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The HKSAR Government how to mak e i t work for you | wh o to call | a n exercis e i n civic engagement The HKSA R Governmen t i s you r government . I t i s ther e t o work for you. You should no t be shy abou t askin g i t to wor k better. Yo u ma y hav e differen t idea s abou t ho w Hon g Kon g should b e governe d - an d ther e i s n o reaso n wh y yo u shoul d keep your ideas to yourself. Let your government know what you think and feel. This i s what active participatio n means . It i s importan t t o remembe r tha t th e governmen t i s actuall y interested i n well-researche d arguments . Lik e man y ordinar y citizens, thos e i n governmen t ar e ofte n frustrate d b y th e difficulty o f sustainin g public-privat e cooperation . Top decisionmakers lamen t th e lac k o f interes t an d participatio n i n publi c affairs amon g member s o f th e public . The botto m lin e i s tha t they welcom e goo d idea s an d workabl e solutions . However , they ma y no t hea r yo u th e firs t time , s o b e prepare d t o kee p driving th e messag e home . Chang e i s possibl e - bu t i t doe s require determination . This chapte r wil l giv e yo u a snapsho t o f Hon g Kong' s curren t political landscape . Anyone ca n lear n t o navigat e it . Once yo u understand the basics, it is not actually that complex . Getting Heard How do I find out who i s who i n government ? The HKSAR Government, like other governments, is a huge bureaucracy. It has 180,000 officers and many departments and units. Trying to find out who doe s wha t ca n b e a dauntin g task . Appendi x VII I provide s a n organisational chart of the HKSAR Government that will give you an idea of ho w responsibilit y i s structured . Th e governmen t websit e a t http://www.info.gov.hk provide s organisational charts for each bureau and department. The governmen t websit e als o provide s th e emai l addresse s o f al l government offices . There is also an online telephone directory, but you need to kno w the nam e of a n officer befor e you can access hi s or he r number. T o identif y th e nam e o f th e office r i n charg e o f a specifi c department, you should buy a copy of the excellent "The Government of the Hon g Kon g Specia l Administrativ e Regio n Telephon e Directory, " which i s update d ever y yea r an d cost s onl y HK$72 ! You ca n bu y th e directory throug h th e Informatio n Service s Departmen t (http://www.info.gov.hk/isd) o r from the Government Publication s Centr e (G/F, Low Block, Queensway Governmen t Offices , 66 Queensway). This telephone director y i s indispensable fo r anyone who i s intereste d in communit y participation . I t provide s names , positions , telephon e numbers, fa x number s an d emai l addresses . I t als o contain s usefu l information abou t ke y public bodies . What i f I get the "run-around" ? If you hav e identified the righ t perso n to contact bu t feel you are bein g given th e "run-around, " fin d ou t exactl y wh o i s responsibl e fo r you r issue. If you are dissatisfied with the response, contact the departmen t head and ask for the right person. If it is unclear which department an d which officer i s responsible, it may be that the issue you are concerned about has fallen through the cracks. If that is the case, you may wish to campaign to ensure that your issue is not neglected and is given...

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