The Road to Excellence Carries On...and On...

ISO 14001 Certification
We are well on target to meet our objectives to gain ISO 14001 certification for our Business and Corporate units in late 2000 or early 2001. Committed to quality on every level, this certification will provide global recognition for our care for the environment and ensure that our environmental management policies and programmes meet international standards.

At the core of this programme is our Environmental Management System, which ensures a planned, focused and sustained approach to the care of the environment. It seeks to apply universal standards of care and a systematic approach throughout EMSD in five major areas - the establishment of an environmental policy, planning, implementation and control, checking and corrective action, followed by management review. The system will also strengthen evaluation of existing initiatives and the implementation of follow on programmes.

The 5-S Practice
As part and parcel of our quest for Total Quality Management, we introduced the 5-S organisational practice last year. The system inculcates good working habits and a positive attitude to work. At the end of 1999, several "5-S Staff Teams" participated in a competition for the most effective results. Results were so positive that another competition has been arranged this year with 110 staff in 17 teams volunteering to take part.

At Hong Kong's annual 5-S conference, we shared our 5-S experiences, benefits and results with other delegates. Mr. Leung Cham-tim, Director of EMSD, was also invited to give the Keynote Address at the event. More recently, staff members from the Hong Kong Jockey Club also paid us a visit to exchange views and experiences on the 5-S programme.

"We are the Champions..."
In August last year, the Civil Service Bureau introduced a Customer Service Award Scheme to enhance the customer service culture in the Civil Service. Objectives were to recognise civil service achievements in customer service as well as to boost quality customer services for the community.

Several EMSD individuals and service teams were nominated and we are very proud to report that Mr. Ho Kim-wah, a Senior Mechanical Inspector and the Lifts and Escalators Sub-division, both under our Regulatory Services, won Excellence Awards in the Application Processing Service section. Even more positively, the Trading Fund's Municipal Sector Division were the Champions in Internal Support Service.

Both Mr. Ho and the Lifts and Escalators Sub-division, responsible for the safety of lifts and escalators in Hong Kong, werenominated for their helpful attitudes, efficiency and rapid response to customers. The team from the Municipal Sector Division was nominated for its proactive implementation of many new customer service improvements and for achieving outstanding results in customer satisfaction. Their nomination was supported by a staggering 23 customer and public commendations.

Customer Opinion Survey
We have been conducting customer opinion surveys regularly since 1996. In January we sent out 2,393 questionnaires to 26 customer departments to get your views on how well we are doing. As a result, we have received a great deal of valuable input from you. Thank you. This will help us to enhance our services to better meet you needs. With your help, we expect to continue our improvements into the future.