Speech by Mrs. Rita Lau, JP Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology) at the PMIHK 10th Anniversary Celebration Grand Finale Dinner Party
03 December 2007
Mr. Raymond Wong , Mr. Raymond Cheng , Ms Patty Wong , Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening! It is my pleasure to join you all here at the Grand Finale Dinner Party of the Project Management Institute Hong Kong Chapter, or PMIHK, to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Over the last ten years, the PMIHK has not only played an active role in promoting the best practices of project management in Hong Kong, but also provided Hong Kong practitioners with a forum to share experience and a certification programme to advance their profession. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the PMIHK for its efforts in helping upgrade our ICT workforce.
Digital 21 Strategy
Under our Digital 21 Strategy, one of our major areas of focus is to develop Hong Kong as a hub for technological cooperation and trade. To achieve this aim, we must have a vibrant ICT industry with a knowledgeable and versatile workforce with a variety of competencies. The Government has been working closely with the industry to facilitate the continuous upgrade of our ICT workforce. I would like to highlight some of the efforts below.
Enhancing the competencies of the ICT workforce
The Government encourages the ICT industry to involve relevant stakeholders in developing competency standards to facilitate training and pave the way for professional recognition. We are facilitating the development of a Qualifications Framework, or QF, for the ICT industry, involving stakeholders including employers, employees and relevant professional bodies. With competency standards defined by the stakeholders, the QF will meet the needs of the industry, promote lifelong learning, enhance the quality of the workforce, and finally increase the competitiveness of the ICT industry. With the valuable contribution from many of you, we have now reached a major milestone: The first "Specification of Competency Standards" in respect of "Software Products and Software Services" is now available on the QF website for public reference.
The Government also places strong emphasis on the recognition of IT professional competencies in Hong Kong. We encourage industry-led initiatives to give recognition of the capability and experience of local IT practitioners. For instance, we have sponsored a study on IT Professional Certification System and IT Manpower Roster. Under this initiative, a Certification Scheme for three IT professional titles, namely Project Director, Systems Architect and Quality Assurance Manager, was successfully implemented. I understand that in the development of this Scheme, the PMIHK has made substantial contribution in respect of the competency framework for certified Project Director. We welcome and appreciate such collaboration among professional bodies for enhancing the competencies of the ICT workforce and the industry.
Moving up the value chain
In spite of Hong Kong's excellence in many operational aspects such as project management, system development and infrastructure support, which is manifested in countless successful projects implemented in the past, there is no room for complacency. While operational capabilities are indispensable for a thriving ICT industry, we are witnessing skill requirements moving progressively up the value chain in, just to name a few, the following areas:
"Business transformation" with technology as an enabler;
"Creative content" for exploiting new business opportunities; and
"Information management" for value-added business analysis and knowledge sharing and creation.
Our ICT workforce should be equipped with a wider spectrum of capabilities in these areas to meet the demands of a digital economy and contribute to commerce and economic development activities. I encourage professional bodies, industry players and the academia to seize the opportunity to scale new height for the ICT development and for Hong Kong as a whole.
"External" face of Hong Kong
While looking inward at the local ICT workforce, we must not lose sight of the "external" face of Hong Kong by virtue of our excellence in project management. The National 11th Five-year Plan puts emphasis on, among others, technological innovation and informatisation. In response, the Government has set out to foster closer collaboration with the Mainland on various fronts, including innovation, technology and information services. Hong Kong can be more actively involved in the development process of our motherland by sharing our project management capability with our Mainland counterparts. I believe the professional bodies in Hong Kong like the PMIHK should be able to contribute in this respect. We should harness our role as the two-way platform assisting Mainland enterprises to participate in the global economy. We also foresee an emerging need for the exchange and mutual recognition of IT professionals between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The CEPA in respect of IT services and the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-operation in Informatisation provide effective platforms for IT collaboration and exchange of IT professionals between the two places.
Closing
Ladies and gentlemen, it has been said that "success is good management in action" . We have seen the success of PMIHK, attributed to its good project management and its laudable action in the past in promoting best practices in project management. There are now over 1,300 PMI members in Hong Kong. This is a significant achievement. I look forward to the Institute's continuous contribution in upgrading the ICT workforce in Hong Kong, and wish it every success in the years to come.
Thank you.
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