Be it performance pledges or key performance indicators (KPIs), successive governments have sought to improve governance via different means over the years.
While these are positive steps to enhance transparency and accountability, the public is not necessarily best-served by merely adhering to numbers and indicators.
Just as important is to foster a culture of going above and beyond meeting targets and ascertaining whether the people genuinely benefit.
If the report card of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is any guide, the outcome seems impressive. Only six of 150 KPIs for specific tasks in last year’s policy address have not been met.
The ones that fell short covered waste recycling, re-domiciliation of overseas companies, tax deductions for voluntary Mandatory Provident Fund contributions, cruise tourism development, an environmental impact assessment for the artificial islands reclamation project, and a judicial service deal with the mainland’s Supreme People’s Court.
The slippage was acceptable because the extra time allowed could lead to better results, Lee said. He believed the KPIs could foster a results-oriented culture and achieve intended outcomes, referring to the city’s higher global ranking as an international financial centre, as well as its improved talent recruitment and competitiveness.
