Management Approach

Strategy and Management

ArchSD provides support to Government-owned and Government-funded facilities with core function in the following programme areas:

Our Vision, Mission and Values

Quality, Environmental, Health and Safety Policy

Our Quality, Environmental, Health and Safety Policy stipulates our commitment to driving the sustainable development of Hong Kong through our operations. In our comprehensive range of multi-disciplinary services for public buildings and facilities, we are committed to:

• Fulfil the agreed requirements of our clients to the highest professional standards;
• Deliver our services in an environmentally responsible manner by implementing conservation of energy, preventing pollution and reducing the consumption of natural resources to protect the environment;
• Manage our health and safety risks to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our staff, our contractors and other people who may be affected by our work;
• Fulfil all compliance obligations including applicable legislations and other requirements, and wherever practicable, to achieve standards beyond those that are legally required;
• Provide adequate resources and training to all staff and provide appropriate training to persons working for or on behalf of ArchSD, to continually improve our quality, environmental, health and safety management system to enhance performance and effectiveness; and
• Promote ArchSD's principles of quality, environmental sustainability, health and safety to our partners in work, the construction industry and the general public.

Governance

Being a government agency under the Hong Kong SAR Government, we strictly follow the highest practices and policies set out by the Civil Service Bureau to enforce our internal governance.

In the endeavour to achieve service excellence and continuous improvement in operational efficiency, we have incorporated international standards and industry best practices where applicable. Our Integrated Management System (IMS) is certified to ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System. Since 2014, our IMS at APB Centre is also certified to ISO 50001 Energy Management System. With our Vision, Mission and Core Values, and Quality, Environmental, Health and Safety Policy as the backbone, the IMS enables us to achieve operation and service excellence and continuous improvement.

We adhere to the safety-associated guidelines of the Development Bureau (DEVB) on top of our IMS to ensure that provisions such as site safety training, pay for safety, and safety model workers award scheme, are properly addressed in our works contracts. To protect the rights of employment and development, we fully comply with the Employment Ordinance, and offer our employees a range of benefits and training opportunities. Labour Relations Officers would be appointed for large-scale construction projects to help solve the disputes between contractors and workers in early stage.

Chaired by the Director, the Senior Staff Forum oversees the management of ArchSD. The Forum formulates departmental policies, strategies and goals as well as monitors and reviews the performance of our IMS at least once a year.

We have also established a number of steering committees to monitor different areas of operation of ArchSD.

Governance Structure

Risk Management

We identify and monitor the key risks associated with our operations through risk assessments and reporting at both the Departmental and project levels. Mitigation plans are formulated and implemented to control risks and minimise potential impacts as far as practicable.

At Departmental level, we identify and manage potential risks on quality, environment, health and safety in relation to our services and operations under our IMS.

In all our projects, we strictly follow the risk management guidelines of the DEVB, including Technical Circular (Works) No. 6/2005 on "Implementation of Systematic Risk Management in Public Works Projects". We take a lifecycle approach in managing potential risks in projects, from the project inception to the completion of construction. In addition, during the course of project delivery, project teams would conduct integrated management workshops with project stakeholders to assess risks and formulating effective controls well in advance.

To ensure workplace integrity, all staff are required to uphold high level of ethical standards and professional integrity. They are obliged to follow the principles stated in the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. Potential or suspected bribery or corruption cases shall be reported to the Senior Staff Forum and the Independent Commission Against Corruption for further investigation. During the reporting period, there was no such case reported.

Involvement in External Associations and Committees

Apart from their official duties, our senior staff members actively participated in a variety of professional bodies and external committees. They offer statutory, professional and technical advice to support local initiatives in relation to developing and executing public policies on building design and architectural issues. For instance, our senior staff members are involved in various committees related to sustainability and these include:

• Council of the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust to administer the operation of the Trust;
• Committee on Planning & Land Development to consider and review policies on planning and land development issues;
• Property Strategy Group to consider and decide all matters related to the optimisation of site utilisation;
• Accommodation Strategy Group to examine and approve minor building works applications;
• Steering Committee on Greening, Landscape and Tree Management to set strategic direction on greening, landscape and tree management policies and oversee the implementation of the policies; and
• Green Labelling Committee, the Industry Standards Committee and the Policy and Research Committee under the Hong Kong Green Building Council Limited to drive green building development.
• Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation to advise on matters related to built heritage conservation;
• Steering Committee on the Promotion of Green Building to formulate strategies to further promote green buildings and make recommendations on relevant measures;
• Public Fill Committee to formulate and implement strategies for the management of public fill and recycled materials;
• Steering Committee on Restored Landfill Revitalization Funding Scheme to advise on the operational arrangements and other related matters of the Scheme.