Urban Renewal Authority 2018-19 Annual Report

67 CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY which could be applied to the work of the URA. In order to meet staff learning needs and sustain corporate development, a Training and Development Task Force has been set up to identify and prioritise training and development needs through input from staff members of different Divisions/Departments. Looking ahead, we will continue to put emphasis on building our staff members’ capabilities to apply the latest technology into their work; widen their horizons and exposure via talks and visits; further enhance their people and leadership skills through workshops and simulation exercises and strengthen their agility and entrepreneurship via project studies. Work Improvement Teams (WITs) will continue to provide an application and collaboration platform for staff members to develop, communicate and apply their innovative ideas into work in order to promote a continuous improvement culture within the URA and improve existing work procedures and efficiency. Applying the Core Competencies for Succession Management/ Performance Management and Training & Development To foster the skills and knowledge for succession assessment and career development, core competencies which define the knowledge, skills and attitude for different staff levels are incorporated into divisional career ladders. The same competencies are also applied to assess potential successors in order to evaluate their readiness and to identify any gaps for further development. Attracting, Motivating and Retaining the right staff In a tight labour market, the need for effective means to identify, employ, retain and motivate the right talent remains high. In order to attract, motivate and retain young qualified professionals with satisfactory performance, combined establishment at Assistant Manager and Manager levels was introduced to allow more upward movement for these professional staff. For the talent management, the URA Future Leaders Programme has been implemented to identify promising General Managers and Senior Managers for further developing their capacities and competencies so as to take up key positions in the future. Building an Effective and Engaging Workforce In response to the feedback collected from the Employee Engagement Survey conducted in 2016/17, a Staff Newsletter was introduced in 2017 to improve internal communication. Eight issues have been published since the introduction. In addition, our Staff Suggestion Scheme continues to invite ideas from staff members to improve work efficiency and effectiveness and to enhance a sense of belonging. Suggestions with positive impact to the organisation will be explored and, where feasible, adopted by the URA.