385 civil servants transferred under new government mobility system

The local government is pushing for more refined workforce management, with research on departmental staffing benchmarks due next year and 385 staff transfers already made under a new mobility system introduced in 2023.

Research on government staffing benchmarks, led by the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP), is due for completion in the fourth quarter of next year, following a lawmaker’s inquiry into civil service workforce management.

In response to lawmaker Leong Pou U’s written inquiry, SAFP director Leong Weng In noted that, under the current legal framework, her bureau has been working with the Commission of Audit to review the functions, structures, and staffing of public departments, with recent reorganizations also completed at the Financial Services Bureau, the Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Land and Urban Construction Bureau, and the Public Works Bureau.

A multidimensional analysis – including audit findings, staffing structures, organizational streamlining, workflow optimization, and service characteristics – is being used to establish department-wide staffing benchmarks as part of broader workforce control measures.

On workforce mobility, the government has been pursuing more refined workforce management, urging departments to prioritize internal transfers over new recruitment, supported by process improvements and job adjustments.

According to a written reply, a new transfer system introduced in 2023 has enabled two-way mobility between departments with different staffing regimes and across career streams, facilitating cross-sector and cross-department talent flows to ensure resources are directed to priority policy areas. As of May this year, 385 reassignments have been recorded.

According to SAFP, when deploying staff through the transfer system, departments consider factors such as job function, job nature, qualifications, and professional skills to ensure suitable placement, with appropriate training and support provided. Between January and May this year, the bureau offered 16 training courses with more than 500 participants.

It also provides psychological support services covering emotional counseling, workplace stress management, career planning, and interpersonal communication, assisting 52 civil servants with 114 consultations during the same period, alongside six mental health workshops and seminars.