Summary of Survey Findings on Operation of GRSC
30/5/2016
School Administration 3 Section Education Bureau
1
Questionnaire on Operation of GRSC
Status: Closed
Start date: 6‐4‐2016
End date: 18‐5‐2016
Target: GRSC chairpersons/
functional committee of similar nature
Nature: Optional & Anonymous
Questions: 11
Total responded: 25
Q.1 Has your school formulated a plan for reviewing all the school‐based policies and procedures under the 3 domains as set out in Annex 1 of EDB Circular No. 7/2012?
92%
8%
Yes ‐ 92%
No ‐ 8%
3
Review Plan
Total responses: 25
% of responses
Reasons:
• An ad hoc basis school
reviews as part of preparation for GRSC review [count = 1]
• 14‐15: Formulation of GRSC;
15‐16: Review the domain of Human Resource
Management;
16‐17: Review school governance and
administration [count = 1]
Q.2 If “Yes” to Question 1, has the plan been discussed and endorsed at the SMC/IMC meeting(s)?
100%
Yes ‐ 100%
No ‐ 0%
Review Plan
(Q.1 Has your school formulated a plan for reviewing all the school‐based policies and procedures under the 3 domains as set out in Annex 1 of EDB Circular No. 7/2012?)
Total responses: 23
% of responses
5
Review Process
Q.3 Please state the domain(s) for review covered in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 school years.
(Each respondent could choose more than one domain)
12%
68%
20%
% of responses 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
0 domain ‐ 0%
1 domain ‐ 12%
2 domains ‐ 68%
3 domains ‐ 20%
Total responses: 25
Total responses: 25
% of responses
Review Process
Q.3 Please state the domain(s) for review covered in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 school years.
(Each respondent could choose more than one domain)
8%
80%
76%
52%
% of responses
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Domain Count
Human Resources Management 13
Financial and Resources
Management 19
School Fee
Remission/Scholarship Scheme 20
Others:
• SMC [count = 1]
• School Fee
Remissions/Scholarship Scheme was reviewed in the 2013/14 school years [count = 1]
2
Total responses for the chosen domain: 13
% of responses
Human Resources Management Domain
Q.4 Please indicate the areas reviewed/to be reviewed in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 school years under the corresponding domain(s).
(Each respondent could choose more than one area/domain)
7
30.8%
76.9%
84.6%
107.7%
% of responses
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Area Count
Staff Recruitment and Remuneration
Policy
14
Staff Performance Management System
including Promotion/Demotion
11
Complaints Mechanism (Staff and
Public)
10
Others:
• Group medical insurance for staff, staff
development subsidy, acceptance of advantages and donations, conflict of interest, provision of meals to staff and SMC members [count = 1]
• Staff contract and annual leave policy, staff lateness policy, health benefit, minimum wage, fractional time teaching post, overtime policy, special leave policy, special incentive scheme, etc. [count = 1]
• Staff Appraisal system and workload [count = 1]
• Other staff movements – termination. payroll calculation [count = 1]
4
% of responses
Total responses for the chosen domain: 19
Financial and Resources Management Domain
Q.4 Please indicate the areas reviewed/to be reviewed in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 school years under the corresponding domain(s).
(Each respondent could choose more than one area/domain)
10.5%
73.7%
84.2%
73.7%
84.2%
84.2%
89.5%
84.2%
1
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Area Count
Fees and Collections Policy
16
Budgeting and Accounting Practices
17
Tendering and Procurement Policy
16
Trading Operation
16
Investment Policy
14
Acceptance of Advantages and Donations
16
Fund Raising Activity
14
Others:
• Payment process, safe keeping school assets and other valuables [count = 1]
• Discussion and approval of large‐scale work in IMC [count = 1]
2
School Fee Remission/Scholarship Scheme Domain
Q.4 Please indicate the areas reviewed/to be reviewed in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 school years under the corresponding domain(s).
(Each respondent could choose more than one area/domain)
9
11.1%
100%
100%
100%
% of responses
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Area Count
Criteria for Awarding Fee
Remission/Scholarship
20
Application Procedures, Approving and
Appeal Mechanisms
20
Publicity of Fee Remission/Scholarship
Scheme
20
Others:
• Operation of fee
remission/scholarship scheme [count = 1]
2
% of responses
Total responses for the chosen domain: 20
Review Process
Q.5 Has your GRSC reviewed the completed Self‐evaluation Checklist?
36%
64%
92%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Yes (for the 2014/15 school year) ‐ 92%
Yes (for the 2013/14 school year) ‐ 64%
Yes (for the 2012/13 school year) ‐ 36%
No ‐ 0%
% of responses
Total responses: 25 2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
Q.6 If “Yes” to Question 5, were there any difficulties in reviewing the completed Checklist?
96%
4%
No ‐ 96%
Yes ‐ 4%
11
(Q.5 Has your GRSC reviewed the completed Self‐evaluation Checklist?)
Review Process
% of responses Total responses: 25
Reason:
• That answer sometimes is not totally Yes or No.
It could be partially Yes
and partially No. More
elaboration is required
to better describe the
situation. [count = 1]
Total responses: 25
% of responses
Review Process
Q.7 What are the resources that your GRSC has made reference to when conducting the review?
(Each respondent could choose more than one option)
20%
12%
68%
100%
100%
% of responses
0% 50% 100%
Domain Count
EDB circulars/guidelines
25
Self‐evaluation Checklist(s)
25
GRSC Corner/Training materials from
EDB
17
Resources shared by other schools:
• Aided schools' procurement procedures
and practices [n = 1]
3
Other resources:
• External professional accountancy firm [count
= 1]
• Notes from EDB seminars [count = 1]
• Professional expertise of GRSC members [count = 1]
• Application and vetting procedures and criteria of SFAA's fee remission scheme; Procurement procedures and financial policy manuals of
5
Q.8 Does your GRSC submit review findings to the SMC/IMC on a regular basis?
88%
12.0% Yes ‐ 88%
No ‐ 12%
13
Review Process
Reasons:
• Will be submitted in June 2016
• Submit in future
• Proceeding
% of responses
Total responses: 25
Q.9 Is there any success experience(s) that your GRSC would like to share with other counterparts?
24%
72%
4%
Yes ‐ 24%
No ‐ 72%
Skipped
question ‐ 4%
Success Experience, Concerns and Support Needed
% of responses
Total responses: 25
• Important to meet with staff (both teaching and administrative) in School to understand the practical situation and policies, identify problems and make suggestions. It is also important to follow whether the suggestions are useful to enhance teaching/learning quality, as well as work efficiency, or not.
• The committee members are fully engaged and willing to share their experience and professional views.
• The School directors, principal & staff are supportive of “Governance Review” and attend the meetings as the resources managers.
• The school management is open‐minded in considering good ideas for continuous improvement.
• They are strong proponents of teamwork.
• Active participation in discussions is encouraged in meetings.
• Formulated schedule of review for working group.
• Reviewed & revised the policies.
• By benchmarking with other education institutions and public sector bodies will give members lots of insight into the Financial and HR Domains.
• Learning from other people’s best practices greatly facilitates the review process.
• Identified areas of improvement on Financial and Resources Management and accepted by the SMC.
• Useful to develop the annual work plan.
• Maintain good communication with the School Management Team.
15
Success Experience, Concerns and Support Needed
Q.9 Is there any success experience(s) that your GRSC would like to share with other counterparts?
Total responses: 6
Success Experience, Concerns and Support Needed
Q.9 Is there any success experience(s) that your GRSC would like to share with other counterparts?
Total responses: 6
Most frequent words: school(count=4); management(count=3); review(count=3); financial(count=2); good(count=2).
Q.10 Does your GRSC have any concerns or difficulties in performing the function of assisting the SMC/IMC to review school‐based policies and procedures?
8%
92%
Yes ‐ 8%
No ‐ 92%
17
Success Experience, Concerns and Support Needed
% of responses
Total responses: 25
Q.10 Does your GRSC have any concerns or difficulties in performing the function of assisting the SMC/IMC to review school‐based policies and procedures?
Success Experience, Concerns and Support Needed
• The voluntary nature of the GRSC members makes their time availability limited. The restriction of time leads to reviews which are not much in depth, considering the very broad scope of a comprehensive school administration and management system that the reviews need to cover.
• Not enough financial resources.
• The School has appointed a coordinator to help the Committee to collect information and liaise with responsible staff. This is most helpful.
Total responses: 3
Q.10 Does your GRSC have any concerns or difficulties in performing the function of assisting the SMC/IMC to review school‐based policies and procedures?
19
Success Experience, Concerns and Support Needed
Total responses: 3
Most frequent words: reviews(count=2); school(count=2); time(count=2); administration (count=1).
Q.11 Please propose the support service/training you think GRSC members need most.
Success Experience, Concerns and Support Needed
• Organize sharing sessions for GRSC members from different schools to share good practices.
• Updates from EDB on school trends and peer support forum for resource sharing.
• Would suggest EDB to provide one full set of GRSC Guidelines for reference. GRSC will only have to make reference to it when conducting the review.
• Understanding EDB guidelines
• Learning from other people’s best practices greatly facilitates the review process.
• It is proposed that secretarial support should be provided for GRSC members. The support services should include research and collation of information and filing of documents, coordination among members and heads of functional groups in school and to prepare documents to be inspected or reviewed.
• Some GRSC members for some schools may not have relevant experience in financial and HR aspects relating to DSS Schools. Some sort of guidelines highlighting important issues which GRSC members should note would be helpful.
• Will need budget to recruit external clerical support for GRSC exercise.
Total responses: 6
Q.11 Please propose the support service/training you think GRSC members need most.
21
Success Experience, Concerns and Support Needed
Total responses: 6
Most frequent words: grsc(count=6); members(count=4); support (count=4); edb(count=3); guidelines (count=3).
THANK Y OU!
• We appreciate your responses and comments!
• If you would like to tell us something about the operation of GRSC that has not been
covered in this survey, please free feel to give your comments in the Question‐and‐Answer Session.
– e.g. “EDB should revisit the role and the function
of the GRSC” (Count = 1)
23
