Seminar on IT Project Management
for the Social Welfare Sector
Opening Remarks
Mrs Carrie Lam
Director of Social Welfare
21 January 2002
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 Sector
Essential 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 Sector
Essential 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
6
IT Strategy for the Social Welfare Sector
Essential Components
Accessibility
 To enhance the accessibility of elders and
disabled persons to IT
7
IT Strategy for the Social Welfare Sector
Implementation
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 Sector
Implementation
Initiatives in 2001 (cont’d)
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 welfarerelated web pages
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IT Strategy for the Social Welfare Sector
Implementation
Initiatives in 2001 (cont’d)
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)
10
IT Strategy for the Social Welfare Sector
Implementation
Initiatives in 2001 (cont’d)
 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 Sector
Implementation
Initiatives in 2001 (cont’d)
 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)
12
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-byproject 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 the
Use 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 reengineering and changes to service
delivery mode
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Observations and Expectations on the
Use of IT for the Social Welfare Sector
Emphasis on IT for the Sector to facilitate
joined-up efforts, knowledge sharing and cooperation
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
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