Long-term commitment:
Ronald Leung regards working as an Administrative Officer as a lifelong career.
All-round training:
Angora Ngai sees the administrative grade as a good opportunity to train a generalist.
Administrative Officers embrace change
August 28, 2011
Fresh recruits to the Civil Service Ronald Leung and Angora Ngai eagerly embrace the kaleidoscope of changing responsibilities that come with their Administrative Officer posts.
Both joined the Government last year, and told news.gov.hk they have gained valuable experience taking on an assortment of projects.
Mr Leung graduated from Cambridge University with an Economics degree and worked at an audit firm before joining the Government last August. He regards public service as a lifelong career.
He has been working in the Development Bureau’s Harbour Unit, responsible for harbourfront enhancement projects. He attends regular meetings of the Harbourfront Commission and District Council subcommittees, and is involved in planning the Kai Tak Harbourfront Development. He was also in charge of the Victoria Harbour Icon Design Competition held this year.
Fresh perspective
"It's the first time I was fully in charge of a very meaningful event which is of significance to all Hong Kong people. In the process I have to make a lot of big or small decisions on various aspects like to promote the competition, to arrange for an independent and professional adjudicating team as well as to organise the prize-giving ceremony. So all in all, it is a very useful and meaningful learning experience for me," Mr Leung said.
Since he became involved in harbourfront affairs, he has gained a fresh perspective on Victoria Harbour, which he once thought of only in terms of its economic value as a shipping and logistics centre.
"Hong Kong people, we all lead a very busy life. But if we can come to the harbourfront to enjoy the scenic view of the harbour, we can definitely relax,” he said, adding that beautifying the harbour and developing the harbourfront benefits everyone and improves our quality of life.
The opportunity to participate in formulating government policies attracted Mr Leung to the Administrative Officer post - which he views as a lifelong career.
Appealing challenge
"I think working through this career is like studying an encyclopedia of the whole of Hong Kong. As our society continues to develop, we have diversifying social values as well as policy objectives. So how we could have an effective balance of these various things to produce a good collective outcome in the overall interest of Hong Kong,” he said. This, he added, was “a very appealing challenge”.
Angora Ngai, who has a degree in English from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature & Cultural Studies from the University of Warwick, joined the Government in May, 2010.
She works in the Transport & Housing Bureau’s Housing Branch, where she saw the formulation of the "9 new measures and 12 requirements" - rules developers must adhere to when selling new flats. Her duties include administering the regulation of private housing sales.
“When I receive a copy of the sales brochure, I will go through it to see if they comply with the requirements. I also visit the show flats to see if the order and arrangement are up to standards,” Ms Ngai said.
Generalist training
Shortly after the implementation of the "9 new measures and 12 requirements" policy, she spoke at a seminar for developers and estate agents.
“That was my first time speaking on behalf of the bureau, to facilitate the understanding of the new measures. That was very satisfying,” she said.
Ms Ngai said she sought out a career that focused on public administration and social affairs, and encouraged potential candidates to apply for the Administrative Officer grade.
“The administrative grade is the best opportunity to train a generalist because there is a change of posting regularly. You will be kept interested and curious all the time as there is always new things to learn in each posting,” she said.
