The Government of the Government 5B Lydia Chan
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Office of the ombudsman was set up as an independent organization to redress grievances from the public and address issues arising from maladministration in the government officials.
Young Post is pleased to interview the Chairlady of the Office of the ombudsman, Miss Chan Ching Nam.
Requirements & Qualifications
Insensible complaint is not uncommon to be lodged by the citizens, so an ombudsman must have high emotional intelligence and analytical thinking to handle every single case. Patience is also important for this job because investigation into the bureaucratic system can take a few months or even a year.
“As the issues you deal with are all about government working procedures and coordination, it will be better to study a degree of public governance or administration. “, said Miss Chan. Holding a first honor graduation certificate, Chan understands well the functions and the limitations of different government departments , so as to check whether they have fulfilled their responsibility.
Rewards and benefits
Working as a civil servant, an ombudsman can enjoy public medical services subsidies and also lifetime insurance. The starting point of monthly salary of a senior directorate is $46,230. Promotion development will depend on the workers’ performance.
A Day at Work
Each independent complaint is usually in charge by a squad which consists of 3-4 ombudsmen. Starting from studying for the previous files and similar cases, the ombudsmen need to get familiar into the situation of both the complainants and the involved parties.
Unlike the policemen, the ombudsmen are required to investigate the cause and effect of the complaint by their own while hiding their identity sometimes. As the target is the public corporations, exposing themselves as the watchdog of the government may result in being pleased painstakingly by those government officials. What they need to figure out is the real picture that may about some mistakes the government made and the loophole of the mechanism. So, they will act like a simple citizen to use the public services and observe how the government organizations perform their daily duties. A detailed report will be written for every single case. No matter how the results of the appeal are, improvement suggestions should be raised by the ombudsmen in order to give a reference to the government.
An unforgettable experience in my career
Chan had once strove for a construction worker to be qualified for the Higher Disability Allowance, which requires the applicants should be proved as “losing all working ability”. He had lost his right leg unfortunately, but was told that he did not lose the working ability completely because he still has one leg left. Seeing this rejection as ridiculousness, Miss Chan challenges the Social Welfare Department to review their subsidies’ policy for disability which had been implemented for over two decades. Finally, the worker was given the opportunity of receiving the welfare he deserved. Chan was glad to see her effort can bring benefit and justice to others. She feels like contributing to the community where she grows up. Chan promises the Young Post that she would continue to monitor the government to enhance the well-being of Hong Kong.