites accessible was held in
  September 2001
• ITRC was invited in October 2001 to add proper
  alternative text to NGO welfare-related web pages

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare
SectorImplementation

• Initiatives in 2001 (contd)
• Total commitments of 152 Mn approved from
  Lotteries Fund to implement the IT Strategy
  recommendations in 2001
• PC replacement programme (to replace 1,584 PC
  sets for 172 NGOs) ( 26 Mn)
• Supporting an Information Technology Resource
  Centre within HKCSS for the social welfare sector
  for 3 years ( 9 Mn)
• Broadband Internet access and digital
  certificates programme for welfare NGOs ( 73 Mn)

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare
SectorImplementation

• Initiatives in 2001 (contd)
• Financing IT training programme for NGOs (1.8
  Mn)
• Supporting other individual project applications
  (e.g. web-based Social Welfare Information Kit,
  homepage for caregivers, etc.) (1.4 Mn)
• Installing PCs with Internet facilities in M/Es
  and S/Es and sponsoring IT awareness programmes
  (11 Mn)

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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare
SectorImplementation

• Initiatives in 2001 (contd)
• Installing PCs with Internet facilities and
  special features in rehabilitation units,
  sponsoring IT awareness programmes and developing
  a portal site for people with disabilities (30
  Mn)

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Funding of IT

• LFAC has endorsed framework for making Lotteries
  Fund grants to NGOs to carry out IT projects
  endorsed by LFAC annual call for funds
  applications in respect of IT projects
• Lotteries Fund as the main source of funds for IT
  in the social welfare sector, community resources
  and sponsorship welcome (e.g. a grant from Tang
  Ho Fund to finance further IT training for elders)

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Funding of IT

• Lotteries Fund funding parameters -
• non-recurrent in nature and on a
  project-by-project basis
• ongoing recurrent expenses to be met by NGOs
  through enhanced efficiency and productivity
  arising from the use of IT
• SWD is proceeding with Phase II of its ISS
  comprising a Client Information System and will
  shortly approach LFAC for a grant to conduct a
  quick feasibility study on extending CIS to NGO
  FSCs

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Observations and Expectations on theUse of IT
for the Social Welfare Sector

• IT is a tool welfare services should continue
  to be people-centred. Use of IT should not
  undermine compassion and discretion
• IT assists and enables business transformation
  but IT itself does not transform an operation.
  Use of IT should be accompanied by business
  process re-engineering and changes to service
  delivery mode

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Observations and Expectations on theUse of IT
for the Social Welfare Sector

• Emphasis on IT for the Sector to facilitate
  joined-up efforts, knowledge sharing and
  co-operation
• Need to increase skills amongst social welfare
  professionals in managing IT projects
• Prepare frontline staff readiness to use IT and
  cultural change

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Thank You